The season has not started the way that the Buffalo Sabres or their fans had wanted, and as the injury bug continues to rear its ugly head, there needs to be some bonus effort from a few players. In the Sabres’ 5-2 loss against the Boston Bruins this past week, they lost Tage Thompson to a wrist injury after blocking a shot. While his season hasn’t been spectacular offensively just yet, he is always a scoring threat when he is on the ice (not to mention being a reliable defensive asset), and that void will need to be filled.
Some speculation about hometown boy Patrick Kane signing in Buffalo has been gaining traction recently, but until that becomes a reality, he cannot be considered a solution to their problem. Looking internally, they have a number of candidates to replace Thompson’s presence. Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt will carry the load at center in the top six, and JJ Peterka, Jeff Skinner, and Alex Tuch will continue to be offensive play drivers, but there are other players that will need to step up to make the loss of their best offensive forward less painful than it already is.
Victor Olofsson Has a Lot to Give
It seems like for the past couple of seasons, I have constantly been harping on Victor Olofsson for his lack of consistency, and his tendency to score when nothing is on the line. Ironically, a perfect example was in the same game when Thompson was injured, Olofsson scored the only two Sabres goals (which happened to be his first two of the season as well). With the opportunity ripe as ever to show he belongs in this lineup, there needs to be a lot more done by him. In the Sabres’ most recent game against the Winnipeg Jets, he looked very good despite not scoring. He had chances, created some other chances, was forechecking hard, and was hustling on every play. The point is, that he was a noticeable player on the ice, which is a welcomed and needed sight from him.
He has always been a power-play specialist, and there is no better time for him to make a difference on that front. The Sabres’ power play is starving for someone to actually score, and if he wants to contribute to the scoresheet, this is where he needs to shine. In my opinion, he has one of the best shots on the team, but it is his decision-making on when he shoots that is the problem. With a shot like his, he should almost never look to make a pass to someone else. As a legitimate scoring threat, he needs to just shoot the puck to make scoring chances happen, instead of making a half-effort pass to someone less open than he is. He is a potential 30-goal scorer if he just lets the puck rip off his own stick, and with Thompson out of the lineup, it’s the perfect opportunity for him to do so much more regularly.
Zach Benson Is Hungry
Zach Benson returned to the lineup against the Jets after recovering from his injury, and he looked sharp. Before his injury, he was starting to slow down a bit as it looked like teams were giving him more trouble, but against the Jets, he was fired up. He was making plays, digging low in corners for pucks, getting involved in scrums, and he was skating very well. Never once have I doubted Benson’s effort all season, and it is that exact effort that will carry him to the next level.
With Thompson out, Benson has been given an opportunity to play in the top six forward group alongside Casey Mittelstadt and JJ Peterka. Both of those linemates are perfect to complement his play style, so he can hopefully start to put more points on the board playing with them. There are still a few games left in his NHL trial period before the Sabres need to decide whether to keep him with the big club or send him back to junior. With Thompson’s absence being so long-term, he needs to make the most of this opportunity, put up some points to compensate for the lost offense, and solidify his roster spot for the remainder of the year.
Kyle Okposo Needs To Score More
It may be a bit of nitpicking to say this, but there needs to be more offense coming out of Kyle Okposo. Yes, his role is technically more of a defensive one, but he has the offensive capacity to contribute more. Of the bottom six forward group, he is the one with the most scoring history and his chemistry with Zemgus Girgensons leaves little to be desired. After the disastrous loss to the Bruins, while celebrating his 1,000th NHL game, I want to see him fired up and really being an offensive threat when he steps on the ice.
He recently saw time on the second power-play unit, so that will provide him with a good opportunity to put the puck in the net, but he needs to do it in every situation. Now, to be clear, I am not saying that I expect him to be putting up first-line numbers by any means, but there needs to be some level of contribution offensively from the bottom two lines. Currently they collectively have seven goals, and he has scored none of them. In 17 games he has three assists, so the Sabres need some more goals out of their captain sooner than later.
Someone Has To Light The Fire
At this point in the season, it does not matter which player starts the fire to ignite the winning spirit in this team, but someone needs to do it fast. With Thompson out, and the defense looking spotty, the offense really needs to adjust and get going. Last season this team won games on the strength of their scoring ability, but this season they have been mediocre at best in every area. These three players have the tools and attitude to make a difference, so if one or more of them start to step up in a big way, this team may still have some playoff hopes when the year turns to 2024.
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Between the three of them, the most crucial ones would be Olofsson and Okposo. When a team’s captain scores, there is always a little extra boost of morale, especially when they are as respected as Okposo is. When a power play is flat, it just takes the wind out of a team’s sails, so if Olofsson can become the specialist he once was, the offense should be ignited in the right ways going down the line. Buffalo is in a bit of a pickle here with their top player out, and the rest of the team struggling. It is time for them to pull it together and start putting the puck in the net.
