Buffalo Sabres: 1 sentence prediction for each player’s 2023-24 season
The Buffalo Sabres have a strong outlook for 2023-24, so how will each player perform this season? Here is a one-sentence prediction for each.
The Buffalo Sabres are heading into the 2023-24 season expecting to make the playoffs and perhaps more. Best yet, they have more than enough talent to get there. Regardless of where you look in the Blue and Gold’s lineup, you see incredible potential, playmakers, and even intriguing depth pieces.
Since Buffalo is still young yet projected to be even better for this coming season than they were last year, making these predictions will be rather fun, even if we’re only giving one-sentence outlooks in this piece. So how do we think each member of the Sabres will fare in 2023-24? Keep reading.
Predicting each member of the Buffalo Sabres 2023-24 season in one sentence
Goaltenders
Devon Levi: Will open the season as a 1A barring an unforeseen trade for a veteran and the potential Calder finalist will put up solid numbers playing behind an improved defensive unit.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Unless he’s traded, Luukkonen will show everyone why the Sabres kept their faith in him as a 1B.
Eric Comrie: Will be the odd man out in camp and the Sabres will put him on waivers, where another team will claim him.
Dustin Tokarski: Will end up as the starting goaltender with the Rochester Americans and will try to recreate the success Malcolm Subban enjoyed last season.
Devin Cooley: Another goaltender heading for Rochester will serve as Tokarski’s backup and perhaps work his way into a 1B role.
Defensemen
Rasmus Dahlin: With more help in the rotation this season, Dahlin has a better chance to stay healthy which will let him contend for the Norris.
Mattias Samuelsson: Will likely miss a few games here or there because of his playing style, but Samuelsson will once again be responsible for the Buffalo Sabres success.
Owen Power: Expect a leap in Year 2 after a rookie season landed him in contention for the Calder Trophy as he will likely forge a formidable tandem with Connor Clifton.
Connor Clifton: One of the newest members of the Sabres should be sledgehammer on defense and a perfect complement to Power.
Erik Johnson: Won’t bring the same productivity he enjoyed earlier in his career, but he will be the leader and one-season stopgap the Blue and Gold needed.
Ilya Lyubushkin: Will line up on the third pairing this season and likely play 2023-24 on a “pitch count” to stay healthy.
Henri Jokiharju: Will be one of the odd men out in battling for a spot in the lineup and will likely end up elsewhere for the 2023-24 season.
Jacob Bryson: Another member of the Sabres who will likely find themselves wearing a different uniform for 2023-24 and deserves to be gone.
Riley Stillman: Nothing more than a rotational piece who will likely sit in the press box at least half the time, but he should provide an edge against more physical teams.
Kale Clague: Will return to Rochester full-time in 2023-24, but he will also be the first call up if injuries strike the rotation.
Forwards
Jeff Skinner: May be 31, but he plays like someone just entering their prime, so you can expect another epic output from one of the Buffalo Sabres best forwards.
Tage Thompson: Tage is catching nobody off-guard this season, but that won’t stop him from creeping toward 50 goals for the second year running (47 last season).
Alex Tuch: Tuch won’t just put up big numbers offensively this season, as you can expect him to become a leader and potential captain for the Blue and Gold.
J.J. Peterka: If there is one Sabre who will make a bigger leap than any other at forward, it will be Peterka, given his late-season performances in 2022-23.
Dylan Cozens: The Workhorse from Whitehorse shouldn’t see a drop-off in performance in 2023-24 after he posted dynamic numbers this past season.
Jack Quinn: Will miss the first half of the season thanks to an Achilles injury, but he will return stronger and put up gaudy numbers when the New Year arrives.
Casey Mittelstadt: Could replace Quinn at winger on the second line, but regardless of where he plays, look for Mittelstadt to pick up where he left off last season.
Victor Olofsson: Could stick around thanks to Quinn’s injury, but don’t be surprised if he ends up as nothing more than an extra skater and eventual trade asset.
Jordan Greenway: Should see immense growth in the bottom six as he enters his first full season in a Buffalo Sabres uniform.
Peyton Krebs: Don’t look for Krebs to score often, but he will gain even more of a physical edge in 2023-24 as he will battle to show that he’s worthy to stay beyond 2023-24.
Kyle Okposo: Skills will likely further decline in every aspect of the game except for his leadership, but the latter is all the Sabres need from the aging veteran.
Zemgus Girgensons: Girgensons will once again provide a strong presence as a defensive forward and could lead the position in hits as he did last season.
Tyson Jost: He will likely end up as a depth piece if the Buffalo Sabres call up a prospect or two, but Jost will fare as a decent depth piece at that.
Related Story. Breaking down each Sabres 2022-23 season in one sentence. light
Speaking of forward prospects, I didn’t forget about them, as they will be hot topics in yet another piece. Anyway, as these predictions imply, we believe the Sabres will enjoy a high-scoring season and perhaps even jet past the 300-goal threshold in 2023-24. But the defense will also be much improved thanks to Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton coming aboard, so expect a positive goal differential this year.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)