The Buffalo Sabres can't afford to have any regression candidates in the 2024-25 season, considering they hold the longest playoff drought in North American sports. The Sabres and New York Jets have missed the playoffs for 12 straight seasons and now hold the record after the Seattle Mariners and Sacramento Kings recently broke their dry spell. They came close in 2022-23 with a 42-33-7 record but struggled early last season and couldn't recover.
The Sabres had a 39-37-6 record in 2023-24, failing to get above .500 until the end of the season. However, Buffalo was only eight points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It'll take an improvement on that record to make the postseason in 2024-25, but the Sabres believe they can sneak into a wild-card spot and break the drought. It hasn't been easy for the Sabres, as they play in the most competitive division in the NHL.
The Atlantic Division owners have been the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs for over half a decade. The Florida Panthers have now arrived to add to that logjam at the top of the division, which leaves the Sabres fighting for the last wild-card spot in the conference.
The Sabres and Detroit Red Wings will likely battle for the final playoff spot. Both teams are in the same position: a young core trying to get out of the shadow of the rest of the division and become Stanley Cup contenders. They must do it soon, as teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators could quickly make life much harder for them. The postseason journey begins with these players avoiding regression.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had best season of career
The Sabres signed Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to a five-year, $23.75 million deal in the offseason. They trusted his 2023-24 season, where he posted career highs in wins and goals-against average. He had a 27-22 record, with a 2.57 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. It was an intriguing move to lock in Luukkonen at such a high price. Most believed that Luukkonen was filling the void until Devon Levi was ready to take the starting role. However, this could signal they aren't as confident in Levi.
The Sabres have disappointed the last two seasons, but Luukkonen was a bright spot. It's easy to see how he could be the starting goaltender when they finally make the postseason, but he hasn't shown sustained success in his career. Luukkonen looked good in nine games with the Sabres in 2021-22, owning a 2.74 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage despite losing five of nine games. There were high hopes that he could be the answer to the Sabres' goaltending issues.
Luukkonen struggled the following season, posting a 3.61 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage in 33 games. He lost the starting job he earned the season before and also suffered some injury issues. The Sabres must have seen something last season that tells them it won't happen again, but some fans likely have concerns. The Sabres have been flirting with a playoff spot for the past two seasons, and if Luukkonen proves that he isn't the answer in the net this season, things could get ugly in Buffalo.
Is Jason Zucker the answer for Sabres?
The Sabres had some cap space to make a move after Jeff Skinner's buyout this offseason. It made sense for them to use that buyout if they were planning on making a massive upgrade to their offense. However, the trade deadline passed and the only move they made was signing Jason Zucker and acquiring Ryan McLeod from the Edmonton Oilers.
The Arizona Coyotes thought Zucker would help them last season, but he had just 25 points in 51 games. They could trade him to the Nashville Predators at the deadline, which was a tidy piece of business considering his production. However, he had a disappointing seven points in 18 games for the Preds. Zucker showed his playoff player potential with three points in six games in the playoffs, but he didn't move the needle enough to get them past the first round.
So, why do the Sabres believe Zucker would be the only help they need? It's almost certain that the Sabres made the Skinner move with another move in mind, but obviously, it didn't work out. The situation is unfortunate for Zucker because he will get the brunt of Sabres fans' frustrations if it's another losing season.
The problem is it's hard to see Zucker improving on last season's numbers, and he could be a massive downgrade from Skinner in Buffalo's top six. Buffalo better hope that Zucker or McLeod have an above-average season. If not, another year will be added to their playoff drought.
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