Buffalo Sabres: Bold Predictions for each player aged 25 to 29 in 2022
The Buffalo Sabres have plenty of players in the 25-29 range. So let’s have some fun and make one bold prediction for each for 2022-23.
While it’s true general manager Kevyn Adams is looking to focus on young players that will be part of the Buffalo Sabres organization for the next five to seven seasons, there are plenty of contributors in their mid-to-late 20s who may be part of the fun moving forward.
Not every player listed below will be part of the Sabres when it is all said and done. But they will play a pivotal role on the team in 2022-23. With that in mind, let’s explore nine players who I am projecting to make the opening day roster and one player who may snag a reputable role with the team.
Buffalo Sabres 25-29 Predictions – Zemgus Girgensons earns captain status in January
Two things will occur with Girgensons – He will either get traded at the deadline or if the Buffalo Sabres look like a contending bunch, he will stay in the Queen City. My realistic prediction for the Sabres is that they will be on the outside, looking in, which will be enough to keep their longest-tenured player around.
I’m also a proponent of the team giving Kyle Okposo the C patch, and Girgensons one of the As. However, given the sheer leadership ability from both skaters, I’m going bold and project a planned midseason flip-flop, with Okposo settling for the A and Girgensons, the C.
While this is an unconventional move, it’s also not entirely out there in outer orbit. The Sabres have rotated captains in the past and even went the co-captain route with Chris Drury and Daniel Briere.
By going with Okposo and Girgensons at different points in the season, it equally recognizes their value from a leadership standpoint. And it will also let the younger players focus more on their own development.
Vinnie Hinostroza scores multiple goals in three different games
I am expecting Hinostroza to be one of the extra skaters on the Buffalo Sabres this season. But the fan-favorite will also get his chance to shine on the ice, something we saw from him when he logged a career-best 14.1% shooting percentage.
A projected fourth-liner in addition to his perceived status as an extra skater, Hinostroza won’t get many opportunities, but he will make the most of them. I’m projecting no more than 10 goals for him, but I’m also going bold and predicting he gets hot on those lower lines in three different contests.
Look for them to be few and far in between. But when Hinostroza maximizes his on-ice opportunities, the Sabres will likely emerge as the victors. If the injury bug hits the team as it did last season, this bold prediction just became far more realistic.
Ilya Lyubushkin records 150 hits, 100 blocks in 50 games
While Mattias Samuelsson will be the premier stay-at-home, hard-hitting defenseman on the Buffalo Sabres, let’s not forget about Ilya Lyubushkin. The ultra-aggressive product came from the Toronto Maple Leafs last season and recorded 2.42 hits per game and 1.19 blocks per game.
In 2022-23, with aggression being one of the focal points of improvement for the Sabres, look for Lyubushkin to go all out on either the second or third pairing, recording three hits per game and two blocks per game over the season’s first half. Or better yet, just over the first half.
My projection is that Lyubushkin starts the year on the second line with rookie Owen Power. And his physicality will complement Power’s two-way game well. With Lyubushkin’s presence and Samuelsson projected to be a full-time member of the lineup, expect the Sabres defensive rotation to be far more physical than they were a season ago.
Eric Comrie excels in extended playing time
While I won’t get so bold and claim Comrie will repeat his successful numbers from a season ago when he played in 19 contests for the Winnipeg Jets, I will say that he will excel with extended playing time. In a previous piece, I wrote that Comrie should sit every two to three games while Craig Anderson steps in.
This system would ease Comrie into extended playing time. And if Anderson can stay healthy and consistent, expect Comrie to capitalize on seeing ice time in between 40 and 45 games. Of course, this method will also assume the upstart goaltender remains healthy.
There is also an outside chance that we can see Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in Buffalo to play spot duty if Anderson once again struggles with injuries or inconsistency. Many are counting Comrie out, given his small sample size and the fact the Jets let him walk as a UFA when he could have accumulated enough playing time to become an RFA.
At the absolute least, I am expecting a 0.910 save percentage and a GAA of 2.75 in Comrie’s first season of extended playing time.
70% of Victor Olofsson’s goals come at even strength
For years, most of Olofsson’s goals came during the power play. Last season, that changed, where 13 of the 20 times he found twine occurred at even strength. In 2022-23, look for at least 70% even strength goals this season, marking yet another step in Olofsson’s evolution as a player.
