With the Buffalo Sabres playing so well as the 2022-23 NHL Season nears its midpoint, let’s revisit who is in the best position to snag an award.
The Buffalo Sabres weren’t supposed to contend for anything this season, and it became apparent when they found themselves stuck in an eight-game losing streak earlier this season. Now that they looked like a different team in December, the Blue and Gold could be contending for the wild card if they can keep winning consistently.
There is also a good chance a few players and personnel will contend for more. Below are three Buffalo Sabres who can find themselves vying for an end-of-year award.
1 – Tage Thompson/Hart
Tage Thompson has won Second Star of the Week twice this season, and he continues to enjoy one of the dominating seasons in the NHL. Tage is third in points with 50, and second in goals with 26, trailing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the former and only McDavid in the latter.
One reason Tage, if he keeps up this pace, can beat McDavid and Draisaitl is that he’s doing all this on a team that wasn’t supposed to contend. And after all, league MVPs elevate their team to new heights. That said, Tage has a good chance to take home the Hart.
2 – Rasmus Dahlin/Norris
There may not be a better two-way player in the game right now than Rasmus Dahlin. With 37 points in 31 games, the former first overall pick has a chance to match his points total by the All-Star Break.
Clearly, he’s also no slouch on defense, having logged 46 hits and 56 blocks. Dahlin has also displayed outstanding recovery speed, and is rarely caught out of position on either side of the ice. Earlier in the year, we talked about Dahlin potentially contending for the Norris, but now, it’s becoming apparent.
3 – Don Granato/Adams
If Granato can sneak the Buffalo Sabres into the playoffs, he has a good chance to win the Adams, even against the likes of Jim Montgomery (Boston Bruins) and Bruce Cassidy (Vegas Golden Knights), among other hot candidates. With the Sabres playing better than many analysts projected them, that alone puts Granato on the radar.
Add to the fact they are the youngest, yet highest-scoring team, it puts another checkmark beside Granato’s name. Further, he had to deal with a rash of injuries twice this season, plus the task of bouncing back from an eight-game losing streak.
If the Sabres keep up their high-octane play and snatch a playoff berth, Granato will be a serious contender for the award. As it stands, they are four points outside the wild card.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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