3 reasons why the Buffalo Sabres will end their playoff drought
The Buffalo Sabres have the longest playoff drought in NHL history. But that drought can come to an end in 2022-23. Here are 3 reasons why.
This time last year, figures all over the NHL had written off the Buffalo Sabres as one of the worst, if not the worst team in hockey. Fast-forward to August 2022, and figureheads around the league are at least paying attention to the Sabres, even if many believe the playoffs won’t be a thing until at least 2023-24 or even 2024-25.
But, given the Sabres shocking success in March and April 2022, the playoffs certainly are not out of the question. And while it was just a 28-game sample size, the latter portion of last season has left Sabres fans with a lot of hope. So can the franchise finally end the longest playoff drought in league history? They most certainly can. Here are three reasons why.
The Buffalo Sabres can end their playoff drought in 2022-23: Reason #1 – The Sabres proved they can beat (almost) anyone
Yes, in 2021-22, the Buffalo Sabres proved to themselves, and to the NHL universe, they could beat almost any team in the league. It started with an upset blowout over the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 2nd and it didn’t end until an overtime victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 29th.
No, the Sabres did not defeat the likes of the Colorado Avalanche or the Tampa Bay Lightning. In fact, the Lightning blew them out. But in that contest on April 10th, the Sabres gave themselves plenty of scoring chances. They just couldn’t capitalize.
But they still beat the likes of the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators, and Carolina Hurricanes. They also beat up on the league’s weaker teams during their promising run in March and April, and even took the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, and the Winnipeg Jets into overtime.
Now that the Sabres are a year older, a year stronger, and a year with experience building chemistry, expect more wins over the NHL’s better teams in 2022-23. Especially if they stay healthy.
Recent roster upgrades
The belief among a few in the Buffalo Sabres faithful is that general manager Kevyn Adams did not do enough. But I digress. He needed a physical defenseman and he got one in Ilya Lyubushkin. Physicality was something I constantly droned on that the Sabres lacked a season ago, and Lyubushkin will bring that element to the ice.
They needed a goaltender, and they went out and signed Eric Comrie. Despite his limited time playing at the NHL level, Comrie’s 0.920 save percentage is promising. Ditto for his 10-5-1 record. Despite a spotty preseason, Comrie will be okay when the games count.
We also saw the Sabres bring up J.J. Peterka and Jack Quinn. Quinn impressed during the preseason and should find regular time on the second line. While Peterka had his issues, he also acclimated well to the game as the preseason wore on.
We also cannot forget about Owen Power. And while Power was technically a roster upgrade in 2021-22, he played in just eight games. It was a cameo appearance for who is arguably the league’s top prospect. Since 2022-23 is his first full season, I will label him as an improvement over what we had last year.
Sound leadership on and off the ice
Say what you will about Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons. Yeah, they are older players whose best ways of serving the team will be confined to the lower lines. But they are outstanding leaders who can guide this team both on and off the ice. It was something Okposo proved time and again last season, and it is why he snagged the C patch in 2022-23.
Girgensons wore an A last season, and he got it again this year. One of the quieter storms in 2021-22, the Buffalo Sabres also rewarded Rasmus Dahlin with the second A. And you also cannot forget about Craig Anderson, who has playoff experience along with Okposo.
Oh, and we also cannot forget about head coach, Don Granato, who forged a reputation of turning players’ careers around last year, and the Sabres awarded him with a nice contract extension. Expect Coach Granato to stick around for years to come as the Sabres continue working their way toward contention.
Related Story. Possible trades at the 2022-23 trade deadline. light
Yes, this is a young NHL team. But at the same time, they do have sound leadership that has seen time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And these seasoned vets like Anderson and Okposo will be able to keep the young Sabres on track as they seek to get to a place they haven’t been since 2010-11.
Article Source: Can the Sabres Finally End Their Playoff Drought? by Jeff Dahlberg