Olofsson, who struggled at midseason to find anything, found his groove in mid-February and he didn’t stop until Rick Jeanneret exclaimed “Casey at the bat,” on April 29th. Okay, he didn’t score in those last two games, but you get the gist of it.
He found himself playing alongside Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner on the first line later in the season. And some sources project him to once again play on the first to open 2022-23. That’s not a bold prediction, but scoring 70% from even strength is. At least for this season.
Alex Tuch hits a career-high in points per game
Tuch never really struggled during his time with the Vegas Golden Knights, but he didn’t break out of his shell until the Jack Eichel Trade landed him a spot with the Buffalo Sabres. Last season, Tuch hit a career-high with 0.76 points per game and 0.52 assists per game. His goals per game average, 0.24, was the third-best of his career.
This season, look for Tuch to play in 70-plus games and knock down at least 63 to 74 points this season, good for 0.9 per game. I also want to get ultra-bold and project Tuch to score 0.35 goals per game and 0.55 assists per game, which will snag him career-highs in all three categories.
Tuch missed time last season with a shoulder injury following his trade from Vegas and he still produced as though he were in the lineup all season. It will be interesting to see how he fares in 2022-23.
Rasmus Asplund finishes in the Top 10 for the Selke
One bold prediction regarding Asplund: Casey Mittlestadt will score more points per game. But Asplund is one of those players that doesn’t need to score to show off his value. Last season, he had a measly 27 points in 80 games while establishing himself as one of the games better defensive forwards.
In 2022-23, in his second full season with the Buffalo Sabres (he played as a part-time skater between 2019 and April 2021), Asplund made his mark known on the forecheck. He constantly won battles for the puck and logged the occasional takeaway.
Asplund played well in transition, and he also set plays in motion. In 2022-23, his efforts will land him into top ten consideration for the Selke. He will put the NHL on notice as one of the game’s premier defensive forwards and at such a young age, the Sabres should extend him to become an integral part of their budding team.
Jacob Bryson averages 1.25 blocks per game, 1/2 takeaway per game
Bryson may not be the best defenseman on the Buffalo Sabres, but he is certainly no slouch. He is the type of player who could play on the second pairing with some teams, but given the sheer talent of Buffalo’s Top Four, he will once again average between 18 and 19 minutes per game.
Despite seeing lesser ice time, Bryson will continue to improve as he did this past season. And my projection for him will involve 91 blocks this year if he makes 73 more appearances, plus 36 takeaways, up from 24 just a season ago.
Bryson’s improvement in the takeaway department impressed me more than anything else, since he logged just two in 38 games in 2020-21. He also recorded just over one block per game. While hitting the 91 mark may be seem bold, it wouldn’t surprise me if Bryson reached 100 if he hits the 80-game mark.
Tage Thompson scores over one point per game
Last season, Thompson led the Buffalo Sabres in scoring with 68 points. This year, let’s go bold and project he scores over a point per game. At the same time, I want to remain realistic and project him to score no more than 1.10 points in each contest, so across 82 games, he will sink 90. If he plays in just 70, look for 77 points.
Coupled with the career high in points per game is a career-best in points overall. And while his contract extension received mixed reviews, I do believe Thompson will show he was more than worth the money and contract length in Year One of the deal.
His big year in 2021-22 was no fluke, and he wont just prove doubters wrong next season; Thompson will once again lead the top scoring line and show that their budding chemistry was also legit. Expect to have a fun time watching Thompson score, score, and score some more, silencing the doubters and critics.
Casey Fitzgerald becomes the next man up at defenseman
This is a highly unpopular opinion since Lawrence Pilut returned to the Buffalo Sabres organization. But overall, Fitzgerald showed enough last year to justify a return as the team’s extra defenseman.
The Sabres need physicality this year, and Fitzgerald helps bring that element to the table better than the likes of Henri Jokiharju and Jacob Bryson. He also brings more heat than Pilut, and this is what will eventually win him the job as the extra skater.
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Last year, he played in 36 games and snagged 86 hits. In 2022-23, Fitzgerald will likely play in a similar number of games, but I’m looking for him to reach the 100-hit mark. Oh, and I’m also projecting at least five fights.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)