5 free agents the Sabres can sign to get back to the playoffs

The Buffalo Sabres have missed the playoffs for the eighth straight season. These are the five free agents they could sign to get themselves back in the playoffs again.

The Buffalo Sabres were one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL this season. They were boring to watch, had terrible defensive play and the offense was flat. The future is promising; Casey Mittelstadt made his pro debut and shined. Brendan Guhle became a regular on defense and Jack Eichel is still really good at hockey.

Making a big splash in free agency is not the right course of action for Sabres. They should continue to build through the draft and develop their younger players. However, if they did want to sign players to make it back to the playoffs, here are five they should target.

5. Philipp Grubauer

The Buffalo Sabres feel good about their young goalie, Linus Ullmark. It is unlikely their two goalies from last season will return. Robin Lehner is a restricted free agent while Chad Johnson is an unrestricted free agent who likely won’t be resigned. The Buffalo Sabres will look to add a veteran presence in net to complement Ullmark. In an ideal world, the Sabres’ goalies next year would split the season as Ullmark works into the starting role. If the Sabres want to make the playoffs, they need to improve on their goaltending right away.

Enter Philipp Grubauer. Grubauer is just finishing his best season in the NHL. He made 28 starts this season winning an impressive 15 of them. Grubauer posted a strong save percentage of .923 and a goals-against average of 2.35 goals. He was able to earn the starting job over Braden Holtby and led the team down the stretch and into the playoffs. This was the perfect time for Grubauer to have a great season as he enters contract negotiations. He will likely be one of the highest paid goalies this summer and will be looking for a starting position. A large contract with the ability to earn a starting job could be enough to bring Grubauer to the Sabres.

If the Sabres can start the season with two strong goaltenders that can steal some games they will be pushing for the playoffs again. Robin Lehner and Chad Johnson both were less than stellar last season. Any improvement would help the team. Adding a big piece like Grubauer would take the team over the top.