Buffalo Sabres cap space: Examining Sabres salary in off-season

The Buffalo Sabres missed the playoffs last season, so they have made some moves in the hope to be a playoff team next year.

After the first wave of free agency, the Sabres have just a shade over $5.8 million in projected cap space, which means they have enough money to add another piece or two. They could also look to keep the space for the trade deadline if they're in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Buffalo also has every pending free agent re-signed who will be part of their NHL roster next season. However, the big moves are re-signing both Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, who are pending RFAs next season.

"We've made it clear to them. We see them as really important people and pieces of our franchise moving forward, and they've made it clear to us they want to be here, so we'll keep working on it," Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said. "But I'm excited about those guys."

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Buffalo Sabres moves

Buffalo has been making minor moves so far, but the biggest blow is the fact that Jack Quinn will miss the first part of the season after undergoing surgery to repair his Achilles tendon.

"It was tough news obviously to get for Jack, first of all, and us. He's a really important player in our lineup," Adams said.

"He'll come back better and stronger than ever. It's adversity; it's a bump in the road for him. But with the type of mindset he has, I have no worries about how he'll come out the other side of it."

Although they will be without Quinn, the Buffalo Sabres have made some minor additions. They re-signed Tyson Jost to a one-year deal and signed defenseman Connor Clifton to a three-year deal and Erik Johnson to a one-year deal.

"There's nothing like winning, and winning the Cup was the best experience, the most fun I've ever had," Johnson said.

"Once you get a taste of it, you want it again. Buffalo's a spot that is knocking on the door, and we're going to be really close. It's a team that's on the rise for years to come."

Two big question marks the Buffalo Sabres have entering the season are their goaltending and what they will do with nine defensemen under contract on one-way deals.

For the defenseman, Adams knows injuries happen, so he says that he will see what happens after training camp.

"Would we be open to doing something, especially in the back end? For sure," Adams said.

"But the league is well aware of who we have, and what we will listen to and not listen to. So, we'll see how it goes. But, ultimately, if you're asking will we go into camp with nine? Absolutely. I'm totally comfortable with that."

As for their goaltending, the Buffalo Sabres have Eric Comrie, Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen under contract. It's likely Levi will be the starter or at least share the role, but who forms the tandem with him is uncertain.

"I really think we're in a position of strength there, and I like what we have," Adams said.

"And now it's also (important) in terms of how we improve our team. It's to clean up some of the ways to help our goaltenders out, whether it's certain areas of our defensive game and our penalty kill."

For now, except a trade or minor signing, the Buffalo Sabres appear done with their moves for the off-season.