Botterill looks ahead to offseason following NHL announcement

Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill looked ahead to what projects to be an unusual offseason during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.

The NHL formally announced its return to play plan Tuesday, which aims to see 24 teams compete for the Stanley Cup beginning in July at the earliest. The Sabres are among the seven clubs that saw their season end with the announcement, having finished 13th in the Eastern Conference with a .493 points percentage.

Buffalo dropped six straight contests prior to earning a shootout victory over Washington in what would be the team's season finale.

"At the end of the day, we should have put ourselves in a better position," Botterill said.

"I think in the five or six games leading up to the start of the pause, we played well but we didn't get the results we wanted. In a situation when you get into February, March and April, you have to get results. You have to get results. We did not get that, so that's a disappointing element."

Here are some of the key takeaways from Botterill's comments as they pertain to the coming offseason.

Forward depth will be an emphasis

Botterill said he was pleased with a defense corps that was bolstered by the additions of Colin Miller and Henri Jokiharju after adding Rasmus Dahlin and Brandon Montour the year prior. He complimented the strides Linus Ullmark made in net.

Next on the to-do list is bolstering the team's scoring depth.

"We have to do a better job of creating more offense throughout our four lines, of having more depth scoring throughout the entire lineup," Botterill said. "As a GM I have to give our coach Ralph Krueger the ability to change different lines up, to have more depth through his four groups."

The Sabres relied heavily on career years from Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and Victor Olofsson. Jeff Skinner was limited to 59 games and 14 goals, though he still managed to lead the team with 149 scoring chances at 5-on-5, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.

Botterill expressed confidence in the team's trio of first-round picks still pushing their way to the NHL: Dylan Cozens, Casey Mittelstadt, and Tage Thompson. Cozens will fight for a roster spot next season after a strong junior campaign in the Western Hockey League. Mittelstadt made strides after being sent to Rochester in December, while Thompson is recovering from season-ending surgery in January.

That said, Botterill will continue to pursue options in free agency and the trade market.

"I'm going to continue to believe in these young players, as I believe these young players are going to help us get over the hump and give us depth throughout our organization," he said. "But it's also going to be something that we continue to look at whether it's through free agency or through trades, the availability of different forwards to add to our mix here."

Making the most of a long offseason

With a start date for the 2019-20 playoffs yet to be determined, so is the beginning of the 2020-21 campaign. The potential exists for the Sabres to go into December before returning to play.

Botterill said that added time needs to be used for young players like Mittelstadt, Thompson, and Rasmus Dahlin to continue to add physical strength.

"We have to spin it and make into a positive," he said. "Here's an opportunity for our young players to have months on end of solid strength training. That's where it is going to be a challenge and we've talked to our performance staff a lot about it.

"They'll be reaching out to our players now that we have clarity that we're not part of the mix here in the summer. What are we specifically working on, making sure that there's that growth from a physical standpoint but that our guys aren't almost overtraining from that. It's going to be that balance there."

Botterill also floated the idea of the seven non-resuming teams having camps between now and the start of next season, a concept that still requires discussion between the league and players association.

"I think throughout the summer, there's going to be a normal pattern there but I think when they're used to coming back in September, it's going to be important that we find creative ways, whether here in Buffalo or in their home bases, of making sure their skills are ready," he said.

"Once we do get going in December, you look at the next 18 months or so, it's going to be very strenuous, so you don't really know when you're going to get a break."

Cap clarity is needed for contract negotiations

The Sabres have 26 players on expiring contracts, 12 of which are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. That leaves 14 pending restricted free agents, a group that includes Reinhart and Dahlin.

"I think both of them are in the same category," Botterill said. "Until we have more clarity on where the salary cap's going to be, just the process of salary arbitration, what the time frame's going to be. We've been in communication with most of our free agents, both restricted and unrestricted their agents. Just let them know about where we're at. And obviously with the pause, I think a lot of teams are in the same boat from that standpoint."

Looking ahead to the draft

Though no date has been set for the 2020 NHL Draft, the league did announce a revised plan for the lottery to take place on June 26. The Sabres have a 6.5-percent chance to win the No. 1 pick. Botterill said the organization is preparing for multiple scenarios when it comes to timing, whether the draft is held in the fall or sooner.

Though a lot depends on the placement of the pick - the Sabres can pick anywhere from first to third or seventh to tenth - Botterill did leave the door open on the possibility of trading the team's first-round selection for immediate roster help.

"Obviously, the 24 teams are a lot more focused on playing the playoffs out here right now versus focusing on making trades," he said. "It'll be something we certainly look at. We've been very open to talk a lot about different things that will help our team. That'll certainly be something we at least consider."