Love Nichushkin but if BUF wants to give him 6x6.5M good luck. But in all honesty the last thing BUF should be doing is adding high dollar veteran contracts that are taking ice time from young guys.

Adams already said that he’s not going to make moves to box out their younger players. The only move they will make is probably add a 4th line center.

or ugh deals with veteran for one year contract

No I don’t think they will do that. I just assume they want to add a 4C, they are already horrible at Face-offs, Girgensons and Asplund are better at the wing that at center, either Mittelstadt or olofsson gets traded to make room for Peterka.

Ugh, please no. The negligible hit of having Girgs play 4C is far offset by keeping Mitts or Olofsson around. Face-offs are not important. Some of the best teams in the league have atrocious FO%, because the outwork and outplay their opponents anyways and get back possession quickly.

Also I love Peterka, but preemptively trading away Olofsson to make room for him would be really dumb. VO hurt every joint in one arm, didn't score a single goal for almost half the season until it healed, and is still on pace to put up 20+ goals. Like come on.

They obviously care about face-offs. Eakin takes all the face-offs in OT, he even took a power play face-off last night. I do think they are overrated a little bit, but the Sabres don’t think so.

IMHO FO are important.
Thompson is getting better at FO. He spent most of the season at 38% now he is over 41%.
Mittelstadt is nearly 50% for his career.
I was thrilled when I saw Eakin take all OT FO. Especially in OT, that may be the only possession similar to NFL OT.

Olofsson scored five goals in his first 9 games and now has 11 in this last 19.
I see no reason to trade him and presume Peterka a RHS, could do as well as he on LW.
Let me add, the year Girgensons went to the All Star game, he won 440 FO, the most of any Sabre.
Skinner-Thompson-Tuch
Olofsson-Cozens-Quinn
Krebs-Mittelstadt-Peterka
Asplund-Girgensons-Okposo would be a good fourth line IMHO.