Buffalo Sabres division rivals’ 2023 offseasons Part IV: Storm Dissipating?
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres looked good against the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, and that trend could continue if the Bolts take a step back.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have had quite the hold on the Atlantic Division over the past decade and the Buffalo Sabres were a frequent victim. That changed last season, when the Sabres finished 2-1-1 against their division rivals, and it could be a trend in the making in 2023-24 and beyond.
Tampa, despite their dominance in the late 2010s and early 2020s, is yet another team in the Atlantic who could backslide this season while the Blue and Gold continue their inevitable rise. Among the players they lost, Alex Killorn and Ross Colton will arguably hurt the most, with Pat Maroon and Corey Perry also being traded to other teams.
Lightning still have Buffalo Sabres beaten in experience category
Despite the losses, the Lightning still have quite a few players remaining to make another playoff run, and they are experienced players. Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, and Steven Stamkos are still effective players despite their advanced ages, and they can still make things miserable for the Atlantic.
Tanner Jeannot is a newer core piece and at 26, he’s a bottom six talent who could make the Bay Area his home for quite some time. Forward Brayden Point and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy are another pair of players who give the Lightning a couple more younger puzzle pieces under age 30, and they will give their Atlantic Division rivals like the Sabres a tough time, that we can count on.
Besides Point, the Lightning also have Anthony Cirelli and Nicholas Paul locked in for quite a while, so there are still plenty of pieces left. Even if the likes of Stamkos and Hedman could be nearing the end of their time in the Bay Area – Stamkos is in the final year of his deal and Hedman has a pair of seasons to go – the Bolts would still have solid talent in this lineup.
But speaking of blueliners, Tampa also has a pair of youngsters in Erik Cernak and Mikhail Sergachev locked in for the decade. That said, while Tampa could be taking a step back thanks to their aging core, don’t make the mistake in thinking they don’t have enough youngsters entering their primes to compensate.
Source: Cap-Friendly