While ending the playoff drought is discussed more, the Buffalo Sabres actually ended a longer drought this past season by winning the Atlantic Division. The last time they won a division was all the way back in the 2009-10 season when they were still a member of the Northeast Division.
The Sabres finished the season with 109 points but were challenged almost right to the very end of the season by the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens, both of whom finished the season only three points back at 106.
Now looking ahead to next season, the Sabres are going to be trying to repeat as division champs but this season, what was already a tough Atlantic Division has seemingly gotten tougher. Last season, the Sabres didn't really have to worry about the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers as injuries derailed their season, and they weren't really competitive.
That probably changes this season as the Panthers brought in Brady Tkachuk and expect players like Aleksander Barkov back from injury. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs were active, bringing in several players like Sergei Bobrovsky, Darren Raddysh, and first-overall pick Gavin McKenna to support a returning Auston Matthews.
On top of that, the Sabres still have to worry about a Tampa Bay Lightning team that isn't going away and a Montreal Canadiens team that beat them in the second round of the playoffs.
Atlantic Division hasn't had back-to-back winners since 2019
If the Buffalo Sabres are going to win the Atlantic Division again, it will be the first time in nearly a decade that a team has been able to win the division in consecutive seasons. The last team to do it was the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won it in 2017-18 and then again in 2018-19.
At this point, the Sabres are probably being counted out due to the lack of moves. They lost Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram in the offseason and didn't really make a big splash to replace them. At this point, they seem likely to go into the season expecting some of their younger players to take that next step.
While it is a risk, Jarmo Kekalainen is still in a position where he could make an in-season trade to help them out if players like Konsta Helenius and Noah Ostlund are not ready for bigger roles.
Even being the defending division champs, it is hard to say that the Sabres are the favorite going into next season. Right now, there are likely five teams that believe they have a legitimate chance of winning the division between the Sabres, Lightning, Canadiens, Panthers, and Maple Leafs, with the Bruins maybe not in this group but also not far behind.
If the Sabres do end up winning the division, it is going to be quite the accomplishment in such a talented division.
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