2022-23 Buffalo Sabres superlatives (Who won Team MVP?)
The Buffalo Sabres finished 2022-23 with 91 points, and they had plenty of effective players along the way. Here are the award winners for the season.
In years’ past, it was a chore to come up with enough positives regarding Buffalo Sabres superlatives, since even the best players put up the blandest performances. That wasn’t the case in 2022-23, and writing this article actually had an adrenaline-pumping edge.
Further, any number of players could have won most of the awards listed below. So I’m sure there will be a lot of debate to follow for some, and I’m sure you will agree 1,000% regarding a few of them, especially those final two.
Anyway, who won what in 2022-23? Here are eight awards that I’ll hand out to the following players. Let’s get started.
2022-23 Buffalo Sabres Superlatives
Team MVP/Defenseman of the Year: Mattias Samuelsson
I’m going to let everyone else put either Rasmus Dahlin or Tage Thompson in this slot. But neither helped the Buffalo Sabres win like Mattias Samuelsson.
While injury-prone, the Blue and Gold finished 33-18-4 when Samuelsson played. And since a team MVP is the player who helps their team win more than any other as opposed to who puts up the best fantasy hockey numbers, he is more than worthy of the honor, something I said back in March.
Forward of the Year: Tage Thompson
This one was a close call between Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. Some may rightfully put Tuch here, since he seemed to be the more consistent of the two. But at the end of the day, Tage likely would have been a top-five scorer in the NHL had injuries not hampered him during that final stretch, and his 94 points were still among the league’s best.
Goaltender of the Year: Craig Anderson
The goaltending situation was awful in 2022-23, and yes, some will contemplate putting Devon Levi here. But Levi came so late in the season, that his sample size for any award this season was far too small, so Anderson gets the nod while Levi can win this award for the next decade-and-a-half.
Rookie of the Year: Owen Power
When the 2022-23 NHL Season reached its three-quarter mark, Owen Power was in serious contention for the Calder Trophy, and he will likely receive a Top Five vote. And despite late-season surges from Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka, Power was the most consistent of the trio, despite having made his fair share of rookie mistakes and being the victim of some unlucky puck bounces.
Most Improved Player: Casey Mittelstadt
Casey Mittelstadt struggled over his first four full seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, and he even had a few terrible outings to start off 2022-23. But starting in December, he got it together and performed better than any Sabres forward not named Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner, or Dylan Cozens. Mittelstadt finished the season with 59 points, and no other Sabre played in all 82 contests.
Most Underrated Player: Tyson Jost
I laughed when general manager Kevyn Adams picked up some meaningless guy named Tyson Jost early this past season. Fast-forward to April, and I’m no longer laughing, instead clamoring for Adams to hand Jost a three-year extension. He doesn’t score, but he’s good on the forecheck, he’s scrappy, physical, and he always seems to know when to position himself in front of the crease.
Most Popular Sabre: Alex Tuch
Alex Tuch won the Rico Award this season, and the hometown hero will win the Most Popular Sabre Award likely for as long as he dresses in a uniform bearing the crossed-swords or a goathead. As mentioned, he was probably the most consistent player on the Buffalo Sabres, not even allowing an injury to set him back for too long.
Most Intriguing Sabre: Devon Levi
I’m rather conservative when it comes to newly-signed rookies, so I’d have signed Devon Levi and immediately placed him in Rochester. Obviously, Adams, head coach Don Granato, and Company knew better, and Levi did not disappoint. He finished the season 5-2, with a 0.905 save percentage and a 2.94 GAA. Not half-bad for a kid thrown into an almost full slate of NHL games late in the season.
Levi has the edge in entering 2023-24 as the 1A goaltender on this roster, and he could even wind up as the traditional starter, while someone else steps in for between 20 and 25 contests. Barring a complete meltdown, expect to see Devon Levi in a Sabres uniform, opening the season as the starting goaltender.
light. Must Read. Sabres: Grading each defenseman’s 2022-23 season
Overall, it was fun to actually name these superlatives this season, given the way the team played. And as you can see, many categories were rather competitive and could have gone to a number of players. Here’s to the Buffalo Sabres having that good problem from here on out.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)