We are officially 20% of the way through our 75 Bold Predictions In 75 Days Series for the Buffalo Sabres. Today, we’re focusing on the Number 20.
Welcome to Prediction #15 in our Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions In 75 Days Series. So far, we have been covering bold predictions pertaining to players only, but today, since we are at the 20% mark, why not dedicate today to the 20s?
Last year, the Sabres had five players score at least 20 goals, but this year, I want to get even bolder and predict that seven players hit that margin. In 2022-23, Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, and Victor Olofsson got there, and for the sake of today’s article and since Olofsson is still part of the Blue and Gold, let’s predict that all five of them return to the list.
Joining them will be defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who had 15 last season, and five in the Sabres first five games. While Dahlin scored just 10 more goals the rest of the way, he wasn’t playing at 100% late in the season. If he stays healthy, scoring 20 goals this year will be realistic.
Buffalo Sabres will have seven players scoring at least 20 goals in 2023-24
J.J. Peterka’s 2023-24 season could mimic that of Dylan Cozens’ 2022-23 campaign, so parlaying from Peterka’s own 75 In 75 piece, he will become the seventh player on the team to reach the mark. In that article, I stated Peterka will score 21 goals and log 47 assists, a number made possible thanks to my projection of one of the team’s best passers, Casey Mittelstadt, likely bumping up in the lineup to play in lieu of Jack Quinn early.
This will naturally give Peterka a legitimate chance to hit the 21 goal mark, the bulk of which he will score during the season’s first half before Quinn returns. Once Quinn is ready to take up his spot at wing, we will likely see Mittelstadt return to his familiar spot at center on the third line (assuming no one else is missing extended time), and Peterka’s numbers will even out with a dynamic Quinn helping to fuel a playoff run.
So, we are now officially 20% of the way through 75 In 75, and two months away from the puck dropping in October for the Buffalo Sabres regular season to commence vs. the New York Rangers. What will the final 80% of this series entail? Keep tuning in daily, and you will see even more bold predictions for the Blue and Gold.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)