While Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson compete for gold at the Olympics, most of the Buffalo Sabres have gotten a few weeks off to rest ahead of the final part of the regular season. For the first time in a long time, the Buffalo Sabres are right in the middle of playoff contention, but they will need a strong finish to remain in the playoffs in a very competitive Eastern Conference.
As the Sabres return for practice this week ahead of their first game back on February 25th against the New Jersey Devils, these are five big questions that are hanging over this franchise coming out of the Olympic break.
Who will be ready to return from injuries?
The Buffalo Sabres had a rather lengthy injury list entering the Olympic break, and the hope is that a majority of those players can be back for the Devils game. This group includes the following players:
- Josh Norris
- Zach Benson
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
- Conor Timmins
- Justin Danforth
Based on some of the comments by Lindy Ruff prior to the break, Norris and Benson seemed close to returning. Those two are probably the ones fans should feel confident about being ready for the first game back.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen probably also is in that group, and Ruff did say the injury was "nothing serious." While Luukkonen has to be disappointed about not being able to play in the Olympics, the extra rest might be a blessing in disguise.
Timmins and Danforth are both dealing with long-term injuries, and it will be worth noting their practice status. That should give an indication in terms of how close they are to being back in the lineup.
Who will remain in the lineup?
While it is great news that the Sabres could be getting back several players from injuries, it does create somewhat of a challenge for Lindy Ruff and the coaching staff. They must now try to figure out how to fit these players into a lineup that has done a pretty good job over the past few months.
Prior to the Olympic break, the Sabres sent Isak Rosen, Konsta Helenius and Zach Metsa back down to Rochester. The thought likely was that they could use ice time during a period when there was going to be no hockey in the NHL.
If they don't bring any of those players back to Rochester, it opens up three spots for the Sabres and Norris, Benson, and Luukkonen probably fill those. However, it does leave the Sabres with only six defensemen so if Timmins is not ready, then they probably need to bring Metsa back.
How do they handle the blue line?
This leads to the next question in terms of what the coaching staff does with their defensemen. They have been dealing with injuries to Timmins, but also, Michael Kesselring has not looked good since returning from his injury.
Due to this reason, Ruff has shortened the rotation significantly and leaned heavily on his Top 4 (Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, and Bowen Byram). This is probably not something that is sustainable for the remainder of the season, and a trade at the position could be an option.
However, if Timmins can return shortly after the break and Kesselring is back to 100%, it might not be as much of an issue. This is something that fans should pay attention to closely, both in practice and in the first few games back.
Does Alex Tuch finally get an extension before the trade deadline?
The big question looming over the Buffalo Sabres as it pertains to the trade deadline is whether or not Alex Tuch gets a new contract. It has remained over this franchise since the summer, and it seems it is getting to a point where the Sabres are running out of time to make a decision.
They certainly could do nothing before the trade deadline and let Tuch play out the remainder of his deal. This doesn't mean he can't be re-signed at some point before free agency, but it also makes the likelihood that he leaves after the summer with nothing in return.
That is a risk, but general manager Jarmo Kekalainen probably doesn't want to disrupt what the team has going for draft picks or prospects. He probably would have trade discussions if teams call, but it would have to be an impressive offer for him to consider trading Tuch before the March 6th deadline.
Can the Sabres bounce back from the way they finished before the Olympic break?
For most of December and January, the Buffalo Sabres were the hottest team in the NHL as they would win 10 straight and went 21-4-2 over the final 27 games before the Olympic break. However, they sort of limped into the Olympic break as they would go 1-2-1 over their final four games.
Those final four games weren't necessarily easy, as they included a game against the Montreal Canadiens and back-to-back road games against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning before playing the Pittsburgh Penguins. Three of those teams are currently playoff teams, and the Panthers are back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions.
Certainly, if the Sabres won against the Lightning, when they had the lead with a minute left in the third period, 2-2 in that stretch wouldn't be bad at all. However, the Sabres need to be better and the first five games are just as challenging with a road game against the Devils before another back-to-back road game set against the Panthers and Lightning.
They return home for the Vegas Golden Knights before going back on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins. With how competitive the Eastern Conference is, the Sabres can't really afford another stretch like they had before the Olympic break if they hope to remain in a playoff spot.
The Buffalo Sabres have 25 games left in the regular season as they try to earn their first playoff spot in 14 seasons. It should be an exciting stretch of hockey for fans who have waited a long time for this team to be in contention this late in the season.