Sobotka was the "rumored" cap dump in the ROR deal.
If I'm Botterill and Housley, I would he using him in many different roles. I don't see him in any future Sabres plans. If a team is in need of a defensive forward with some utility in his game (hence why 8 believe Housley is playing him in a variety of roles), his inexpensive contract with only 1 yr left may draw some interest, even if sparse.
Or it reveals he is useless in those other roles.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand you are posing reasonable ways you would normally showcase a player of that type.
But Sobotka has just been bad all year. He has been a hard stop on offense. He hasn’t created more than 1 or 2 plays all year. And more frequently because he does get in position or follow the play ok, he receives a puck in transition or in the offensive zone and he just kills it. Either dumps it in, eats it on the board or looks confused until he is stripped of the puck.
I hope they can find a buyer, but at this point I would rather sit him, play Erod as 3C and bring up Smith or Olofsson.
There is no way that it could be a downgrade.
Maybe later this year.