While the Sabres snagged an increasingly rare victory vs. the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, they’re still a 14-game points streak from making a late-season run at the NHL playoffs. In other words, they aren’t going anywhere this season.
So, for fans who are sick of watching their team lose time and again, why not follow a second team for the duration of this season? This doesn’t mean you need to abandon the Sabres, but instead, you can find inspiration in three of the four teams listed below.
Nobody thought much of them before the season started, yet here they are, in the thick of the playoff race. As for the odd team out, there’s one player Sabres fans might be rooting for - two if you count a former prospect.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Who’s not pulling for the Blue Jackets? No team in hockey had been dealt a worse hand, yet here they are, playing the best hockey they have in years and find themselves in the second wild card spot with 70 points.
The Blue Jackets have defied all expectations this season, and while they don’t look like they have a championship-caliber lineup, nobody even saw them even remotely close to playoff-caliber. That said, the Blue Jackets aren’t a franchise I’m underestimating.
Plus, it’s not like teams slated to wind up in a lower seed haven’t been serious Stanley Cup contenders. Just two seasons ago, the Florida Panthers barely made the show and ended up challenging the Vegas Golden Knights. Fast-forward a season, and they were hoisting the Cup.
St. Louis Blues
As with the Blue Jackets, I can’t say enough positive things about the supposedly retooling St. Louis Blues. General manager Doug Armstrong went out and thanks to some aggressive wheeling and dealing, brought in the right coach, kept a few talents, and even pried a couple of youngsters from another franchise.
Armstrong is everything Kevyn Adams must become if he’s to keep his job, and it shows that pulling off bold moves pays. Imagine, for a second, if Adams signs a couple of restricted free agents with Dylan Holloway’s and Philip Broberg’s caliber - the Sabres would be that much closer to the playoffs.
Yeah, some fans out there don’t like what Armstrong did, but I’m not one of those fans. And even if some following the Blue and Gold saw these moves as cheap shots, none of them would be complaining if Adams did the same thing and the Sabres ended up in the 2026 playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers
Because why not root for Jeff Skinner? Hey, forget about Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl; that dynamic duo’s already played in the Stanley Cup Final and came close to winning it all. And after the Sabres bought out Jeff Skinner’s contract, the Oilers brought him in to help.
How has Skinner fared? Initially, it wasn’t good. But that’s since changed, and Skinner now has 11 goals and 21 points in 54 contests. No, these aren’t the same numbers he posted in those final three seasons with the Sabres, but he’s finally found a groove.
Should the Oilers not suffer a monumental collapse, Jeff Skinner will finally see time in the postseason. It may have taken nearly 1,100 games to make it happen, but better late than never, right?
Calgary Flames
Not interested in rooting for a surefire playoff contender? The Flames are a great alternative. Heading into Tuesday, Calgary remains entrenched in that final playoff spot with 70 points, despite a minus-18 goal differential.
By contrast, the Sabres stand at minus-21 but the difference, of course, is that Calgary’s winning games and the Blue and Gold aren’t. Should the Flames earn a playoff berth, it might be the most surprising of all the would-be wild card teams not named the Columbus Blue Jackets.
And, given the way they’ve been just squeaking out wins, I wouldn’t put it past them to pull off a surprise or two when the playoffs roll around.