The Buffalo Sabres probably aren’t making the playoffs, but they don’t need to be a top eight team in the East to receive a high grade this year.
The Buffalo Sabres are on pace to earn just 88 points, which will leave them well outside of the top eight for a playoff spot. And yes, this means they will continue the longest playoff drought in NHL history by another season, and we probably won’t see them land one until 2024-25. But that didn’t stop ESPN from giving this team a high grade.
Therefore, you should get excited about a team whose preseason Over/Under sat at just 79 points. Or a team that can get hot at any time and have even led the league in scoring on multiple occasions.
They also have arguably the Eastern Conference’s best player in Tage Thompson, and another star in Rasmus Dahlin. This team also saw that Jeff Skinner’s bounce back season a year ago was no fluke, while Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozens have become forces to be reckoned with.
Buffalo Sabres have exceeded expectations at midseason
The challenge, of course, is for the Sabres to keep this going for their remaining 43 games. Again, no one is expecting this young hockey team to make the playoffs, but we are expecting them to remain competitive.
Rarely do I justify it when a fanbase boos its team off the ice, but following the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers, I sang a different tune. There are new expectations for the Blue and Gold, and those expectations include jumping on teams with lesser talent early and scoring on them often.
They also involve handing the NHL’s better teams a run for their money. And it was something we’ve seen over the past two weeks, including Tuesday night’s loss to the Seattle Kraken.
Sure, the Sabres have their quirks. They don’t play defense well and their goaltenders regularly allow four goals a game as a result of that spotty defense. But they are also not the hopeless bunch they were this time last season, and networks like ESPN are one of many letting the NHL universe know it.
In case you’re wondering, ESPN gave the Buffalo Sabres a B+ on the season so far. They noted the Sabres probably won’t be in the postseason, but since they remained (mostly) consistent and have evolved into a confident, hardworking group, the improvement is definitely there.
Article Source: Grades for all 32 NHL teams at midseason of 2022-23 by Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton
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