A few days back, we unveiled the lowest ranked players on the Buffalo Sabres roster. Who ended up taking slots 20 through 16?
The Buffalo Sabres have talent all over the roster these days, and even a couple of players ranked here could wind up as long-term fixtures with the Blue and Gold. Either way, each player you will find listed below did make some serviceable contributions to the team in varying capacities, so it will be interesting that, for the younger talent on this list, whether they can take another step next season.
Today, we are ranking the 20th through 16th best players on the Sabres roster. And in case you missed it, make sure to check out those who made up the bottom tier. So who ranked where? Keep reading to find out.
Buffalo Sabres Ultimate Player Rankings – No.s 20-16
20 – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen did not have the best season, despite embarking on a hot streak for a stretch. Overall, Luukkonen posted just an 0.891 save percentage and a 3.61 GAA. But he also played behind some bad defensive rotations, so let’s not put the entire blame on him.
19 – Vinnie Hinostroza
Vinnie Hinostroza is ranked a little higher than you may see him on many boards, but when given the chance, he was more than serviceable. Despite this, Hinostroza is another player you won’t see returning for 2023-24, barring something completely unforeseen.
18 – Kyle Okposo
Unlike Hinostroza, expect to see the Buffalo Sabres retain Kyle Okposo. However, the aging forward is nothing more than a fourth-liner/extra skater at this point in his career. He’s one of the slowest skaters in the league, and that dramatically negates his productivity in many areas of the game. Despite this, his sound leadership skills make him valuable.
17 – Henri Jokiharju
Oftentimes, the Sabres found themselves allowing easy goals because they were caught out of position on multiple occasions. I noticed this happening far too often with Henri Jokiharju, but I also fully expect him to return in 2023-24, likely on the third pairing. The theory is that by limiting his ice time, Jokiharju could turn out a more productive season.
16 – Victor Olofsson
Victor Olofsson may be the Buffalo Sabres most curious case. On one end, he was one of the team’s most dynamic goal scorers. But he literally did nothing else, and it’s likely you will see the Sabres move this one-dimensional player in favor of another.
Overall, we’ve only ranked the bottom-tier players thus far, so there aren’t as many exciting things to say here. But counting down our #15-#1 players, from here on out, we’re looking at guys who will most likely stick around long-term, and there will be a lot more goods to explore.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)