It’s been a very frustrating season for the Buffalo Sabres, to say the least.
Coming off their best season in a decade and being expected to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011, the team hasn’t lived up to the hype in the slightest. The red-hot offense of last year has vanished, the defense continues to be suspect and the gambles made in the goaltending department did not pay off. This summer will bring numerous questions, and it’s possible that an array of changes could be coming.
In short, there hasn’t been a whole lot to celebrate to this point. But that doesn’t mean the season has been a complete failure. Though the aforementioned low-lights have largely overshadowed them, the Sabres have had a few very big positives this season, and they shouldn’t be overlooked. Instead of tearing our hair out as we have been since October, let’s be positive and examine the things that have served as a ray of hope in an otherwise lackluster campaign.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
We’ve talked about this practically ad nauseam, but it still can’t be understated how important Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been for the Sabres. 21-year-old Devon Levi was named the number one goaltender to begin the season, and all eyes were firmly fixed on him from the outset. Such a move was a considerable gamble, to say the least, and, through no fault of Levi’s, it backfired.
In the process, Luukkonen became an afterthought, but that ultimately played to his advantage. While Levi was being thrown to the wolves night in and out, his compatriot slowly emerged from behind him and made the Sabres and fans alike look stupid for casting him aside. The team soon had no choice but to hand the 24-year-old the keys, and he reclaimed his spot as the top guy. What’s even more remarkable is that he’s done so with far less help than last season, and his statistics have improved considerably in spite of that.
The Finn struggled to find his bearings at times last season, but his team’s torrid offensive attack was often enough to compensate. This season has been an ironic role reversal, as the Sabres have been forced to rely on their backstop to keep them in games. Luukkonen has done so more often than not, but the offensive void has wasted some of his best performances, and his record sits at 13-13-2 despite a 2.51 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. He has, however, recorded four shutouts, the most in a season by a Sabre netminder since Ryan Miller’s six in 2011-12.
At last, it seems that the Sabres have a viable option in net, which they won’t be able to move forward without. “UPL,” as fans call him, is finally getting the respect he deserves, and that’s great to see.
Zach Benson
Like Levi, the Sabres were making a big roll of the dice by bringing up 2023 first-round pick Zach Benson to start the season and an even bigger one when they opted not to send him back to juniors after his nine-game trial period ended. Many questioned if such a young player would be able to handle a jump that big, but he has and then some.
The 18-year-old has been one of the Sabres’ best forwards all season long, and his hustle and work ethic has been evident every time he steps on the ice. It doesn’t reflect well on the rest of the lineup, and he’s made many of his teammates look bad by comparison. He’s scored just five goals and 15 points, but those numbers don’t do his performance justice at all, and a few of those tallies have been highlight-reel caliber. Notably, his first career goal in November was one of the best of all time in that category.
Benson won’t be a Rookie of the Year candidate, but he’s become one of Buffalo’s most important players in a very short span. At a point in time where the Sabres have numerous young talents vying for a shot at the NHL, the British Columbia native has made the most of his opportunity and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Jordan Greenway
Jordan Greenway was something of an underwhelming addition at last year’s Trade Deadline. The Sabres were fighting for their playoff lives and needed to power up with a big move, but instead opted for the big and physical winger and sent two draft picks to the Minnesota Wild to acquire him. It wasn’t very well-received at the time, but Greenway has proven his worth in his first full season in Buffalo and changed the perception of himself in the process.
In addition to the Sabres’ offense falling off the face of the Earth, one of the biggest issues they’ve endured is a lack of toughness and assertion. Their passive play results in bullying from opponents, and it’s been tough to watch at times. Greenway has done everything in his power to change that. He skates hard, throws checks, and has stood up to defend a teammate on multiple occasions. He’s also shown that he can be a force offensively and recorded two goals and an assist in a 7-0 rout of the Los Angeles Kings this past Tuesday (Feb. 13).
As a result, Don Granato, who was also Greenway’s coach on the US National Team Development Program, has entrusted him in important situations, and he’s averaged over 16 minutes per game. He’s become a fixture on the penalty kill and has been elevated to the top six on multiple occasions. With the top lines continuing to struggle, he could find himself back there again in the future.
The New York native is under contract for one more season before becoming an unrestricted free agent (UFA), and though he’s been one of the Sabres’ best players this year, it’s no guarantee that he’ll be retained. But with the upside he’s shown all season long, the team would be crazy to part ways with him at this point.
JJ Peterka
One of the best things that’s happened for the Sabres this year has received surprisingly little attention. After a solid rookie season, John-Jason Peterka has taken it to a new level in his sophomore campaign and has quietly become one of his team’s best forwards. He currently leads Buffalo with 19 goals in 53 games and is tied for third in points with 36. Given that he’s only 22 years old, it’s been quite the transformation, and it couldn’t have come at a better time, given the disappearance of many of the Sabres’ top stars.
Despite this, the German’s coming out party seems to have gone almost completely unnoticed. The lack of fanfare might make sense if Buffalo’s biggest weapons were performing as they had last season, but that hasn’t been the case. The likes of Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, and Dylan Cozens have gone missing in action, and without Peterka’s unanticipated brilliance, it’s scary to think of how much worse off the Sabres would likely be.
Like Greenway, Peterka has one more year on his contract. General manager Kevyn Adams currently has far less financial leeway than in previous seasons, but he would be foolish not to extend him. The player that I once believed was destined to be a trade piece has become one of the most integral pieces on the roster, and if the rest of the lineup continues to underwhelm, they’ll need Peterka to keep picking up the slack.
Casey Mittelstadt
It’s safe to assume that any fans who once barked for the Sabres to rid themselves of Casey Mittelstadt probably feel foolish now. No player has stepped up to fill the team’s offensive dearth more than him, and in doing so, he’s proven that his explosion at the end of last season wasn’t a fluke.
Mittelstadt leads the Sabres with 31 assists, 43 points, and a plus-11 rating. He hasn’t gone more than two straight games without a point and is the only player besides Peterka not to miss a game thus far. Such a dramatic about-face would have been hard to imagine after the blazing performances of Thompson, Skinner, and Alex Tuch last season, but here we are. Those numbers aren’t exactly Herculean but have cemented the 25-year-old as the Sabres’ top forward. He’s been one of the only things keeping his team as competitive as it has been.
But despite all this, there appears to be a growing chance that this season could be the Wisconsin Native’s last in Western New York. 2023-24 is the finale of the three-year contract he signed in 2021, and the belief is that the Sabres won’t be able to meet his asking price now that his stock has gone up as much as it has. All sorts of trade rumors have been circulating, but they appear to have gained traction as of late. Mittelstadt has not been daunted and made clear his desire to remain in Buffalo.
“My message has been the same: I love it here,” he recently said to The Olean Times Herald.
As great as that is to hear, it’s still not guaranteed that he will. The Sabres have handed out a number of hefty contracts over the last season and a half, and somebody subsequently being cast aside as a result was inevitable. If the team can’t afford to retain Mittelstadt and is forced to either trade him or allow him to sign an offer sheet over the summer, it would be a great shame, given how far he’s come and how many doubters he’s proven wrong.
Related: 3 Sabres Prospects Who Deserve an Extended Look In 2023-24
Nevertheless, All of this shows that, even in a season as dreadful as this for the Sabres, a few things have still gone their way, and it provides a sliver of promise that good things may still be coming this team’s way. What other positives for them have you noticed this season?