The Buffalo Sabres find themselves heading into the summer with far more questions than answers after yet another lost season.
The Sabres missed the playoffs, at least managing to escape the Atlantic Division cellar. Granted, the Sabres played well down the stretch. Once the trade deadline passed, it seemed like a great deal of pressure was taken off the team’s shoulders.
But that situation also means that this offseason, the team will need to figure out a way to get back into playoff contention.
With that in mind, here are three brutal truths the Buffalo Sabres will need to embrace as they embark on their offseason plan.
The Sabres play in arguably the toughest division in the NHL
The Atlantic Division is stacked with powerhouse teams. The top three seeds in the division this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers are teams loaded with talent.
Then, the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens qualified for the playoffs, showing how their rosters are also loaded with talented players.
That leaves the Sabres, along with the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings, on the outside looking in. But when looking at the Red Wings and Bruins, they’re not pushovers. As such, the Sabres must compete in the toughest division in the NHL.
That truth is hard to sink in as it could mean a demoralizing situation for fans. But it’s also an encouraging situation as it shows that it’s possible to compete even in the NHL’s hardest group.
The Sabres are no longer a rebuilding team
The word “rebuild” has been an ongoing term for the last decade or so. The fact of the matter is that the Sabres are not a rebuilding team. The term can be used for a team that’s come off a successful playoff run but whose core is past its prime.
Unfortunately, the Sabres haven’t even been to the playoffs in nearly a decade and a half. As a result, the “rebuilding” tag no longer applies. The Sabres are a team with a core that’s maturing before their eyes. Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen make up the core of that core, meaning that the pieces around this core must complement the existing talent.
There’s another element to the “rebuild.” The Sabres’ prospect pipeline has already yielded several players who’ve made the NHL. These players have been successful to a certain extent. With plenty more on the way, the time for the Sabres to stockpile draft picks and prospects is over.
It’s time to complement the current roster with serviceable veteran players who can help the young core get over the hump and become a playoff contender.
The team lacks a bona fide superstar
Ever since Jack Eichel left, the Sabres have lacked a bona fide superstar. While that’s not a prerequisite for a successful team, it does help to have the sort of player that can break open a game singlehandedly.
The best teams have two or three. The Edmonton Oilers have Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The Toronto Maple Leafs have Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The Colorado Avalanche have Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. While there is potential for the Sabres to transform Dahlin and Thompson into a superstar duo, they will need a little more time to prove themselves.
Now, I’m not bringing this up as justification for the Sabres to splurge on a big-ticket free agent. While landing a big fish would be fantastic, lacking one means the team needs to rally around a common cause.
If the Sabres consistently play as a cohesive unit, the team’s fortunes could change for the better.