Playoffs or not, the Buffalo Sabres climbed another rung in 2022-23
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres are fighting for their first playoff berth in over a decade, but even if they miss the postseason, they still showed immense progress.
As it stands, the Buffalo Sabres playoff hopes are slipping. Losers in four of their last five, and with a formidable opponent in the Dallas Stars on Thursday night, the Blue and Gold seem to be wearing down.
And it’s a story we’ve read plenty of times. The Sabres start off or enjoy a strong portion of a respective season, then drop-off. But this year, despite them threatening to do the same as the season winds down, is different than past drop-offs.
The Sabres actually have a foundation in place and a plan for long-term success that’s actually working. And as the youngest team in hockey, hardly a soul outside optimistic Buffalo fans thought they’d even be playing meaningful games at all, as short-lived as those meaningful games may be.
For the Sabres, it’s a sign of progress. And with a roster full of primarily 20-somethings, more than a few of whom are locked in with long-term deals, the future is bright, not uncertain. We got players who want to be here, and they can perform at elite levels, as we’ve seen so many times this season. Something that was hardly a thing in recent memory.
The 2022-23 Buffalo Sabres have climbed a rung regardless of the outcome
Lance Lysowski of Buffalo News was quick to point this out when he addressed the difference between Buffalo’s loss to the Islanders this season and the one they suffered exactly two years prior. Although the Isles could have easily blown out the Sabres, it was nothing compared to that fateful 5-2 loss on March 7th, 2021.
Many, and Lysowski implied it in his piece, mark that game as the catalyst for then first-year general manager Kevyn Adams dismantling what was a terrible hockey team. Ralph Krueger was fired shortly thereafter, while Adams traded the likes of Taylor Hall, Brandon Montour, and Eric Staal. Jack Eichel never suited up for the Sabres again.