The Buffalo Sabres have the longest playoff drought in the NHL, so everyone assumes they've been rebuilding longer than anyone else. But if you ask Daily Face-Off's Paul Pidutti, you'll get a different answer on who really has the longest rebuild in hockey.
At Daily Face-Off, Pidutti said, "A rebuild starts when a team: Has at least two bottom-10 finishes, including a bottom-8 finish, in a three-year period." Pidutti went on to say that, "A rebuild ends when a team: Makes the playoffs in consecutive years or wins the Stanley Cup in its return to the postseason."
Per Pidutti, this means the Sabres rebuild started in 2013, not following their last playoff appearance in 2011. And since the New Jersey Devils didn't fit Pidutti's criteria because they never made the playoffs in back-to-back years, they have the longest current rebuild in hockey.
Shocking, right? Ask most hockey fans which team's got the longest rebuild, and most will point to the Sabres. But, as Pidutti pointed out, depending on how one defines a rebuild, and it's subjective, let's be real, you may get a different answer.
Pidutti's definition of a rebuild is the correct one even if some fans will disagree
I'm with Pidutti all the way on this one, even if the Devils will most likely end that rebuild in 2025-26 since they figure to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Making the playoffs inconsistently doesn't mean your team's relevant - especially if you can't consistently play at a playoff level.
Yeah, if you win the Stanley Cup, that's a topic for another discussion entirely. There's no bigger reward in hockey than lifting Lord Stanley's Cup, and even if a team falls back into the doldrums a year later, their names are still etched in NHL lore. A completely different scenario.
So, I don't know about you, but I'm taking Pidutti's definition here of what a rebuild is and running with it. Even if it means the Sabres will hold the dishonor this time next year, or as early as April 2026.
The Sabres probably won't avoid the dishonor even if they somehow make the playoffs
Considering how poorly Kevyn Adams has done as the lead man in the City of Good Neighbors since that near-miss in 2023, the Blue and Gold have been regressing and will probably disappoint the fans again. But hey, at least they're expecting it, right?
Anyway, the Sabres could pull off a miracle run and sneak into the postseason as a wild card. But it still doesn't take away from the fact that the Devils are just too good of a team to miss the postseason unless injuries hit them again.
So, while the Sabres aren't holding the dishonor yet, it won't be long until they are. But still, it was interesting to see someone else's take on the matter show that no, maybe the Sabres don't currently own the league's longest active rebuild.
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