It just keeps “getting better and better” ‘for the Buffalo Sabres, and at this point, it’s fair to ask whether they’ll win another game this calendar year. You can point the finger at so many people, but let’s not forget about a few players who have made little of their opportunities this season.
Three names jump out, two of which haven’t even played in many games for the Blue and Gold. But they have yet to make any use of their allotted ice time. One extreme case may have found himself a one-way ticket to Rochester for the rest of the season, but his situation, too, was worth breaking down, given his pedestrian play this year.
Jack Quinn
One year ago, I was ready to go all-in with Jack Quinn, even if he eventually played in just 27 contests. This season, I’m openly asking myself why Kevyn Adams hasn’t made him someone else’s problem yet.
Quinn has just five points and one goal in 24 appearances, a minus-11 rating, and 21 giveaways. His shooting percentage is one of the worst on the team at just 2.3, so all of the above meager numbers make me ask why this guy still even has 14:49 of average total ice time.
It’s hilarious to think that just two years ago, I thought Quinn was ‘the guy’ while JJ Peterka, who played in his first full season alongside Quinn, was the odd man out of the so-called Kid Line. Yeah, two seasons later, the narrative has shifted, and if Quinn doesn’t get it together fast, get him out of here and put someone else in his spot.
Henri Jokiharju
Henri Jokiharju is another player I had high hopes for, but he completely missed the mark and has basically been an afterthought. With just three points and a goal in 22 games, Jokiharju is barely worth a passing glance these days, after putting up a personal-best 20 points and three goals last season, with a plus-14 rating.
While a lack of productivity isn’t the deal-breaker for Jokiharju, as he’s barely been a points-producer, it’s his overall drop in effective play in terms of creating opportunities. At even strength, the Sabres are scoring just 8.3 percent of the time when he’s on the ice, compared to 9.8 percent last season and 9.6 percent in 2022-23.
This is all coming off of what is currently a Corsi For percentage of 51.3, so it’s not like the Sabres aren’t setting themselves up for success when he’s out there. If there is an upside, he’s still been rather physical, he’s blocking shots, and Jokiharju has a 93.2 on-ice save percentage, so his play hasn’t been totally uninspiring.
Devon Levi
It’s crazy how quickly things can change in the NHL, and it wasn’t long before the Sabres admitted their mistake of waiving James Reimer and losing him to the Anaheim Ducks before keeping Devon Levi in Buffalo. Since then, Levi’s poor play forced the Blue and Gold to reassign him to the Rochester Americans and re-acquire Reimer.
Now, the universe is right with Levi staying in Rochester unless something unforeseen, like an injury, occurs. And, it takes pressure off of incumbent goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who Reimer isn’t beating out any time soon.
Much like last season, things haven’t been so hot early for Levi, who has a 2-5-0 record, a 0.333 quality starts percentage, a 3.95 GAA, and a meager 0.870 save percentage. So yeah, it should go without saying that Rochester hsa got to be his ultimate destination this season.