Buffalo Sabres division rivals’ 2023 offseasons Part I: Florida vulnerable?
By Sion Fawkes
The Verdict
At first glance, the Buffalo Sabres and the Florida Panthers appear to be two teams heading in different directions. The Sabres continue their steady climb while the Panthers are undoubtedly undergoing some turbulence.
But that doesn’t mean Florida won’t be any less formidable when the Blue and Gold play them with two contests in February, and in the next-to-last game of the year in April. In fact, the Panthers could be even more formidable given the sense of urgency they will undoubtedly feel once the likes of Tkachuk, Ekblad, and Montour are all healthy and in midseason form.
Even so, the Panthers will feel their potential absences early – especially Ekblad and Montour, as Tkachuk should be cleared to play come October. This leaves a ton of question marks on the defensive side of the puck that will rely on rentals sans Mikkola to fill the gaps.
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Overall, Florida may not be completely healthy to kick things off, and if they stagnate while the Buffalo Sabres find their stride, the Blue and Gold may hold an edge if they stay healthy. But you can expect a hardfought three-game series during the final two-and-a-half months of the season regardless of what the patchwork unit on the Panthers blue line does early in the year.
Source: Atlantic Division summer outlook: Huge questions surround Bruins, Panthers after their big seasons by Mike Harrington, Buffalo News
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference – All roster transactions discussed occurred before the time of this writing on August 2nd, 2023).