TYLER PACOS
Special to The Leader
With the reformatted 2020 season coming to a close this week, free agency is fast approaching.
In a normal season, free agency would start July 1. Due to COVID-19, the biggest day of the off-season is now Oct. 9.
Although the start of the next season is still up in the air, all 31 teams are preparing to build their rosters up for whenever play resumes.
This year’s free agency is going to be much bigger compared to the past couple of seasons in the amount of bigger-named players who will be available on the market.
This includes league stars like Taylor Hall, Alex Pietrangelo and many more. The full, updated list can be found here.
So, what makes this year so special for the teams?
There’s an abundance of forwards and defensemen who will fit right into the top two lines on any team. Also, there are more goaltenders than usual, including a flaming hot Robin Lehner and all-star tender Braden Holtby.
This could be a great opportunity for the new general manager, Kevyn Adams, and his struggling Buffalo Sabres to add some key pieces to their missing lineup.
With the abundance of top-performing players available this year, this off-season could be one of the most productive here in Buffalo.
After missing the playoffs again for the ninth year in a row, Buffalo could really use some of these players to fill in the missing pieces of their puzzle.
Tune back in within the next few weeks for more updates on which team hits the jackpot during this year’s free agency.