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Buffalo Sabres are the NHL’s fastest rising team and it’s not even close

By Sion Fawkes

Apr 21, 2022; Newark, New Jersey, USA; The Buffalo Sabres celebrate a goal by left wing Jeff Skinner (53) against the New Jersey Devils during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 21, 2022; Newark, New Jersey, USA; The Buffalo Sabres celebrate a goal by left wing Jeff Skinner (53) against the New Jersey Devils during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /
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It’s ultra-bold to believe that the Buffalo Sabres are the fastest-rising team in the NHL. But even if they lose out, it doesn’t change things. 

The Buffalo Sabres are ending their 2021-22 campaign on a positive note. Even if they lose the final three games on their schedule, there are still a lot of positives to draw. Since the All-Star break ended, the Sabres are 16-14-4, good for 36 points.

Want more fun? This team is 14-8-3 in March and April, which translates to 31 points. In the past, the Sabres had their hot streaks before falling back to Earth. So why are they the NHL’s fastest-rising hockey team? It goes far beyond wins and losses.

The Buffalo Sabres core group  of young talent makes them the NHL’s fastest-rising franchise

Youth is driving this team, and if general manager Kevyn Adams plays his cards right, they will keep this core group of young players for the next five to seven seasons. Here is another statistic to consider: 13 of the Sabres top contributors including Owen Power  and pending restricted free agents are 26 and under.

And not only do the Sabres boast a young nucleus, they have also evolved into a productive bunch. Here’s a rundown of just how effective these young Sabres have become:

  1. Mattias Samuelsson has become a human sledgehammer, logging 26 hits in the past six contests. Or Rasmus Dahlin, who has 15 hits and eight points in that same span. Then there is Power, who amassed two points, five takeaways, and six blocks in his first five games of action.
  2. Tage Thompson has seven points since April 10th. And Victor Olofsson, who has been on fire lately, has eight.

We can go on and on, but the point is, these young Sabres aren’t exactly the inexperienced bunch we saw earlier this season. An inexperienced bunch who opponents walloped on a nightly basis. Hapless performances that plagued the team from November 2021 to February 2022.

Related Story. AHL prospects who will contribute to the Sabres. light

Those days are long gone. And while the Sabres will still experience some speed bumps in their quest to become one of the NHL’s best, they are also on the cusp of contending as early as next season.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

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