The Buffalo Sabres have been hit hard with injuries to kick off what's looking like another seemingly long regular season. Jordan Greenway, Michael Kesselring, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Josh Norris remain on injured reserve, while Zach Benson has also been banged up.
That's five key contributors who haven't been playing, but here's the catch: None of the above are expected impact players, even if Norris, somehow, landed on a Top 100 list. It might be one thing if Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin were missing time, but the two cornerstones have played in every game so far.
Still, even if they were out for an extended time with injuries, they really have no excuse from that corner, either. Why is that? Just look at the Florida Panthers, the Sabres' Atlantic Division rival that's missing Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov, their two best players.
Through four games, the Panthers are 3-1-0, with six points total. And it shows a clear contrast between what's going on in Sunrise over what's been happening in Buffalo.
The Sabres are in this position because of the front office
It's becoming clearer that Kevyn Adams is one of the most inept general managers in hockey. His inability to build a deep lineup with players who can step up and keep things moving smoothly when injuries strike, even with non-impact players, drives that point home.
That's why the Sabres aren't winning and the Panthers can still play like defending Stanley Cup Champions even with their two best players shelved. While teams may need to change their respective strategies based on who's available in the lineup, injuries shouldn't put so much strain on a good hockey team.
Had Adams done a better job in adding more quality players to fit his lower lines and bottom pairing at defenseman, then the Sabres may not be in this predicament. Or, even if they were still winless, maybe they would be playing more competitive hockey instead of losing by multiple goals every time they take the ice.
Right now, Adams can only point the finger at himself for this mess. And trading away or letting talent walk hasn't helped this team. Especially when Adams never found adequate replacements for the likes of JJ Peterka (traded in the summer of 2025) or Jeff Skinner (bought out in 2024).
A ray of hope for Sabres fans
Professional sports is an unforgiving landscape, so this ineptitude can only last for so long. Should the Sabres front office and coaching staff be on a short leash, then a bad start could be the best thing to happen this season.
Adams is in his sixth year running this team, and he never put up a roster capable of making the playoffs. And when you account that the Blue and Gold had a near-miss in 2022-23 and have only regressed since, then he'll deserve to be gone if handed the pink slip soon.
It will be interesting to see how much time ownership gives the current regime to fix this mess. But if the Sabres continue on their current trajectory, expect swift changes.