What defines a successful season for the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23?

The Buffalo Sabres are one of pro hockey’s rising teams, having built a strong core of young talent over the past four seasons. 

While the Buffalo Sabres can definitely sneak into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, the odds remain stacked against them. And while I have written a few articles over the past month-and-a-half about why they can earn a trip to the playoffs, I am also remaining realistic on the likelihood that they don’t.

In 2021-22, it took 100 points for a team in the Eastern Conference to secure even an eighth seed. And the Sabres, 75 points, were clearly a long way off from that mark. Despite a promising end to their 2021-22 campaign, we also need to ask whether the Sabres can play even remotely like the team who finished the season 16-9-3 for an 82-game slate.

There are many reasons to believe the Sabres can become one of those eight playoff teams come April 2023 and finally end the longest playoff drought in NHL history. But it is also expecting a lot out of a team to leap from 75 points to roughly 100 points to make that happen. That said, a playoff berth, while possible, shouldn’t constitute a successful season in 2022-23.

The Buffalo Sabres must monitor their young players’ development this season, with a playoff appearance defining success in 2023-24.

Players like Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson must make the leap from being considered solid pieces to elite products. Meanwhile, an uptick in production from Peyton Krebs, Casey Mittelstadt, and Dylan Cozens will also factor into how successful the Sabres 2022-23 season is.

Further, let’s not expect Jack Quinn, J.J. Peterka, or Owen Power to be rockstars just yet. Though Power showed promise during his eight-game stint, he has yet to face the test of an 82-game NHL gauntlet. Ditto for Quinn and Peterka. Expect growing pains like all rookies experience, but you can also expect a steady increase production and even Calder contention.

Rasmus Asplund generated some votes for the Selke in 2021-22, finishing 19th overall. If he develops into a premier defensive forward while Peterka’s physicality further generates his respective two-way game, you can chalk up another pair of successful developments for the Sabres.

Alex Tuch needs to show that he can produce in 2022-23 as he did last year while Jeff Skinner and Kyle Okposo must prove their redemption seasons were no flukes. Young defensemen like Jacob Bryson, Mattias Samuelsson, and Henri Jokiharju must also show growth, especially Bryson, who saw his first full NHL season in 2021-22.

You probably already figured it out, but this article is really saying just one thing: The Buffalo Sabres need to see their young talent take one more step up the rung. This will show us that as a team, they are building more chemistry that will translate to a higher win and points total for the upcoming season than the 75 points generated in 2021-22.

While their odds of earning a playoff berth are slim, they are not necessary for a successful year in 2022-23. Instead, player growth will define success, with an increased points total to at least 85, and ideally, 95. This will let the team make a playoff push, but it won’t be enough for a playoff berth, but it will show us that the Sabres will be poised for a playoff run in 2023-24.