The Buffalo Sabres have missed the playoffs nine times in a row and, in many of those years, it was pretty clear early on in the season that there would be no postseason plans that needed to be made.
Buffalo’s last winning season came in 2011-12. The hope is that there will be more hockey to be played even after the regular season comes to an end.
Buffalo has had at least one top-10 selection in each of the last six drafts and many of those high picks figure to play key roles during the upcoming season. That includes defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power as well as forwards Jack Quinn, Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittlestadt.
At some point, all those prime draft picks figure to pay off and perhaps this will be that season.
The NHL playoffs odds are still not calling for a playoff appearance for the Sabres, but that will change sooner rather than later.
The players acquired in the Jack Eichel trade, including forward Payton Krebs, could also have key roles.
Let’s check the latest NHL picks, stats, injury reports, and NHL predictions. We’ve plenty of NHL expert picks for you to consider.
Buffalo Sabres Odds
- To win Stanley Cup +10000
- To win Eastern Conference +8000
- To win Atlantic Division +6600
- To make playoffs Yes +550 / No -900
Player to Watch
Former No. 1 overall pick Dahlin certainly looks the part, as the 6-foot-3 lefty-shooting defenseman seemed destined for stardom. He is coming off a season of career highs with 13 goals and 53 points. He figures to be putting up more seasons with double-digit goals, and the assists could also improve as the young teammates around Dahlin make the move from project to productive player.
The next step for him would be to have more time on the penalty kill. Eight other Buffalo defensemen had more than Dahlin’s 55 seconds of time on the penalty kill.
Dahlin led the Sabres in power play time on ice and he will continue to be a key piece when Buffalo has the man advantage.
His nine primary assists on the power play was the most on the Buffalo squad.
- Player to Watch: D Rasmus Dahlin
Breakout Player
Owen Power, another former No. 1 overall pick, is being asked to do plenty of heavy lifting.
After finishing up at the University of Michigan, Power had two goals and one assist in eight games for Buffalo. His most impressive statistics might have been his +3 defensive rating.
Power was thrown right into the fire as his 2:32 time on ice with the Sabres shorthanded was the most on the team. He also saw 58 seconds of time on the power play.
Don’t be surprised if both of those times increased.
The 6-foot-6 Power was on the ice for more than 22 minutes. One area that could use some improvement is Power’s physicality, as he was credited with just one hit a season ago.
- Breakout Player: D Owen Power
Sabres Outlook
Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner each topped 30 goals last season. Victor Oloffson and Kyle Okposo might have approached that plateau had they not missed a combined total of 18 games.
More will be expected from Dylan Cozens, Casey Mittlestadt and Peyton Krebs.
Buffalo should be able to score goals but can the Sabres keep them out of their own net?
Dylan Cozens making it look TOO EASY. 😮💨#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/h5AxmLFm0B
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 4, 2022
Veteran goalie Craig Anderson is back for a second season with the Sabres. He is looking to improve on his.897 save percentage and 3.12 goals-against average.
Don’t forget about 23-year-old goalie Ukko Pekka-Luokkonen, who appeared in 13 games over the last season. He has two wins during the preseason.
Veteran forward Riley Sheahan was probably the biggest of the offseason acquisitions. Buffalo resisted the temptation to become busy in the free-agent market as the focus is on building the team from within. Eight of the 10 defensemen on the roster are 25 or younger, so the success on the back end will be about the patience of the Buffalo brain trust with the young players either drafted or acquired through a trade.
