All it took was a lottery win and the addition of a generational talent to
shift the outlook of the Buffalo Sabres'; defense. What was widely considered
one of the worst blue lines in the league last season now resembles a group
with outstanding potential. With Swedish sensation, Rasmus Dahlin now in the
fold, players who were forced into roles that may have been too big for them,
have now been shifted down the depth chart.Buffalo Sabres rookie defenseman,
Rasmus Dahlin (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Not only is the Sabres'; defense a very young group, they also have quite a bit
 of depth. Perhaps too much? With 10 NHL-caliber blueliners on the books, the
Buffalo brass have some difficult decisions ahead of them as they assemble the
opening night roster.Top-Six Sabres'; Locks

As it stands, the organization has four defensemen on the roster who are
sure-fire locks to play in the top-six next season. Along with Dahlin,
returning veterans Rasmus Ristolainen, Marco Scandella and Jake McCabe are all
virtually guaranteed a full-time role with the big club in 2018-19.

About as overused as a defenseman can be, Ristolainen could end up playing
top-pairing minutes again this season. That being said, the presence of Dahlin
will allow head coach, Phil Housley the ability to reduce his ice time, if only
 a little. Over the past three seasons, the 23-year-old Finnish defender has
logged the third-most minutes in the league behind Drew Doughty and Ryan Suter.

Another player who was will benefit from the addition of a top-flight
defenseman like Dahlin is Scandella. The 28-year-old logged the second highest
average ice time per game for the Sabres in 2017-18, a role he was not
best-suited for. While he will still be expected to contribute in the top-four,
 his matchups should become more favorable. During his first season in Western
New York, there were certainly some ups and downs in his game despite being
arguably the best defensive defenseman on the roster. He';ll look to shore
things up in 2018-19.Sabres defenseman, Marco Scandella (Photo by Bill
Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

Rounding out the list of roster locks on the back-end is McCabe who battled
through a shoulder injury that conceivably affected his play last year. As one
of the more polarizing players that has sparked heated debate among fans,
he';ll need to show a marked improvement in a contract year (that is, if he
hopes to see a significant raise from his current cap hit of $1.6 million). At
24 years old, he will become a restricted free agent next summer.Young Talent
or Veteran Depth?

Here';s where things get a little less clear. With the sure-fire starters
accounted for, the Sabres have five-to-six NHL capable players to choose from
for the last three full-time spots (two starters and a healthy scratch).
What';s interesting about this group is the mix of both veteran and first-year
players.

Right away you can reasonably eliminate Swedish rookie Lawrence Pilut from the
 list. That';s not to say that he isn';t one of the six most talented
defensemen in the organization, but given the fact that this will be his first
taste of North American hockey, he';d be best suited at least starting off in
the AHL. The SHL';s "Most Outstanding Defenseman" award winner in 2017-18 will
not need to pass through waivers and some time with the Rochester Americans
should serve him well as he makes the transition.

From this point on, it';s anybody';s guess. Starting with the veterans, Matt
Hunwick (acquired in a trade this summer that brought Conor Sheary to Buffalo),
 seems like the ideal seventh defenseman to carry on the roster. The
33-year-old would serve as an experienced contributor from a winning
organization in Pittsburgh. Though his acquisition was seen as a "cap dump",
his presence will be helpful as the Sabres look to shift the locker room
culture this season.Matt Hunwick was acquired as part of a deal this summer
that also brought Conor Sheary to Buffalo. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The next veteran on the list is a player who wildly under-performed last season
 in Nathan Beaulieu. After coming over via trade from the Montreal Canadiens
last summer, the speedy offensive defenseman was a severe disappointment, often
 making poor decisions with the puck and proving ultimately useless in his own
zone. It would not be a surprise to see Jason Botterill try and pass him
through waivers and assign him to an AHL role. Then again, it is also
completely possible that the team gives him another chance to show that he is
capable of reaching his potential.

