It’s been talked about ad nauseam at this point, but the 2024-25 season is critical for the Buffalo Sabres. The rebuild is over and the time to make the playoffs is now. Failing to do so, extending the longest playoff drought in North American sports, would be catastrophic for the franchise.
The Sabres have made a few big acquisitions (comparatively speaking) this offseason, but getting back into the playoffs will take more than just internal changes. As it stands, there are a few other things that must happen if the Sabres are going to get over the hump.
Buffalo Sabres Overview
On paper, the Sabres are better than they were a year ago. They certainly have their weaknesses, but a revamped bottom six, the presence of a consistent No. 1 goaltender, and the return to health of key figures should have a sizeable impact.
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Seeing a return to form from players like Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens would certainly go a long way. The former nearly hit the 50-goal, 100-point mark in 2022-23 and became a bona fide superstar in the process. But a hand injury derailed much of his 2023-24 season.
New-ish head coach Lindy Ruff brings with him a pedigree the Sabres haven’t had behind the bench since the last time he was at the helm. That alone could provide the boost needed to get the team back into the playoffs for the first time in a generation.
What Else Needs to Happen?
While changes needed to be made, that isn’t the only factor that needs to be considered. There are a few other things that need to happen if the Sabres are going to make the most of the coming season and finally get back into the playoffs.
Stalled Rebuilds From Red Wings & Senators
Similarly to the Sabres, we’ve heard about rebuild efforts by the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators. Both have done an admirable job of accumulating quality young talent yet neither has managed to get fully over the hump and into the playoffs.
The Senators added Linus Ullmark to a team that already has Claude Giroux, Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, and Jake Sanderson. There is a plethora of talent throughout the lineup, but another slow start to the season could make things a bit warm in the front office.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, return largely the same lineup from a year ago. The team finished with 91 points, just narrowly missing out on the final wild card spot. Cam Talbot comes in to help solidify the goaltending position, and the Wings will be counting on Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, and Lucas Raymond to take the offense to the next level.
The Sabres need both of these teams to struggle. There are only so many playoff spots to go around. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to think that the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders will miss the playoffs, but that’s two spots for three teams (and others) to vie for.
Regression From the Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are interesting. Steven Stamkos is gone but they replaced him with Jake Guentzel. Cap issues have caused them to find cheap labor where possible and they still made the playoffs because their core is so good.
The line of Guentzel, Brayden Point, and Nikita Kucherov will be outstanding, but what is there behind that line? Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy didn’t look quite like himself last season and the defense is full of uncertainty, especially with the departure of Mikhail Sergachev.
The Lightning have the pedigree, experience, and talent to return to the playoffs. But it is also entirely possible that the run is at an end. A decline from the Lightning would go a long way toward the Sabres getting back to the postseason.
Down Years From Other Big Teams
While those are important factors, other teams taking a step back would go a long way toward helping the Sabres win more. The Toronto Maple Leafs made a few moves but largely remained pat. The Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins remain consistent. The New York Rangers should continue to be among the best teams in the league.
The Carolina Hurricanes will be a team to watch. They shouldn’t drop out of playoff contention, but they had to make a lot of tough decisions in the offseason. Will they regress? And if so, how far will they fall? The Sabres might not need everyone to become exponentially worse in order to compete with them.
Anything Is Possible
At the end of the day, anything is possible. That said, variance hasn’t been big in the Eastern Conference. Six teams – Florida, Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, New York (Rangers), and Carolina – have made the playoffs each of the last three years. In two of those seasons, the Islanders or Capitals made it.
There is little wiggle room for someone new to join the fray. At the end of the day, the Sabres are going to have to be a significantly better team than they were a year ago. The pieces are there, now it’s time to put them together.
