The Buffalo Sabres became a relevant team, evidenced by the sheer number of meaningful games played. Their top 10 was a big reason for that.
You know it’s a good problem when you rank the Buffalo Sabres players, yet run into an issue when you reach Tier I (Players 5-1) and Tier II (Players 10-6). There are a few names listed below who could have fallen into the first tier, yet lost out thanks to the numbers game.
Before, and most recently Tier III (Players 15-11), were much more manageable since their overall games, for the most part, either paled when compared to Tier II, or in the case of someone like Devon Levi, the sample size just wasn’t large enough.
So who ranked where in my 10-6 ranking? Keep reading to find out.
Buffalo Sabres Ultimate Player Rankings – No.’s 10-6
10 – Peyton Krebs
With 93 hits, Peyton Krebs unleashed his physical side last season, and that should only continue into 2023-24. And while his 45.1% FOW% is nothing to brag about, it was light years ahead of the 35.2% he garnered in 48 games with the Blue and Gold in 2021-22, indicating he could eventually work his way into becoming one counted on to win important faceoffs.
9 – Jack Quinn
Whether playing for the Buffalo Sabres or for his native Team Canada, you can often call on Jack Quinn to help you win a shoot-out when necessary. But Quinn’s game improved to the point where you can confidently say he’ll be a member of the top six for years to come. Look for a big improvement in productivity all around next season.
8 – Owen Power
While Owen Power’s positioning wasn’t always pristine, the Buffalo Sabres enjoyed a 91.7% on ice save percentage when he was on the ice at 5-on-5. Power also showed the ability to carry a large workload, averaging 23:48 of average total ice time, and his overall efforts led him to become a finalist to win the Calder Trophy.
7 – Casey Mittelstadt
There is nobody on this list who moved up more than Casey Mittelstadt, and if he has another season like his 2022-23 campaign, he’s going to be with the Blue and Gold for a long time. Once he learns to shoot the puck more, Mittelstadt could become yet another nightmare for opponents.
6 – Mattias Samuelsson
While I labeled Mattias Samuelsson as the Buffalo Sabres MVP, he’s in my second tier with player rankings simply because injuries limited him to just 55 games. If he can find a way to stay healthy all season – tough, considering his style of play – then Samuelsson will land in the top five next season, guaranteed.
Overall, the rankings became harder with this batch, as for a few of them, you can make the argument for a top five ranking. But the remaining players on this list are those we can all agree should be in the first tier. The only real question is, where do they rank amongst themselves?
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)