Over the past 14 years, the Sabres have tried just about everything to get relevant again. They’ve tanked, hired, and fired several coaches and general managers, held multiple No. 1 overall picks, and tried building teams both through the system and from the outside, yet nothing has clicked.
So, the question is, why is this team still, going into 2025-26, unbelievably bad? So bad, that they haven’t won a playoff series in forever. They even brought back their old head coach, Lindy Ruff, and somehow managed to get worse. I mean, this is no way to improve an organization.
What’s developed in Buffalo since the 2011-12 season and has continued through 2024-25 is the ‘loser’s mentality,’ and nobody’s been able to break it. Why is that? It’s contagious. It’s like a pathogen. When a group of players gets so used to losing, it’s expected. And when that group resides in the majority, it rubs off on newcomers, and even the coach isn’t immune.
What the Sabres need to start doing right now
Clearly, bringing in a general manager who’s won a Stanley Cup as a player hasn’t worked. Nor has bringing in a coach with a track record like Lindy Ruff. It’s because they’ve both been stuck in the minority of an organization that’s done nothing but lose over the past decade and a half.
And it’s something you see in so many sports leagues, whether it’s the Pittsburgh Pirates in the MLB, the New York Jets in the NFL, or the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA. Sure, each of the teams mentioned have had their moments, and so have the Sabres. To a degree, anyway.
But there’s a common denominator between all four franchises: the issue has lingered. So, what do you do? Honestly, I’d overhaul the entire franchise, but not in a way that screams rebuild, because we already know that doesn’t work.
But I want you to look at two teams: the St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames. Two teams in the Western Conference that steadily got rid of some key veterans, elevated younger players, and made smart acquisitions. Within two years, the Blues were back in the playoffs. And while everyone thought the Flames were slowly heading for a rebuild, they showed us otherwise.
Sabres won’t improve until a new regime steps in and slowly moves around pieces
Yes, before you ask, it means trading the likes of Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson, just not immediately. Again, this isn’t a fire sale. But if Adams and Ruff are sticking around for 2025-26, this wouldn’t start until 2026-27. Get rid of them both unless Adams moves to a new position now, then start with a new executive and coach, and start to slowly but surely change the culture.
Get rid of those veterans who never took you to the playoffs and barely even took you anywhere near the postseason. Move them elsewhere and make sure you get something for them. It doesn’t have to happen all in one offseason. As you’re doing that, restock the prospects pool, and bring in new faces.
Fortunately for the Sabres, they got some outstanding prospects in the system, like Devon Levi and Konsta Helenius. Add in some cast-offs from there for a while, and wait for these prospects to fully develop. Then, slowly implement them in. That’s how you change the culture, and right now, it’s what the Sabres need more than anything else.