Two teams who can prevent Buffalo Sabres from ending drought in 2023

The Buffalo Sabres haven’t seen a playoff berth for 12 seasons, and their toughest competition to end their drought lies within their own division.

Carol Schram of The Hockey News listed the Buffalo Sabres as one of five teams who could realistically end their respective playoff droughts this season. And if Buffalo is interested in ending their infamous streak without a playoff appearance, they must navigate through teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and I’m still not counting out the Boston Bruins or even the Tampa Bay Lightning at this point.

But there are two other teams in the Atlantic Division that Schram listed looking to see a playoff berth for the first time in a while – the Ottawa Senators and the Detroit Red Wings. Of course, Ottawa and Detroit have taken a different route than the Sabres in their quest to return to the playoffs in spending big and pulling off blockbuster trades, contrasting themselves from the Adams Plan.

Can the Buffalo Sabres stave off the Senators and Red Wings in 2023-24?

Last season, the Adams Plan showed us it could be superior, as the Sabres finished 6-2-0 vs. the Red Wings and Senators combined, sweeping the former. But it didn’t come easy, as three of those wins occurred in either overtime or in a shootout.

While some may claim Buffalo got lucky in a few of those games, wins are wins, but it also indicates the Senators and Red Wings will factor in as formidable opponents in 2023-24. Just as they were last season unless, ironically enough, the Sabres were playing the Red Wings at home, as they outscored Detroit 14-6 in those two games.

Once again, we saw Detroit and Ottawa continue to build through trades and signings while Adams added just a pair of defensemen and re-signed those players familiar with his system. Once again, Buffalo will promote another player to full-time status on their main roster in Devon Levi. And once again, you may see one more skater prospect rise through the rankings and end up in the lineup.

Regardless of how you look at it, you could see seven teams in the Atlantic vying for up to five coveted playoff spots, and perhaps fewer if the Metropolitan Division boasts just as threatening wild card contenders. The Buffalo Sabres playoff drought has a better chance to snap than it has over the past five seasons, perhaps even longer, but there is no shortage of talent in the Atlantic or even the Eastern Conference.

Source: FIVE NHL TEAMS THAT COULD CRACK PLAYOFF DROUGHTS NEXT SEASON by Carol Schram, The Hockey Writers