There is no way around it for the Buffalo Sabres this season. They are in a free fall, and it is unclear just how far they will fall. They currently have the second-lowest point total in the NHL, and midway through November, are still searching for their first road win.
In the 32 Thoughts Podcast on Friday, Elliotte Friedman talked about the mood around the Buffalo Sabres and described the feeling as 'heavy'. "The games feel really heavy in Toronto, and they feel really heavy with Nashville, and they feel really heavy for Buffalo."
What does this mean for the Buffalo Sabres?
Friedman clearly didn't want to come out and say it here, but the point he was trying to get across without actually saying it is that these games are carrying more weight than wins and losses. It feels like the Sabres need to show improvement or could be facing significant changes.
The challenge is that it is unclear what those changes might be and honestly, if it would even make much of a difference. It starts with Kevyn Adams and could go one of two directions.
The first might be out of Adams' control, and that could be the Sabres willing to go in another direction at the general manager position. Over the summer, the Sabres brought in Jarmo Kekalainen as a senior advisor as a sort of backup plan and in-house option if the season ended up the way it has.
However, if the Sabres don't make a change at general manager, and they have clearly been reluctant to do so, they may look to make a move to shake up the roster. Kevyn Adams was reportedly in Toronto watching the game against the Los Angeles Kings, and there may have been a conversation with the Maple Leafs, another team struggling, to find a deal that might help both sides.
There is no question that Friedman's description of the feeling around the Sabres game is correct as from the front office to the players right down to the fans, can feel the magnitude of these games. It is still early in the season to turn it around, and perhaps players returning from injury can help with that, but that is probably just hopeful thinking, and major moves will need to be made before then.