Are the Buffalo Sabres good enough to make the playoffs in 2023-24?
The Buffalo Sabres were one point way from making the playoffs. Going into next season, do the Sabres have a team that’s good enough too make the playoffs?
The Buffalo Sabres missed the playoffs for the twelfth consecutive season and currently hold the longest active playoff appearance drought in the NHL. However, last season was the closest they have been to making the postseason in quite some time.
They missed the playoffs by one point and if a few games went in their favor, they would have made it. Now, after making some additions this summer, the team is looking at next season as their season to make the playoffs.
The question: Is the team they have now good enough to come out of the highly competitive Eastern Conference? While the team they have now is better than anything they have had in years, there are a still few questions marks in regards to if they are good enough to make the playoffs.
Do the 2023-24 Buffalo Sabres have what it takes to make the playoffs?
Starting with the forward core, the Sabres didn’t make any new major additions to the team. However, they already have a great core group of players who can score and they proved that last season.
The Sabres were the third highest scoring team during the 2022-23 season with a team total of 296 goals. The two teams they trailed were the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers. This forward group has shown they can score and they can be even more dangerous this upcoming season. A healthier season from Alex Tuch, plus a continuation of growth from Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner and Dylan Cozens can be only positives for the Sabres going into the 2023-24 season.
Defense
On defense, the Buffalo Sabres made two big signings during free agency. They added veteran Erik Johnson on a one-year deal and Connor Clifton on a three-year deal. These two additions help to solidify a defensive group led by Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.
Johnson brings 15 years of experience plus the experience of winning a Stanley Cup to this team. His is a solid right-handed defenseman who will help this team next season. Clifton was the odd man out in Boston last season and now, he should be a regular top-six defenseman for the Sabres going forward.
His is solid defensively and has some offensive upside. These two signings are going to help boost a defense that still has room for improvement.
The biggest question for the Sabres is their goaltending situation. They have Devon Levi and he is likely going to be their number one goalie going into the season barring any injuries.
Then they have Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Both of them can play in the NHL and have proven that.
While Comrie is the more experienced of the two, the Sabres don’t want to risk putting UPL on waivers to start the season and lose him for nothing. If Levi is the number one, the Sabres have to decide if they want to go with experience in Comrie, or see if they can keep developing UPL alongside Levi. It will be an interesting situation to watch going into training camp and the start fo the season.
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The Buffalo Sabres were right on the brink of making the playoffs last season and going into the 2023-24 season, that is going to be the goal. They need to build of the success of last season and with the additions they have made, they are a better team. While there are going to be struggles, this Sabres team has the best shot of making the playoffs of any Sabres team of the past few years.
(Statistics and data provided by Hockey-Reference)