3 underperforming Buffalo Sabres who must improve their game
The Buffalo Sabres are riding a five-game losing streak, but there are three players whose performances have fallen too far south of the equator.
As far as November 2022 goes, minus Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, you could pretty much put every single member of the Buffalo Sabres on today’s list. But there will always be a few players who jump out more than the others.
Just as a forewarning, these underperformers are guys who are not necessarily performing poorly, but are instead dipping below expectations. That said, Casey Mittelstadt is not on this list since he’s actually playing better than most of us expected. Which isn’t saying much, but his nine points in 15 games has him on pace for a new PR.
But there are three names who were expected to make a leap that have so far fallen short. Let’s discuss them below.
1 – Peyton Krebs
Krebs has had his moments, but far too often, he’s allowing big plays or failing to capitalize on good looks in the offensive zone when he has the puck. Last season, Krebs spent way too much time passing the puck instead of shooting it, and that hesitancy has definitely carried over into this season.
He was one player expected to make the jump, but with limited production (two points in 13 games) and a meager 39.3% FOW%, Krebs has regressed in the season’s early going. The good news? He has enough time to turn it around.
2 – Eric Comrie
Comrie’s legendary outing against the Edmonton Oilers seems like it happened a century ago, and he has since struggled. No, it’s not entirely his fault, considering the patchy defensive rotation in front of him, but a 0.885 save percentage and a 3.62 GAA indicates that you also can’t entirely blame the defensive rotation.
With Henri Jokiharju slated to return this week, Comrie will have another regular returning to the ice, which could help his situation. But if Jokiharju’s presence doesn’t at least point things north, it may show the Buffalo Sabres fanbase why his old franchise, the Winnipeg Jets, didn’t even try to keep him.
3 – Dylan Cozens
Cozens, from a statistical standpoint, has looked pretty good, and he is once again showing that edgy side every time he is on the ice. But while the Workhorse from Whitehorse has undoubtedly made a jump, his offensive play is not matching his physical style as much as it should be.
Knowing that Cozens loves taking the high-intensity route, he’s the one player you want to see crashing the net routinely, and he’s been inconsistent at most. While this is has been an issue for the entire team, a player with Cozens’ physicality should be living for those moments.
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This is by no means calling Cozens a bust or implying that he’s dropping to Casey Mittelstadt’s level. It’s more of a gripe that his performance could and should be better than it has been. Cozens has been serviceable, but unspectacular. And honestly, I was expecting the tenacious forward to strike a little more concern in opponents when he is on the ice.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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