One outlet has panned the Buffalo Sabres offseason, and if you're a fan, you're probably going to agree with that assessment. The Hockey News put out their "Summer Splash Rankings," and guess who ranked 32nd?
I don't think I need to tell you who, or else I wouldn't be writing this article. But I will say this: Never, since the Sabres nearly exorcised their playoff demons in 2023, did I think it would get this bad. And unless I'm mistaken, I'm sure you're echoing my sentiments.
In 2023-24, the Sabres went from pretty good to below average. And last season? They went from bad to worse. So, now you just went from worse to, what, exactly? Can anyone give me an adjective to describe what the 2025-26 team might look like?
Decadent? That's a term I throw around a lot lately. Yeah, that sounds about right. Anyway, you probably want some specifics. What made The Hockey News shove the Sabres into the lowest rung on the ladder?
The Buffalo Sabres probably deserved a No. 32 ranking
Adam Proteau summed it up with, "The Sabres’ off-season moves are extremely underwhelming. They lost a dynamic point-producer in Peterka and ostensibly used his cap space to re-sign young defenseman Bowen Byram.
"But while Buffalo’s defense corps now has solid depth, its overall offense has taken a hit, and that’s not good news in the highly competitive Atlantic Division. They scored the 10th-most goals-for this past season, and Peterka was their second-top scorer, with 68 points."
Yeah, that's a beacon of bad news if you ask me. And while the Sabres at least found a way to hang onto Bowen Byram (for now, at least), Kevyn Adams better hope either Zach Benson or Jiri Kulich enjoy breakout campaigns. Preferably, both.
But is it gonna happen? For as optimistic as I wanna be sometimes, the law of probability is saying probably not.
Dylan Cozens flamed out after one good season and is now in Ottawa. Jack Quinn looked like a player on the rise, then flopped. Jeff Skinner put up 35 goals in 2022-23, and he's been barely relevant since, now bouncing around the league as his career enters its twilight years.
Probably deserved? Oh no, they deserved it, no doubt
Want some good news before I leave you to think about it for yourself? At least these rankings only factor into how a team looks like on paper.
We can't rule out the 'what-ifs' here. What if Josh Doan can be a better version of JJ Peterka, or what if Kulich and Benson come in hot and score 25-plus goals? Maybe Michael Kesselring's the antidote to the Sabres inconsistencies at the blue line?
Ultimately, we won't know how good (or bad) the Sabres will be until we see them playing alongside one another. There have been plenty of teams in the past who didn't look like they did anything to get better in the offseason, or even remotely contend for the playoffs. Then they shared the ice and looked good.
So, maybe that'll be the case here. We'll find out in a few months.
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