Despite what has been a pretty rough three-year stint in Buffalo, it';s
difficult to exclude Zach Bogosian from the starting lineup. Since arriving in
Buffalo, the 28-year-old has missed over 100 games due to injury.
Unfortunately, his cap hit of just over $5.1 million is on the books for the
next two years. Unless Botterill can swing some sort of trade (an unlikely
scenario), it appears that they';re stuck with him for the time being. If he
does not have a rebound season in 2018-19, expect Bogosian to be a buy-out
candidate next summer.

Now the dilemma becomes more evident. On top of the aforementioned veteran
depth pieces, the Sabres also have two young players in Brendan Guhle and Casey
 Nelson who are both more than ready for full-time roles with the team. In
fact, an argument can be made that Guhle belongs in the conversation for a
top-four role.Buffalo Sabres defenseman Brendan Guhle (Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY
Sports)

Last season, the 21-year-old dressed in 18 games for Buffalo, registering five
points in that span. Widely regarded as the organization';s top defensive
prospect before the arrival of Dahlin, he has seemingly outgrown an AHL role.
The problem is that he';s the only player on this list who is not waiver
eligible, so there is no risk associated with assigning him to Rochester.
Botterill has a bit of a risk-reward problem on his hands, but at the end of
the day, there is no question that the Sabres are a better team with Guhle on
the ice.

Nelson also acquitted himself well in the NHL last year, playing nearly half
the season in Buffalo. Though his ceiling is probably nowhere near Guhle';s, an
 argument can be made that he is still one of the best six defenders on the
team. Unlike Guhle, Nelson would have to pass through waivers.Related: Sabres
Logjam on DefenseProjecting the Defensive Pairings

So where do the Sabres go from here? They';ve got three under-performing
veterans with a decent amount of cap space between them, and two youngsters who
 probably deserve to play with the big club regardless of depth. The situation
is totally up in the air at this point and Botterill could very well make a
move prior to the start of the regular season to clear a spot, but for now,
we';re left speculating with the players under contract.First Pair: Scandella -
 Dahlin

Yes, Scandella was somewhat overmatched in first-pairing duties last season,
but playing with Dahlin should actually help him in a big way. As more of a
defensive defenseman, he can rely on the 18-year-old to focus on the offensive
side of things while he plays more of a safety-valve role.

Some fans want to see the Ristolainen paired with Dahlin (which would force
Dahlin to switch to the left side, which he is capable of as a left-shot
defender), but since both players are more offensively inclined, Scandella may
be the better option, at least in Dahlin';s rookie season.Second Pair: McCabe -
 Ristolainen

Think of this tandem less as a "second pairing" and more of another top-pair to
 alternate relatively evenly with Scandella and Dahlin. This duo actually fared
 pretty well together during the 2016-17 season, a year where McCabe showed
great potential.Rasmus Ristolainen may benefit from reduced minutes next
season. (Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)

Similar to the first unit, McCabe';s presence as a physical defensive blueliner
 will help open things up for Ristolainen who has excellent offensive upside
when he isn';t called upon to skate for nearly 30 minutes per game. Putting
McCabe back with a higher-caliber partner on a full-time basis might also help
him rebound after a rough campaign in 2017-18.Related: Sabres Mishandling
RistolainenThird Pair: Guhle - Bogosian

At the end of the day, no general manager in their right mind would send Guhle
back to the AHL. Not only is he a prototypical defenseman for Housley';s
system, but he is markedly better than his veteran competition. Ideally, he';d
benefit from having a reliable two-way defenseman beside him to learn from, but
 given the state of the roster, this pairing makes the most sense for now.

On the right side, Bogosian will try to recapture some of the magic fans were
treated to during his time in Winnipeg. The key here is obviously his ability
to stay healthy. When he is playing at full-strength, there have been flashes
of strong play, but it remains to be seen if he can ever become the player he
once was.

The post Sabres Defense: What It';ll Look Like for 2018-19 appeared first on
The Hockey Writers.

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