The Buffalo Sabres’ playoff drought has reached a frustrating and staggering 13 seasons as of 2024-25, the longest active postseason absence in the NHL. Fans who once believed that the team’s quick rebuild would lead to a rapid return to playoff contention are still waiting for the Sabres to take that final step. Though there are several bright spots on the team, from young stars to an improved coaching staff, their inability to find consistency and put together a full season of strong play has kept them from returning to the postseason since their last appearance in 2011.
So, what needs to happen for the Sabres to break the playoff drought? To answer this, we’ll need to look at several key areas: the development of the team’s young core, improving their overall team defense, upgrading goaltending, fine-tuning special teams, ensuring leadership and chemistry, and ultimately hoping for a little bit of good fortune. Only through a combination of these elements can they finally end their long playoff absence.
Continued Development of Young Talent
One of the most encouraging signs for the Sabres in recent years has been the development of their young players. Headlined by center Tage Thompson, whose breakout season in 2022-23 saw him score 47 goals, the Sabres have an impressive core of emerging stars. J.J. Peterka, Rasmus Dahlin, and Dylan Cozens all bring skill, speed, and high potential to the team.
For the Sabres to end their playoff drought, they need all of these players to reach their full potential. Thompson must continue to produce at an elite level, while Cozens needs to add more consistency and become a reliable secondary scorer. Dahlin’s growth into a Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman will be crucial, and Tuch’s leadership must continue to help elevate the players around him.
Buffalo’s success is tied to how well these players continue to develop. In a competitive Atlantic Division, where teams like the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tampa Bay Lightning are perennial contenders, the Sabres will need their young players to be the backbone of a sustained playoff push.
Moreover, the Sabres have an excellent group of prospects who could be ready to contribute in the near future, including players like Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, and Devon Levi. The development of this next wave of talent will help solidify Buffalo’s long-term success.
Related: Sabres Extend NHL Record Playoff Drought to 13 Seasons
The Sabres’ success hinges on the growth of its young talent, but the team also needs to add a few more impactful pieces. This might come in the form of young rising stars like Zach Benson or Owen Power stepping into larger roles, or through strategic acquisitions of veterans who can help balance the roster and guide the youth forward.
Improved Defensive Play
The Sabres have made strides in improving their defensive corps in recent seasons, but they still rank among the league’s lower-tier teams when it comes to overall team defense. While Dahlin has blossomed into one of the best defensemen in the NHL and Power continues to show everyone why he will be a top-tier defenseman as well, the Sabres’ defensive play remains inconsistent. Mattias Samuelsson can never stay on the ice. Since he signed a seven-year $4.29 million average annual value (AAV) contract with the Sabres just a couple of seasons ago, he has missed 50% of the team’s games due to injuries.
Bowen Byram, who was acquired last season in a trade that sent Casey Mittlestadt to the Colorado Avalanche in a one-for-one deal, had a rough end to last season, but to start this season he has looked more comfortable within the organization. In fact, he is currently in the 89th percentile in the NHL in offense, and in the 31st percentile in defense (as per Evolving Hockey). Getting better defensive play from your top defensemen plus your key forwards, is crucial for sustained success. We saw this same exact story in the 2022-23 season where the Sabres could score at will, but the team defense was horrible, which left them missing the playoffs by one point.
The Sabres also need to add depth to their blue line. Their defense corps is young, and while there are some promising pieces, they need to acquire a veteran presence who can stabilize the defense and log tough minutes in critical situations, like a true shutdown defenseman. A reliable No. 4 or No. 5 defenseman with leadership experience could help take some pressure off the younger players and prevent defensive breakdowns during key moments in games.
Goaltending
The Sabres goaltending has also been a strong point for most of the last year or so. Leading the way is emerging star Ukko Pekka-Luukkonen (UPL) who broke out last season for the team. After finishing last season with a 2.57 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage, he was expected to hold down the crease for the 2024-25 season. The Sabres showed him just that as he signed a five-year, $4.75 million AAV contract extension over the summer. The goaltender has had his fair share of bumps along the way, however, he looks like the Sabres’ future starting netminder.
That comes even with Levi behind him (who was just sent down to their American Hockey League affiliate just a few days ago). When Kevyn Adams traded for Levi in the summer of 2021, no one looked at Luukkonen as the Sabres future in net, now there are questions surrounding whether Levi is even going to be the guy at all in Buffalo as he has struggled to start his career and UPL has picked things up. Granted, most goalies tend to struggle to start their career, so I do not think there should be a cause for concern with Levi just yet. He’s only a 22-year-old goaltender. When UPL was 22 years old he was battling hip injuries, health issues and some inconsistencies between the ECHL and AHL. In a few seasons, we could see UPL and Levi become the next top goaltending duo in the NHL.
Special Teams
Special teams are often the difference between making and missing the playoffs, and the Sabres need significant improvement in this area. They need to get better at staying disciplined and limiting penalties. Buffalo ranks ninth worst in the NHL in penalty minutes with 192 and their penalty kill ranks 23rd in the NHL at 77%. Those two things are not a recipe for success. I mean, there are games where the Sabres lose by one or two goals but they take dumb penalties and allow multiple powerplay goals to the opposing team, which is the difference between winning and losing hockey games.
The Sabres powerplay has been league average this season at a 17.9% success rate, which ranks 18th in the NHL. However, they started the season by not scoring a powerplay goal for eight straight games. Since then, they have scored a powerplay goal on 30% of their attempts. Sure, a lot of that has to do with Thompson getting going before getting placed on injured reserve (IR), but you’re still getting contributions from guys like Peterka, Cozens, Tuch, Dahlin and Jason Zucker. For a team like the Sabres, with offensive talents like the names I just mentioned, the power play should be a weapon. They need to ensure they’re getting the most out of their top units and capitalize on every man-advantage opportunity. If the Sabres get their penalty kill together and keep going at the rate they are with their powerplay and keep up the strong even strength play, we could see the Sabres string together some wins.
The Sabres are closer than they’ve been in years to ending their playoff drought. With a talented young core, a committed front office, and a promising coaching staff, the pieces are in place for a return to postseason glory. However, there are still several factors that need to come together: consistent goaltending, defensive stability, strong special teams, and continued player development. If all or most of these points happen, then we will see them back in the playoffs before we know it.
