Prediction: 3 Buffalo Sabres who may score more than Jack Eichel in 2022

Former Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel managed to miss the playoffs on a talented Vegas Golden Knights team last season. 

Jack Eichel is not the most liked man in the Queen City. Fortunately for fans of the Buffalo Sabres, the team has so far been better without their former second overall pick, going as far as to spoil his homecoming in March. Fast-forward to April, and Eichel became part of the first Golden Knights team to miss the playoffs.

It’s safe to say the Sabres won the trade, and since Eichel logged his lowest points per game mark since his rookie season, it’s an indicator that the two parties are heading in opposite directions. While the Sabres head north, Eichel is freefalling south.

So now that the Sabres are looking like a team on the rise, let’s have some fun and postulate who might wind up scoring more than the infamous ex-Sabre. Here are three names to look for.

Buffalo Sabres who will outscore Eichel: 1 – Tage Thompson

In predicting Tage Thompson’s 2022-23 season, I said he would score one point per game. Assuming Tage stays healthy, he will reach a milestone Eichel achieved just twice in his career. No, Tage hasn’t reached the one point per game mark, but he was also forced to toil behind the disaster that was the Ralph Krueger-led Buffalo Sabres.

Enter Don Granato, and Tage started to flourish, which really began after the Pegulas got rid of the mistake that was for a man with a knack for developing young players. Under Granato, Tage led the team in points and seemed to get better as the season progressed, scoring 38 goals.

Player #2 – Rasmus Dahlin

Dahlin may be a defenseman, but Zach’s prediction aligns with the breakout season many are expecting from Dahlin. Okay, maybe not a breakout, breakout season given his production in 2021-22. But as the Sabres steamrolled through March and April, Dahlin’s scoring and defensive play continued to pick up.

Even on the low end of Zach’s prediction – 15 goals and 50 assists will give Dahlin 65 points on the year. Just 12 more than the 53 he scored in 2021-22, which puts him at 0.792 points per game out of an 82 game schedule. Eichel fell 0.05 points per game short of that mark last season.

If Dahlin encroaches the higher range, and he has a chance to, it would put him at 20 goals and 60 assists, good for 80 points. Do the math by 82 games, and it gives you 0.975 points per game. No guarantees Dahlin will get any of this, but if his play continues to trend upward, he has a chance.

Player #3 – Victor Olofsson

No one on the Buffalo Sabres surged like Victor Olofsson late last season. He had his flaws, including a three month drought without a goal. But his resurgence garnered him 28 points in his final 33 games of 2021-22, good for 0.848 points per game.

Olofsson also saw time on the top scoring line, telling us that the coaching staff believes he can become a premier scorer in this league. He also solidified his status on at least the second line for the 2022-23 season. Further, 65% of Olofsson’s goals game at even strength, another career high.

The obvious dark horse in this one, if Olofsson plays like he did late last season, and really before his wrist injury, he can easily challenge Eichel in points in 2022-23.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)