Buffalo Sabres: 3 players poised for a breakout season in 2022-23

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It is never too early to speculate who will enjoy a breakout campaign next year. Here are three Buffalo Sabres to keep an eye on.

The Buffalo Sabres are enjoying a youth movement and next season, they will only get younger. Last year, the Sabres saw several players find a permanent spot at the NHL level given the number of injuries they dealt with.

Players like Peyton Krebs, Casey Fitzgerald, and Mattias Samuelsson all found homes on the Sabres permanent roster. And while they did not enjoy breakout campaigns in the same way as Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, the trio proved their worth to contribute to an NHL roster.

So who is on the verge of potential NHL stardom next year? Here are three names to get excited about watching when October 2022 rolls around, starting with Samuelsson.

Mar 13, 2022; Hamilton, Ontario, CAN; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (23) carries the puck past Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting (58) during the third period in the 2022 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Tim Hortons Field. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Buffalo Sabres poised for breakout – Player #1: Mattias Samuelsson

Samuelsson only has 54 games of NHL experience and he spent half of his career with the Rochester Americans. However, that changed in early 2022 when a rash of injuries and COVID-19 ravaged the Sabres lineup.

He stepped in and ever looked back, logging 100 hits in 42 contests. Samuelsson was never afraid to put his body on the line, which also led to 60 blocks. While he only scored 10 points, his null offensive game didn’t negatively affect the Sabres. In fact, it was not a bad thing at all.

Samuelsson played so well in his stay-at-home role that he saw time on the first pairing with Rasmus Dahlin for the final eight games of the season. His ability to complement Dahlin’s two-way approach further makes him a front-runner to man the position when October rolls around.

He and Dahlin were also able to rotate sides frequently, depending on the situation. This further makes the two an ideal pairing. Look for Samuelsson to up his game as he projects to spend his first full season as a member of the Buffalo Sabres main roster.

Sweden’s forward Rasmus Asplund vies with Latvia’s goalkeeper Arturs Silovs (R) during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships preliminary round group B match between Sweden and Latvia at the Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland, on May 24, 2022. – Finland OUT (Photo by Jussi Nukari / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUT (Photo by JUSSI NUKARI/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images) /

Player #2: Rasmus Asplund

Asplund looked like he was poised for a breakout season last year, but his 27 points in 80 games impressed no one. However, he was lethal on the forecheck and always seemed to find the right teammate when passing the puck, making him an incredible gadget player.

However, Asplund has been one of the most valuable if not the most valuable player so far in the IIHF World Championships. Through seven games, Asplund has six goals, three of which came on the power play. He also scored two game-winning goals.

Is this a foreshadowing of things to come in Buffalo? Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves with a six-game sample size in a tournament full of players whose teams did not make the playoffs. But it does show that Asplund has potential to put on a breakout performance next season.

At worst, expect Asplund to remain an integral part of the Sabres third line. But if he performs well enough, don’t be surprised if he sees playing time with the second scoring line.

Canada’s forward Dylan Cozens (L) and Italy’s defender Enrico Miglioranzi vie for the puck during the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships preliminary round group A match between Italy and Canada in Helsinki on May 15, 2022. – – Finland OUT (Photo by Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUT (Photo by ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images) /

Player #3: Dylan Cozens

Playing the numbers game, it was a tale of two halves of the season for Dylan Cozens. He started off hot, but his scoring productivity waned later. However, a recent hat trick in a win versus Kazakhstan shows that Cozens can develop into a player who can score at will.

And better yet, head coach Don Granato specializes in working with players that display the type of potential Cozens has. We saw Granato help turn Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson into some of the NHL’s finer talents, meaning Cozens may also benefit come the 2022-23 season.

He already showed that he can produce well at the NHL level. Now, it’s all about producing for an entire 82-game slate. If Cozens produces well for an entire season, expect him to solidify his spot on the Buffalo Sabres second scoring line.

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Overall, these three young players have all shown potential to develop into star players at least in franchise spheres, if not more. Look for increased output from Samuelsson, Cozens, and Asplund this season, regardless. And we may, in hindsight, be able to call them breakout seasons.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

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