Buffalo Sabres: 3 way too early bold predictions for 2022-23 season
The Buffalo Sabres have come a long way in such a short time that it is easy to get excited for the future, specifically October 2022
Someone would have laughed out loud had you predicted that, with two days to go in the 2021-22 NHL regular season, that the Buffalo Sabres and Vegas Golden Knights would carry the same points total on April 27th. Roughly 100 days following ex-Sabre Jack Eichel’s NHL debut.
But here we are:, on the morning of April 28th, 2022 The Sabres and Knights share the same points total, 33, since Eichel debuted in Vegas.
And with two games remaining for the Sabres (Bruins, Blackhawks), they can realistically finish with a higher points total than the Golden Knights since February 16th. Sure, both Eichel and the Sabres continued their respective infamous playoff droughts this season. But the point is, the Sabres progressed and the Knights regressed since Eichel debuted in Vegas.
The best-case scenario for Eichel? The Sabres lose out and the Knights win their final game of the season. Then he can at least say his Golden Knights finished with a higher point total than the Sabres (since February 16th). But that’s all the satisfaction he will get this season. Remember, he still lost in his homecoming at the KeyBank Center back in March.
If you predicted both a Sabres team rising from the doldrums, a Knights meltdown, juxtaposed by the Sabres spoiling Eichel’s homecoming, then right now, you look like a genius. Because all three predictions came true.
Since Eichel’s debut, minus the remaining games in February, the Sabres spent the previous two months evolving from the NHL’s most migraine-inducing squad to one who delivered beatdowns to some of the NHL’s best teams, most notably, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
So, what does the following season have in store for them? Here are three way too early bold predictions following a momentum-filled March and April 2022.
Dahlin wins the Norris Trophy
Dahlin is evolving into the game’s best two-way player. And at 22, he has a lot of hockey left. Better yet, now that the Sabes have a young core group of players, Dahlin will probably be sticking around in blue and gold much longer than Jack Eichel ever had.
A two-way player, Dahlin has been on absolute fire since March 2022, logging 19 points. He also had three straight multiple-point games between April 16th and April 21st. Averaging nearly 24 minutes of ice time, he has also become one of the most active Sabres on the ice.
To make matters more interesting, adversity preceded Dahlin’s best season. In 2020-21, he looked like a far cry from the dominant player that finished third for the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2018-19. This season, the made The Jump from regressing first overall pick to the All-Star Game.
Next season, look for him to make another jump. This time to winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy. He would be the first Buffalo Sabre to win the award.
Tage Thompson earns his first All-Star appearance and scores 40
No Buffalo Sabre enjoyed a better breakout campaign this season than Thompson. Thompson, the Sabres representative for the Last Man In this past season, continued to keep things rolling in the second half of 2021-22.
Thompson logged a career-high in every major category this year, and it is safe to say he is not done yet. Look for even greater output next year, which will culminate with his first All-Star Game appearance.
This season, Thompson also threatened 40 goals. Next year, he won’t just earn a trip the All-Star Game, but he will also easily eclipse the 40-goal mark. And let’s get ultra-bold for Thompson and say he will even threaten to score 50 goals.
Thompson’s revelation has been perhaps the hottest story for the Buffalo Sabres this season. Once a fringe afterthought arguably destined for the AHL, the 6’7 forward successfully removed the Bust Label.
Alex Tuch leads the team in points
I wanted to put Victor Olofsson here, but as an RFA heading into the 2022 offseason, I eased up on the bold prediction throttle and instead gave the honor to Tuch. To close out the season, Olofsson earned a spot on the top scoring line, and if he re-signs with the Sabres, you can easily swap him in this section for Tuch.
Anyway, Tuch, who came to Buffalo via the Jack Eichel Trade, has been nothing but a revelation, notching a career high in points per game (0.791) since his debut. Tuch has also enjoyed a career-high in average ice time (18:23).
So far, the arrow is pointing to the far north for Tuch, who, regardless if he lines up on the first or second-line next season, has built sound chemistry lining up alongside Peyton Krebs and Casey Mittelstadt. And it goes without saying how effective he has been alongside Jeff Skinner and Thompson.
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Wherever Alex Tuch lines up for the Sabres, he is going to be an effective player. Give him a full 82-game season this year, and he was on-pace for 65 points. So let’s see what he can do with a full season in Don Granato’s system.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)