The Sabres have been on a spiral as of late and are sliding faster than they wish. Many questions continue to surround the organization. One question and key as to what the Sabres might be looking at is how best to use left winger, Jason Zucker.
The Sabres have lost seven games in a row. In their seventh straight loss against the Red Wings Zucker had had three points in a losing effort. His offensive output may ultimately help Buffalo stop the slide.
“We need to look in the mirror and go get after it. We’ve got to have a little bit more urgency, and we’ve got to attack these games and end this right now," the left winger told reporters after the game.
Currently, Zucker is third in points on the team behind Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. He has an assist in the last four games. He has more than two points in game three times this season.
Zucker was signed as a free agent during the offseason
He has a positive plus-minus ice time with a plus-4 thus far on the year. He had the lone goal in a 1-0 shutout win against the Los Angeles Kings. He scored twice in the Sabres three-win California swing.
“Every game, you’re learning something, right?” Zucker said after the game-winning goal. Buffalo needs this type of performance from Zucker and the rest of team to stop the slide.
Zucker also has something the young Sabres currently don't, which is playing a lot of meaningful hockey in the months of March and April.
The veteran has over 50 games of playoff experience, playing for Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Nashville. He has nine goals and nine assists during his playoff career.
He also has tallied over 100 hits during his time in the postseason. Physicality in crunch time is something that Buffalo has been lacking during the early parts of this season.
In 2018, he was named as a finalist for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The Sabres are extremely young, and they need more veterans to step and lead them out of the current funk they are in. Zucker and Tuch are two such veterans.
Zucker can be one of those veterans if he is given the chance. Buffalo has a young core but if they don't win soon that young core will become trade assets for the Sabres to rebuild yet again.