See, when I watch Sturm, I see someone who is more physical than any forwards currently on the Sabres except for Greenway and Cozens. He is also extremely competitive and works hard on the ice.
I also see Cirelli as being less physical than Sturm. He does bring more offense than Sturm, but not as good at PK or faceoffs, and he wouldn’t get enough ice time to justify the cost. He’s really not the role we need, and he costs too much for said role. Sturm fits the role and cost almost perfectly.
Again, I don’t expect anyone to agree but I want to push back against the idea that Sturm is less physical than Cirelli and less physical than most Sabres forwards.