Now that the Buffalo Sabres 2024/2025 season is over, I thought I would take a look back and recap the season in three categories; the good, the bad and the ugly. From personal player achievements to the team as a whole, here is a breakdown.
The Good
Let's start off on a positive note. Players like Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch had fantastic years statistically. Tage scored 44 goals which Tuch registered 36. In addition, Jack Quinn finished the season strong with 15 goals and 24 assists.
Transitioning into the team as a whole, after Tage Thompson took a nasty hit back in February that got the Sabres a ton of criticism for their lack of response, it seemed like it was a wake-up call for them as they were more physical for the remainder of the season. Hopefully it remains to be a habit going into next season.
Lastly, it was good to see Jason Zucker have a solid year with Buffalo. I was not a fan of the signing at first but looking back on it, I was happy to be proven wrong.
The Bad
Okay, let's get into what I feel like is the majority of the article unfortunately. Up first, the inconsistency was a huge problem. Buffalo would go on a little winning streak then would lose multiple games in a row. It was a glaring issue all season. Speaking of glaring issues all season long, the Sabres power play. Woof.
For the second straight season, the Sabres power play was absolutely brutal to watch. It really is mind boggling with all the talent they have and it's still a liability. I think the issue that bothers me the most is the zone entries and the lack of shooting as they were overpassing for the most part.
Another bad topic is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. After a strong season in 2023/2024, UPL took a step back this season. Whether he was part of the problem or not, it just wasn't the same goaltender we saw where his play earned him a contract extension.
Regarding Kevyn Adams, the Josh Norris trade was a disappointment. Yes, it is still very early to make a determination but Norris only played three games before an injury in which he suffered and Adams knew about before trading for him sidelined Josh for the rest of the season. That was just another questionable move made by Adams.
Sticking with Adams, the lack of meaningful moves in the offseason is a huge reason why the Sabres missed the playoffs for the 14th straight season in my opinion. Especially in terms of the blue line when a guy like Mattias Samuelsson unfortunately gets hurt again or as the entire defensive core struggles as a whole, the general manager's lack of urgency was a factor.
The Ugly
This is the main reason why the Sabres missed the postseason, the 13-game losing streak. Back in late November, Buffalo swept the California road trip and were sitting in a playoff spot at 11-9-1. Then just when you thought ending the playoff drought was a possibility, the Sabres went on to lose 13 games IN A ROW.
Not just that, in some of those games they blew multi goal leads including losing a game to the Colorado Avalanche on home ice despite Buffalo being up 4-0. I genuinely do believe it derailed their season and I'm sure the majority of Sabres fans agree.