The Sabres currently allocate more than $16m to their bottom-6 wings:
Moulson ($5m)
Ennis ($4.6m)
Gionta ($4.25m)
Foligno ($2.25m)
The Sabres have a cavalcade of young wingers on ELC's (Bailey, Baptiste, Fasching, Nylander) who'll be taking full-time roster spots over the next year or so. They also have solid bottom-6 players whose cost will stay depressed due to lack of offensive numbers (Larsson, Girgensons - though one will likely be moved). Heck, even Rodrigues looks like he could be a 4th line staple. Kane can be fit in the overall salary structure.
I also disagree with the premise that the defense can't be improved without moving Kane or Reinhart, or that their next contracts somehow foreclose the possibility of improving the defense. Finding a better allocation for the nearly $10m being paid to Bogo and Kulikov would do wonders on that front.
You make some good points as usual zip.
But I don't see how it is realistically possible to retain both along with everything else that needs to happen - for three main reasons:
If all three are resigned (no debate on eichel needed) I project this to be somewhere between 33m & 35m per on five forwards. This is almost half the entire cap... I just don't see how this can be considered wise spending.
Other players are also going to get raises over their current salary too. One of foligno, Girg or larsson will be gone as you say - maybe even two of them - but they will need replacing. Players rarely sign for less than they previously did. This also applies to the guys on elc.
I see the need for another two 'top 4' d on this team. To get the quality of player we need is likely costing a lot of salary. Of course theses need to be the 'right' players but I'm pencilling in roughly 5m per each. I see this as an investment since successful teams are built from the back.
Going back to my point above - McCabe will also get a huge rise if his development continues. I even think we need to consider lehner for a decent raise. - I don't agree with investing salary +term in net but he is TM's guy & he paid a lot to get him in the first place.
Tim did a great job with the Risto contract but we will be lucky for him to repeat that time & time again.
The cap may also shoot up in the coming years - I'm no expert but everything I have read suggests it won't.
Based on this I think it would be irresponsible to invest so much money & term in five forwards - three of which are wingers.
I think Sabres fans also need to get real regarding our bad contracts. No team is going to do us a favour three times over. Maybe Bogo can stay healthy & find some consistency but his contract looks bad whichever way you slice it right now. Ennis & Moulson may be even tougher - if we move these guys it will cost assets, salary retention or maybe both.
Finally - Kane's off ice issues are still a 'thing' despite the fact that most other fan bases blow it out if proportion. Like it or not this should be a factor.
All the above plus the Sabres dire need of blueline help suggest to me at least they should be selling high. Not right now but in the offseason & beyond...