Breaking down realistic chances of Buffalo Sabres making the postseason
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres have won half of their games heading into midseason. So if they want to make the postseason, they got some work to do.
The Buffalo Sabres have played better than expected at midseason, and you can be assured that they will continue to grow as the year progresses. At 20-18-2 (42 points), this is obviously a hockey team that has put itself behind the eight-ball as far as playoffs are concerned, but that was expected, given their relative youth.
But there is always a chance the Blue and Gold can get hot and surprise a few people. Only last season, the down and out Sabres made things interesting in March and April.
And while they had no realistic chance of making the playoffs when April rolled around, or even March from a mathematical perspective, a similar run with a better record could yield a different result. But even then it would take a couple of Eastern Conference opponents hitting a dry spot, and a little bit of luck.
Buffalo Sabres can make the postseason, but it probably won’t happen
When you break things down, it is only the second full season of the Don Granato Era, and third season with Kevyn Adams at general manager. The Sabres are an improved hockey team from last season, and even if you count Granato’s half-season as head coach between March and May 2021, this team is light years ahead of what they were.
Granato has developed Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin into some of the game’s best. He resurrected Jeff Skinner, and turned Alex Tuch into an upper-echelon NHL player. Owen Power is growing, and Mattias Samuelsson’s presence has been beneficial for the Sabres since he became a regular part of the team. Dylan Cozens’ arrow is pointing north. And it’s a matter of time before Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka see similar results.
This team is far ahead of the curve, and just about any expert across the NHL landscape will echo those confirmations unless they live in Toronto, Ontario. Some though, like ESPN, are getting too cute and boldly predicting the Sabres will make the playoffs.
Not likely to happen this year. Instead, you will see the Buffalo Sabres fight their way out of this current slump they are in, return to their high-octane ways, and continue to develop. Finishing with 85 to 90 points is realistic, and yes, contention is more than realistic in 2023-24.
Must Read. Sabres: Will Tage Thompson hit 100+ points this season?. light
Some of you may groan at ‘waiting until next year,’ but time flies when you watch this team. A playoff appearance will come before you know it.
Article Source: Bold NHL predictions for rest of 2022-23: Trades, playoffs, awards by ESPN Staff
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