Buffalo Sabers add secondary scoring and bet on upside and sign LW Jason Zucker

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — While it wasn’t a blockbuster move, the Buffalo Sabres have added veteran forward Jason Zucker to a one-year deal. According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, Zucker’s deal is worth $5 million over one year.

Zucker, 32, has played nearly 700 NHL games and spent last season in Arizona and Nashville.

Last season, Zucker finished with 14 goals and 18 assists in 69 games played. It was a bit of a disappointing season after a good year in Pittsburgh in 2022-23 where he scored 27 goals and made 21 assists in 78 games.

Zucker fits in as a left winger in the midfield and will provide the Sabers with the secondary scoring they desperately need. In a perfect world, Zucker would be on the Sabres’ third line, but given their lack of options on the left side, Zucker could play higher in the lineup.

Bove’s point of view:

I like this move for the Sabers because there isn’t much risk. Zucker is a better secondary scoring option than some of the options they’ve had in recent years, and it’s only a one-year deal, so there’s no long-term commitment.

The Sabers still have a lot of work to do, but Zucker is a good start. If he can score around 20 goals and help the second power play unit, he will be a welcome addition.

That said, the Sabres still desperately need to add a top-six forward and a true third-line center. It’s clear that the focus early in free agency has been on the bottom-six, but until they add a true difference-maker, the offseason will feel incomplete.

NHL free agency officially opened at noon Monday.

The Sabers also reportedly signed Sam Lafferty to a two-year contract worth $2 million per year. You can read more here.