What’s better than 24… 25. The past calendar year saw the Sabres extend their playoff drought, and now a 13-game losing streak that put the Sabres from third in the Atlantic to staring at 2% for the final wild card in the East.
Every team will go over their yearly goals and make new ones as the clock strikes midnight to enter a new calendar year. It’s safe to say the Sabres have some soul searching even after breaking one of the longest winless streaks in franchise history.
Kevyn Adams needs a blockbuster move
The biggest flaw with the Sabres over the past 13 seasons has been the front office. Kevyn Adams, leading the group, again shows that same issue. Adams has done some great things for the Sabres. He repaired the broken farm system in Buffalo and has built a strong pool of prospects to build on.
It’s hard not to avoid imaging if Adams could keep Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart from going along with Tage Thompson and make that your core where that group would have taken this team and city. Kevyn Adams has one of the hardest jobs in the NHL making Buffalo a place for great hockey players to come and play for the Sabres, and that is hurting him in his own as he has the keys to a sinking ship that is on full display for 31 other teams to watch.
Kevyn Adams needs a blockbuster move to keep his job as the Sabres GM. The interest is high for Dylan Cozens, and in some reports, Detroit might be the highest interest in Cozens and can be the perfect trade partner with Sabres, as the Red Wings roster is young and is open for trades without NTC. A blockbuster trade could include Larkin, but mostly a pipe dream. The most likely trade could include Rasmussen or Seider.
Learn to win
Entering tonight’s game against the Dallas Stars, the Sabres longest win streak this season has been three games. This group knows how to string wins together, but after a short win streak, they go back to a slump.
This group Ruff has in front of him can make a run and go from last to playoffs in the final few months left in a long NHL season. It starts in the locker room. If the Sabres believe they can make a run and play 60 minutes of hockey and stick with it, wins will start piling up for the youngest team in the NHL.
Defense wins championships
Here, the Sabres are not trying to win a championship. This phrase will stem from winning games and making a playoff push. Structure and discipline defense will win games for the Sabres and generate offensively for the Sabres.
The perfect example is against Chicago pushing all the shots to the outside and not losing battles to allow high danger shots and making the goalies life easier. Sold defense and winning puck battles will open the Sabres transition game, which, when able, the Sabres have some of the best players with speed to play in transition.
Buffalo is currently allowing the 5th most goals per game and sit 15th in the NHL in high danger shot allowed. Buffalo needs to lock down defensively to make a run in 2025 calendar year.