No team in North American professional sports has suffered more than the Buffalo Sabres over the last decade-and-a-half. Although that's a subjective statement, this one isn't: no team has gone longer without making a playoff appearance than the team that calls Western New York home. Through multiple rebuilds, trading a franchise cornerstone in Jack Eichel and even coming within one win of breaking the drought in 2022-23, the Sabres haven't advanced to the dance since 2011.
And it's going to be difficult for that to change in 2025. Buffalo plays in a gauntlet of an Atlantic Division, with a plethora of great teams in the Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings also got better this offseason, while the Sabres didn't make too many moves to improve the roster. They did brought back longtime head coach Lindy Ruff, though, which should immediately improve the squad's juju.
Still, there are a couple of concerns heading into the 2024-25 campaign, and they mostly involve the forward core.
Can Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens return to form?
Tage Thompson broke onto the scene in 2022-23, putting together one of the best seasons in the history of the franchise. The former No. 26 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft exploded for 47 goals and 47 assists in 78 games, looking like a true NHL superstar. But he fell back to earth last season, chipping in just 29 goals and 56 points over 71 contests. The team's best player will need to return to form if the Sabres hope to come anywhere near a wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference.
It's a similar story with Dylan Cozens, albeit with lower expectations. The Workhorse from Whitehorse was also excellent in 2022-23, amassing 31 goals and 68 games in his second full season in the National. But he also struggled last year, failing to score 20 goals and adding just 47 total points in 79 games.
Both Thompson and Cozens badly need to return to their 2022-23 selves if Buffalo hopes to be competitive. These two drive the bus as the squad's 1C and 2C, and their play will directly correlate to the success of their linemates, including Alex Tuch, JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn.
Speaking of Quinn, his health is also going to be a huge factor next season.
Jack Quinn needs to stay healthy
Quinn was selected No. 8 overall by the Sabres in the 2020 NHL Draft, and that was looking like a swell pick after he chipped in 37 points in his rookie season. But the 22-year-old suffered an Achilles injury that cost him 55 games last year. When he returned, he was exceptional, looking no worse for wear after the long layoff.
The Canadian managed a very impressive nine goals and 19 points in just 27 games after returning from the ailment, and he should be a fixture in the top-six in 2024-25. The Sabres badly need not only this player to stay healthy, but him to continue on an upwards trajectory. He's a big part of the future, and his health should be paramount to Buffalo's success going forward.
Buffalo needs production from unproven bottom-6
While it's obviously crucially important that Buffalo's top-six gets back to what made it successful in 2022-23, it's also key that the bottom-six starts to produce. General manager Kevyn Adams traded away a top prospect in Matthew Savoie to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Ryan McLeod, and transformed the fourth line with the additions of Sam Lafferty, Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Beck Malenstyn.
That fourth line should be faster and bigger than years past, with Aube-Kubel and Malenstyn having some familiarity after playing on the same line with the Washington Capitals. And McLeod should step right into the 3C role as a seasoned player with postseason experience. But the youngster that most Sabres fans will be keeping an eye on is Zach Benson.
After hearing his name called at No. 13 in the 2023 draft, Benson wasted no time making an impact at the NHL level after ripping up the Western Hockey League as a member of the Winnipeg Ice in 2022-23. Benson was one of the bright spots in a difficult Sabres campaign, managing 11 goals and 30 points as an 18-year-old.
Now with a year of professional hockey under his belt, Benson should be even better, and he's currently pegged to play with McLeod and Jordan Greenway on the third line by Daily Faceoff. But if he starts the season strong, he could be an option to earn a larger role, and knock a player like Jason Zucker or Quinn off the second line if the duo starts slowly.
Defense, goaltending could be difference for Sabres
While there are concerns throughout the forward core — mainly players who need to bounce back — the defensive unit looks ready to take the next step, with a couple of No. 1 overall picks in Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power leading the charge. Along with standout offensive D-man Bowen Byram, who came over in a shock trade that sent Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche, along with defensive stalwart Mattias Samuelsson (he needs to stay healthy), the unit is looking deeper than it has in years.
And between the pipes, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is fresh off an above-average campaign, sporting a solid 2.57 goals-against average and .910 save percentage over 54 starts — 27 of them wins. The 25-year-old is unquestionably the starter heading into opening night after earning a lucrative new deal, and he seems to get better and better every time he steps into the crease.
If the Sabres can get off to a hot start, there's no reason why they can't challenge for a playoff spot in 2025, despite the difficulty of the division. But for that to happen, a lot of things need to go right, and that starts with Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens. This is still a relatively young and exciting core, and 2024-25 is a crucial year in Western New York as the franchise looks to finally right the ship and get back to the dance come April.
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