As the 2021-22 NHL Season continues to wind down, we will look at three Buffalo Sabres who did not enjoy the type of year they hoped for
The Buffalo Sabres saw plenty of surprises in 2021-22. Players like Jeff Skinner, Rasmus Dahlin, and Tage Thompson revitalized their NHL careers in head coach Don Granato’s first season with the team and performed above expectations.
Even Jack Eichel did his part for the Sabres, gifting them two key contributors when general manager Kevyn Adams shipped him to Vegas. And Eichel’s contributions to the Sabres may not be over just yet, depending on how Adams spends the draft picks he acquired in the trade.
We also saw the likes of Owen Power enter the NHL and give Sabres fans an early look at what’s coming next season. And still, guys like Kyle Okposo and Victor Olofsson proved in 2021-22 that they were no afterthoughts.
But unfortunately, there are a few Sabres who performed below expectations. In the following slides, some names will catch you off-guard, but others, you will probably find yourself agreeing with.
Two of the names listed had a solid pay day coming their way, only to drastically underperform. Another two of these players had worked their way through the Sabres system as early-round draft picks.
Another was in his first season with the franchise and was expected to become a solid contributor. However, that did not pan out. The burning question is, with so much young talent in the AHL ranks and with six defensemen aged 25 and under, will the Sabres even consider bringing back the following players?
The short answer is, they might bring back one of them. It’s easy to predict the other two will end up somewhere else in the NHL next season. Let’s meet the following players who underperformed this season.