The Buffalo Sabres’ inconsistent, start-stop beginning to the 2024-25 season continued with a pitiable 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, a game even more lopsided than the score suggested. But though the team continues to fail to capitalize on any momentum it builds for itself, there have been a number of positives thus far and one hasn’t gotten as much attention as it should.
Buffalo’s revamped bottom-six has been a major upside in the early going and has provided the boost that was needed. It’s a major reason that the Sabres are more closely resembling their old selves and are within striking distance even if they can’t seem to shift out of first gear. No team stands a chance without all-around contributions, and not just those that appear on the score sheet. It emerged as a problem for the Sabres last season but their efforts to right the ship seem to have worked.
Zucker & McLeod Defy Expectations
After the trade of captain Kyle Okposo in March, the departure of Zemgus Girgensons in free agency and the shocking buyout of Jeff Skinner this past summer, the Sabres were expected to have an eventful offseason and looked prime to make a splash with a major signing. With a plethora of marquee names available, the sky looked like the limit. However, general manager (GM) Kevyn Adams instead chose the opposite course. The Sabres only made one real signing of note, bringing in veteran winger Jason Zucker on a one-year deal that received very little fanfare.
It felt underwhelming at best and didn’t exactly give the impression that the team was going all in. But though very little was expected of the 32-year-old, he’s worked out brilliantly thus far, posting nine assists, 12 points and a plus-2 rating. He’s on pace for a career-high 65 points and the offensive boost has helped bring the Sabres’ formerly lethal onslaught back to life with 61 goals through 18 games, tied for the fifth-most in the NHL. He’s also given the powerplay a jumpstart after it was woeful out of the gate.
In addition to his scoring contributions, Zucker has also helped fill the leadership void left by Okposo and Girgensons and it’s clear that his many young teammates, including but not limited to Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, have gravitated to him. He’s oscillated around the lineup a bit but has mostly been paired with Jordan Greenway and Ryan McLeod on the third line and the trio has been excellent together, with all three currently boasting positive ratings.
Fellow newcomer McLeod has likewise changed the perception of himself, but he had to do so again under even more unenviable circumstances. Whereas fans reacted apathetically to Zucker, McLeod’s arrival was the product of one of the most shocking trades in recent Sabres’ history. Buffalo sent top prospect Matthew Savoie to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for the largely unheralded centerman and to say that it caused a ruckus would be an understatement. Savoie was thought to be an important future piece and trading him for a player with just 75 career points had fans questioning if Adams had suffered a head injury.
However, the 25-year-old too has had an immediate impact and has made fans think twice about him. Thanks to his blazing speed and faceoff prowess, he’s gelled as the team’s new third-line center, helping fill the void left by Casey Mittelstadt after he was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche last season. Strong skating is something the Sabres have largely lacked over the years and having a lower-line player that can leave opponents in the dust is a major asset that makes them even more formidable.
Though he’s cooled off a bit after a hot start, McLeod has contributed six goals, 12 points and a plus-7 rating through 18 games. His talent and ability have always been there for him but he struggled to break out in Edmonton. Being free of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s shadows could be what the 25-year-old needs to come into his own and the Sabres certainly won’t complain if that continues to happen.
Bottom-Six Signings Deliver as Advertised
In addition to scoring depth, perhaps an even bigger issue the Sabres were forced to address this summer was their passive play. The team had become too comfortable under former bench boss Don Granato and its playoff chances last season were eradicated by lethargic and unmotivated efforts. Granato can’t be blamed entirely for that since he wasn’t the one on the ice, but it was one of the biggest factors in his dismissal just one year after he brought his squad within a point of the postseason.
Adams and the returning Lindy Ruff have prioritized making their team tougher to play against and set out to replace Okposo and Girgensons, without whom the Sabres were lacking even more. They traded back with the San Jose Sharks in the first round of this summer’s Draft and received an extra second-round pick in exchange. However, rather than use it, Adams immediately sent it to the Washington Capitals in exchange for winger Beck Malenstyn, a name that many people (including myself) had to Google.
The move was yet another head-scratcher, but Malenstyn is exactly what the Sabres were seeking and he’s fit like a glove. A proficient shot-blocker who doesn’t shy away from the dirty areas, he led the Capitals in both blocks and hits last season and has brought those skills to Buffalo. He’s averaged just over nine minutes of ice time per game but has made the most of every opportunity with 18 blocks and 45 hits through 16 games in addition to three points. His plus/minus rating currently sits at minus-1 but that doesn’t do any justice to his performance or the intangibles he brings.
Sam Lafferty, signed to a two-year deal as a free agent, also deserves credit for the resurgence of Buffalo’s bottom-six. Like Malenstyn, he’s played with a noticeable urgency on every shift and seems to relish physicality. The efforts of both men have given the Sabres the oomph they badly needed and make them far edgier than the soft squad that opponents bullied last season.
Ruff prizes hustle and determination above all else and the two fourth-line grinders have been major unsung heroes thus far. Though far from the scoresheet, the bottom-six being secured has taken the pressure off of the top of the lineup and allowed it to focus on what it needs to. They might not be lighting the lamp, but Malenstyn and Lafferty deserve as much credit as anyone.
Sabres Need to Get It Going
Oddly similar to how last season started, the Sabres have played well for the most part but not well enough. They’ve pieced together wins on a couple of occasions but haven’t been able to really get on a roll yet and seem to quash their own momentum every time they get any going. Saturday’s disaster against the Flyers was a particularly bad example of such.
Related: 3 Takeaways From the Sabres’ 5-2 Loss to the Flyers
Buffalo sits at 8-9-1 through 18 games, which is not ideal but also not horrible. There’s plenty of time to turn things around but for that to happen, the inconsistency can’t continue and everyone has to get on the same page. The new additions have done as much as anyone could have hoped for, but it won’t matter if the team keeps squandering its own efforts.
