The Buffalo Sabres have a lot of young talent that has already made an impact at the NHL level. The Sabres missed the playoffs once again in 2023-24 despite a lot of hype around them in the preseason. With Lindy Ruff back in town as head coach, Buffalo hopes the veteran bench boss can get this young roster to the next level.
Buffalo's youth is not being understated, either. They have just two players over the age of 30 on their roster at this time. Additionally, they only have two other players that are older than 28. This is a very young team that lacks a bit of experience in pressure situations.
The Sabres are going to be led by young stars such as Owen Power, Bowen Byram, and Rasmus Dahlin. However, Buffalo is going to need some of their other young talent to step up. Here are two potential Sabres breakout candidates to be on the lookout for as the 2024-25 season continues to draw near.
Sabres could see major improvement from Zach Benson
Zach Benson was a top prospect at the 2023 NHL Draft last summer. Had the class lacked a bit more depth, he would have gone within the top 10. Instead, he fell to the 13th overall selection, where the Sabres snapped him up.
That pick paid immediate dividends for Buffalo. He shockingly made the Sabres out of training camp. And they decided against sending Benson back to junior hockey midway through the season. He played 71 games as an 18-year-old, scoring 11 goals and 30 points.
Benson had some very impressive analytics, as well. The former Winnipeg ICE star underperformed his Expected Goals For Percentage, but finished fifth among Sabres forwards in the expected category, according to Evolving Hockey. Additionally, his Expected Goals For Per 60 Minutes (3.08) was well north of his official Goals For Per 60 (2.68).
The Sabres are likely to give Benson another shot in the NHL this upcoming season. The Chilliwack, British Columbia native won't turn 20 until May 2025, either. There is a lot of time for him to develop on the ice, and 2024-25 could see a lot of growth in Benson's game.
Jack Quinn is poised to breakout
The Sabres lost Jack Quinn to injury before the 2023-24 season even began. Quinn suffered a torn Achilles tendon, costing him the first two months of the season. He then suffered an injury ahead of the 2024 NHL All-Star break, costing him another two months.
The young Sabres forward played just 27 games in 2023-24 due to these injuries. However, he showed a lot of promise during that time. He scored nine goals and 19 points for the Sabres this past season. If we pull this out to the 75 games he played in his rookie season, this works out to a 24-goal, 52-point pace.
Quinn finished fourth ahead of Benson in Expected Goals For Percentage (52.26), according to Evolving Hockey. Additionally, he ranked fourth in Expected Goals For Per 60 (3.67). Only Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch had a higher Expected Goals For Per 60.
The Sabres bought out Skinner's contract ahead of NHL Free Agency this year. As a result, Quinn could play a large role in this offense. Especially if he can remain healthy this year after brutal luck with injuries the year before.
Buffalo wants to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs sooner rather than later. Quinn could certainly play an important role in helping them back the postseason. It'll certainly be interesting to see how Buffalo and Quinn perform in 2024-25.
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