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The Buffalo Sabres have missed the playoffs in 13 consecutive seasons entering 2024-25. They have a young roster full of potential looking to finally make the postseason. With new captain Rasmus Dahlin on defense, Tage Thompson up front, and Lindy Ruff behind the bench, the Sabres are set up for a solid regular season.
We'll be looking at the projected roster for the Sabres this year. The one big loss is Jeff Skinner, who was bought out and signed with the Edmonton Oilers. When Skinner was healthy and producing, he was a 30-goal player for Buffalo. The problem was that he was rarely that guy. This will be the first Sabres roster since 2017-18 without the forward on it.
Lindy Ruff has returned to Buffalo for his second stint as the Sabres' head coach. In 1999, he led the franchise to one of their two Stanley Cup Final appearances. Ruff last coached the Sabres in 2014 and just came off a failed stint with the Devils. If Ruff can turn back the clock and get the Sabres into the playoffs, he will be even more of a legend than he already is.
The team is anchored in goal by Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The former top prospects should be splitting the NHL net for the Sabres in 2024-25. Levi spent time in the American Hockey League last year but should make the team out of camp. If one of these goalies does not make the team, James Reimer will be the backup.
Sabres projections at forward and defense
In front of Luukkonen and Levi a group with two former number-one overall picks. Dahlin and Owen Power are both locked in long-term and should stabilize the blue line for the foreseeable future. While they did miss the playoffs again, the Sabres allowed the 11th fewest goals in the league last year. They lead the team through goaltending injuries and poor performance to scrape together a solid season.
Mattias Samuelsson is another player locked up long-term. His seven-year deal worth $4.285 million per season starts the second pair on a great note. The Sabres traded center Casey Middlestadt to the Avalanche for Bowen Byram last year. The youngster will be a solid option in the middle. Behind him, Henri Jokiharju and Connor Clifton round out the defense.
If the Sabres are going to break the drought, their forwards must improve. They ranked 22nd in goals scored last season and could not take advantage of great defensive play. Tage Thompson is the star of the offense and is coming off 29 goals in 71 games. His injury stifled what could have been another breakout campaign. He will center the top line followed by Dylan Cozens.
In his third full season, Cozens took a significant step back in terms of offensive production. The Sabres must get 30-goal seasons out of both players as they did in 2022-23. Ryan McLeod and Sam Lafferty are slated to center the final two lines.
Hometown star Alex Tuch will stay on the wing with Thompson to start this season. They could be joined by JJ Peterka in his third full season. The 23-year-old German scored a career-high 28 goals last season. Zach Benson and Jack Quinn must step up as young prospects in the top six.
Division odds and playoff chances
Part of the reason for the Sabres' playoff drought is the division they play in. The Atlantic Division houses the last five Conference Final winners in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins are playoff stalwarts and the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings want to take a step up as well.
Each of those six teams has better odds to win the Atlantic Division than the Sabres. On FanDuel, Buffalo is +1600 to grab the division crown. They are +154 to make the playoffs and have an over/under number of 87.5. If they clinch that number, that will be more points than last year.
Their path to the playoffs goes through the Wild Card, as the three Atlantic Division spots are largely spoken for. With the Islanders, Capitals, and Penguins also vying for the final spot in the Eastern Conference, the Sabres must have a phenomenal season to make the dance.
