365 Days Later: The Buffalo Sabres have become one of the NHL’s most stable franchises

In a span of just 365 days, the Buffalo Sabres have transformed from laughingstock and into one of the NHL’s most stable franchises. At least on paper. 

Most of my friends are die-hard fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that last Sunday suffered its worst loss in 30 seasons to a red-hot Buffalo Bills team. For a while, I’ve been telling them I want to see the Buffalo Sabres become the NHL’s version of the 1972-2021 Steelers, a team whose worst seasons often see them at least fighting for a playoff birth until late in the year. And there was a fact they also won six championships in that same timespan.

Few people realize this, but the Steelers were among the NFL’s worst teams between their founding in 1933 and 1971. They suffered a few more headaches and setbacks until 1974, when they won their first of four Super Bowls in six seasons. They finished with an abysmal 1-13 record just five seasons prior in 1969, during legendary head coach Chuck Noll’s first season on the job.

Fast-forward to the Kevin Colbert Era, and the Steelers remained contenders, mainly through the NFL Draft and holding onto their own players, coaches, and general managers. And this is exactly what the Sabres have been doing over the last year. History most certainly seems to be repeating itself, only this time, it looks as though it could be happening in the NHL and in the City of Buffalo.

And with the recent building of their prospect pool and contract extensions, the Sabres are slowly but surely becoming one of the league’s most stable franchises. So how did it take just 365 days to transform from NHL laughingstock to franchise stability? Here is what the Sabres did over the past calendar year.

The Buffalo Sabres stared adversity in the face and laughed right back

In November 2021, the Buffalo Sabres were still the league laughingstock. So much, that those in NHL spheres were falling over one another after general manager Kevyn Adams traded Jack Eichel for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and two draft picks. Turns out that we’re the ones laughing, and those who panned the trade are no longer talking.

By the way, who in their right mind trades a solid former number two overall pick for a late first round draft pick and a goaltender drafted in the seventh round? Uh, Kevyn Adams, and he now has a dynamic up-and-comer in Jiri Kulich in the NCAA’s best goaltender in Devon Levi.

Want to know what Adams’ mentality comprised? Building the league’s best prospects pool, and he did a rather good job out of it. I often critique The Athletic, but even they couldn’t deny Kevyn Adams’ sheer genius.

Extensions, extensions, and more extensions…

Speaking of that genius, Sabres owner Terry Pegula extended the general manager over the summer. And, in turn, head coach Don Granato got his extension yesterday, putting the team on the path to success.

Then there is the fact Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch have at least another four seasons in the Queen City. Tage Thompson and Mattias Samuelsson got their seven-year extensions, and it is safe to say the likes of Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Dahlin, and other key contributors will get theirs soon enough, probably by the Summer of 2024.

So much for being the league’s laughing stock just 365 days ago. Less than that, really, given the laughs Kevyn Adams and company dealt with after they traded Eichel. Turns out Adams was right, the critics were wrong. Hey, that’s often what geniuses do.

You see it all the time in fiction and literature – take Albus Dumbledore of the Harry Potter Series, for example. The Wizarding World loved questioning his decisions, but they turned out to be sheer genius. You also see it occur in real life. The logic of Kevyn Adams is certainly in that mold.

The Buffalo Sabres could tank and all of the above could also fall to the wayside. But at least on paper, your Sabres look like they are joining the ranks of much-needed stability. So much, that there will be a lot of “scary good” hockey to watch from now until at least 2027. Even if there will be a few growing pains along the way.