After a very slow start to the 2024-25 season, the Buffalo Sabres finally secured their first win of the campaign against the Florida Panthers over the weekend, and they finally capitalized on the chances that they had been generating for the first few games. While some players have been noticeably invisible up to this point, there have been a few others that have very distinctly stood out and played up to the standard that was expected of them, or more. If the Sabres are going to get a winning streak started, and finally get taken seriously, they will need more than just these three players to be playing at a high level, but it is a good start to see them all playing so well to start the season off.
Connor Clifton, Defenseman
As a third-pairing defender, Connor Clifton is not really a player that gets much attention, but he deserves recognition for the rock-solid play that he has been contributing for the Sabres this season. Right now he currently has a single assist, nine hits, and three blocked shots in four games played and is a plus-1 on top of it all, which is tied for the lead amongst Sabres defenders. He has played with grit in his own end, and has a composure this season that is refreshing to see. Clifton is thriving under the system that head coach Lindy Ruff has placed him in, and having a limited role this season may allow him to keep up his energy even more to sustain the style of play that he has.
Last season, Clifton was good for sure, but there were moments where he would panic and turn the puck over, or go for a sloppy hit and get himself out of position for the sake of making the hit. This season, everything feels much more calculated with him. His decision-making, his passes, his hitting; everything looks like it has been refined and it is making a huge difference for him, and that is only going to make a difference for the team as a whole as well.
Peyton Krebs, Forward
The enigma that is Peyton Krebs strikes again this season. He is working hard and it is earning him ice time and a favorable position on the head coach’s lineup card as he found himself promoted to the first line during the Sabres’ game against the Panthers as things were getting tough, and when Zach Benson was looking a bit off. He went from being a fourth-line option, to a top-line workhorse that looked like he fit right in, and it would not shock me to see him get an opportunity to play there for a game or two.
Krebs has shown time and again that he has the tools to be a gritty playmaker that can use speed and skill to disrupt opponents in the offensive zone and create chances, and that is something Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch could desperately use at their disposal. Even in practice recently, he got into an altercation with captain Rasmus Dahlin, showing his tenacity and willingness to go at anyone at any time. He may not be a typical first-line player, but sometimes, using a utility-caliber depth player in a first-line role can pay off severely well for the players that do produce like first-liners. If Krebs continues to show his value in the top six by working hard and contributing in ways that even lead to others putting up numbers on the scoresheet without him doing so, I consider his line promotion an absolute win.
Owen Power, Defenseman
Someone who needed to take a big step forward this season, and sure has is Owen Power. He was a bit shaky and unlucky at certain points of last season, but there was still a lot left to be desired as some people were starting to sour on the young defender. This season, he has come out firing, as he has been arguably the Sabres’ best defender. He has been steady in the defensive end, poised when pressured, and making very good decisions offensively with the puck when given the chance to do so. Power is finally starting to look like the defender he was advertised to be when the Sabres drafted him first overall, and he is definitely earning that contract extension.
Power has found some great chemistry with his defense partner Bowen Byram, as the both of them flow very well with one another. Having the ability to switch between sides and go around the ice based on where the play takes them has allowed Power the creativity to be the best version of himself that he can be. He is no longer stuck just being a defensively oriented player, as he can use his offensive instincts knowing that Byram will be back to take care of what is needed behind him, and vice versa. Ruff has found himself a key second pairing in these two, and continuing to enable Power to do what he does best will only lead to even better results at both ends of the ice.
There Is Still More to Be Done
Even with all of these players doing well, there is still a lot that needs to be accomplished for the Sabres to get up to speed. With some of the other top teams in the NHL currently struggling there is time to get there for sure, but that is no reason to sit around and wait for them to start playing their best hockey. If they do, they will only fall behind even faster than the year before.
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The Sabres need their best players to play better, and they need their good players to still be consistent with how they can perform. Getting themselves in a hole early yet again is not doing them any favors. For now, it is best to take the positives where they can, and improve on the negatives before things get out of hand.
