Vesey, who was third on the Rangers in even-strength goals with 16 last season, is hoping that is where he can help.
"Secondary scoring, I think I can contribute there," Vesey said. "The last two years I've scored a lot of goals at even strength (32) and talking with Buffalo, the coaches and management, that was something they were perhaps lacking. I bring a blue-collar work ethic to the rink, I like to get to the front of the net, and I think that's where a lot of even-strength goals get scored. I'm a competitor and I hope I can be part of bringing this team to the playoffs and beyond."
However, the promise playing alongside the Sabres' young core of Eichel, forwards Sam Reinhart and Casey Mittelstadt, and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, is another reason why he was excited to join Buffalo.
"I think we've made some great moves as a team and I'm familiar with some players in the organization like Jack," Vesey said. "I'm really excited for not only what I can bring to the team but also what we can accomplish as a group. Buffalo was right there for so long, they fell off at the end but I think this is a group on the cusp of doing something special and I'm hoping and excited to be a part of that."
In addition to trading for Vesey this offseason, the Sabres acquired defenseman Colin Miller, who had 29 points (three goals, 26 assists) in 65 games last season, in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on June 29 for a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. They also signed forward Marcus Johansson, who had 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 58 games with the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins last season, to a two-year contract on July 6.
"I'm pretty excited, we got some good players. We made some pretty good moves I think through free agency and trades and it's only made me more excited to get going," said Jeff Skinner, who led the Sabres with 40 goals last season and signed an eight-year contract with Buffalo on June 7. "You get to this point in the summer, things start revving up training-wise and with the new additions, it makes it even more so.
"We should try to build on some of the things we did early last season that paid off. We didn't sustain it long enough and we want to change that. We've made some improvements in the offseason and it's been a good step in the right direction in the offseason, so hopefully we can put it together for a full season now."