On November 13th, we will officially have crossed off the first month of the Buffalo Sabres 2022 season. Who are the top players after Month 1?
The Buffalo Sabres, despite riding a four-game losing streak into the final game of their first full month, at least have plenty of players, mainly young talent, that fans can rally behind and say, Yes, this team is going places in the not-so-distant future.
Below, I’ve ranked my Top 10 players from that first full month, using a ranking criteria of production, plus how effective each player served the team in their role. How the team fared when they were on the ice also served as a factor here, so a few names on this list will surprise you since it is not based on points productivity alone.
Peterka saw his ups and downs in the preseason, but has since become one of the Buffalo Sabres more reliable puzzle pieces in this young season. While I don’t see him joining conversations for the Calder Trophy, I do see him continuing to make steady strides as the season wears on. So far, Peterka has eight points in 14 contests, including three goals, five assists, and a 15.0 shooting percentage.
Perhaps the most underrated player on the Buffalo Sabres, Rasmus Asplund has been doing what Rasmus Asplund does best: Getting the puck into the offensive zone and winning important battles along the boards. Per his possession metrics at even strength, only 33.3% of the team’s faceoffs have occurred in the offensive zone with Asplund on the ice, yet his Corsi For% sits at a solid 51.8%. He also has six solid points in 12 games, a good stat line for the type of player he is.
While it’s no secret that Power struggled early, he has since improved dramatically, and has become a true threat to win the Calder Trophy in the season’s early-going. He has no goals, but Power’s seven assists in 14 games puts him on pace to score 41 over an 82-game stretch. He also has 17 blocks on the season, and it is becoming a rarity these days to see opponents catch him out of position.
Cozens has four goals and 10 points over the season’s first month, putting him nearly one-third of the way toward his overall goal total from last season. He has also been one of the feistier forwards early on, unafraid to get into it with opponents while he has also logged 14 hits and seven takeaways. These last two numbers are putting Cozens on pace to threaten his career bests from last season.
No, this is NOT a typo. While the 41-year-old Anderson has only played in four games this season, his numbers have been outstanding for the most part when he is in the net. Anderson has logged a 0.927 save percentage and a 2.25 GAA, putting him on pace for his best season since 2016-17. He is also on pace to log 23 starts if the Buffalo Sabres keep him limited, which was pre-planned. These rankings do reflect on how well a player serves a team in their role, and Anderson has so far been among the most effective in his role so far in 2022-23.
Some will claim Olofsson is too high given his late-game goals, three of which have been empty-netters. But Olofsson is literally becoming the Buffalo Sabres version of what Matthew Slater is to the New England Patriots. A specialist who is the master of one, or at most a few, but he does his job well and is always a threat to score when he is lurking along the circles. So far, Olofsson has 10 points, including nine goals and an assist.
Tuch has been a fixture on the Buffalo Sabres since he debuted for his hometown team last December and has not looked back. While not the most consistent player, Tuch always seems to maximize his hot streaks and minimize the cold streaks. So far this season, he has 11 points in 14 contests, putting him on pace to shatter his previous career high of 52 points set back in 2018-19.
Before the season began, I ranked Skinner as my top forward on the Buffalo Sabres. Right now, he’s hovering closer to the #2 spot. Despite the drop, Skinner is enjoying what might be a career season, with 12 points in 14 contests. His career-best points-wise is 63, something he hit four times, including last season. Right now, he is on pace to score 70. If he can hit the 70-point threshold, the “worst contract ever” is suddenly not looking half-bad.
Tage is playing at another level this season after initially getting off to a slow-start. So far, he has basically silenced his critics, and with 18 points in 14 contests, Tage will threaten 100 at the pace he’s going. We will wait and see if he keeps it up, but since it looks as though Tage is getting stronger the deeper the Sabres get into the season, odds are ever in his favor.
Dahlin is, hands down, the most complete player on the Buffalo Sabres. So far this season, Dahlin has 17 points in 13 games, which also puts him on pace for 100, something defensemen, even your greatest two-way players, just don’t do. He also isn’t taking his alternate captaincy lightly, having turned into a vocal leader on and off the ice.
Dahlin isn’t afraid to hit, sacrifice the body, or to get his stick in there and try for a takeaway. While Tage has put together a strong side this season, even he hasn’t come close to what Dahlin has become for the Sabres in the season’s early-going.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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