3 Buffalo Sabres players who seriously need to step up in November

The Buffalo Sabres may look even worse than they were last season, but they have playmakers and have even added some, like Jason Zucker. Let me just take a minute and once again admit that I can’t believe, for now, at least, that Zucker looks like a good signing.

Anyway, that could change for the worse by the end of the month, but maybe it wouldn’t be a bad trade-off if the following three players stepped up their game as we dive deeper into November. Every name you see listed below is capable of being great, but after a mediocre start, they’re already at a crossroads this season. 

1 - Dylan Cozens

What is wrong with Dylan Cozens? Can anyone answer that? We know Cozens has a contagious work ethic, and that won’t stop regardless of how poor his numbers look, but one goal (scored on the 1st of November, at least), four points, and a 2.8 shooting percentage in 12 games is hardly what we thought we’d be getting after last season was a step back. 

Cozens’ breakout year in 2022-23 that won him a contract extension halfway through the season is a distant memory, and right now, he looks like a future overpaid lower-liner. But then again, with a 42.2 faceoff win percentage, do we really want him taking draws in the defensive zone?

2 - Jack Quinn

He’s played in 11 games and has given the Sabres two points, splitting between a goal and an assist. Quinn has also been a turnover machine, coughing the puck up 14 times in those 11 contests, and he’s done little in the way of helping the Sabres keep the puck out of the net. 

When I still had some optimism last week and talked about what a potential Sabres trade for Brock Nelson may have looked like, I included Quinn since he looked like an awful fit for this team. 

While I was wrong about the Sabres getting the best of the Islanders and making a potential Nelson trade more likely (not necessarily to Buffalo), I’ve been right once more about Quinn. And to be frank, I wish he’d prove me wrong.

3 - Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s numbers are misleading, so it’s not the reason he made this list. Given the Sabres overall poor play, I’m amazed he’s still salvaged an 0.893 save percentage and a 3.16 GAA to go with four quality starts, but the time has come for the No. 1 goaltender to step it up even more. 

I know it’s not fair, but the Sabres need their last line of defense to be the game-changer if the rest of the team is going to get lazy. Luukkonen routinely stepped up last season, which led to his solid year, and now, he needs to once again prove he’s up to the challenge.