There’s a lot to love about the Buffalo Sabres’ future
Who knew that the departures of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere in 2007 would be such a turning point for the Buffalo Sabres?
The pair helped make the Sabres a dominant force, reaching the Eastern Conference final in 2006 and 2007. In the 15 years since, the Sabres have made the playoffs twice and haven’t won a round at any point.
That’s unacceptable for such a proud fan base. But can that misery finally be put on the back burner? With the way the young core has been assembled, quite possibly.
Jack Eichel was supposed to be the answer. Drafted second overall behind Connor McDavid in 2015, Eichel had the makings of a star. And for a brief period, he made his mark as one of the best players in the NHL. But a lack of support around him, injury issues, a rotating cast of coaching figures and more left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth before he ultimately was moved to the Vegas Golden Knights last year.
So, call it a fresh start. And the Sabres need it. But right now, the future looks bright, and they’re just getting started.
Thanks to years of futility, Buffalo has managed to snag Rasmus Dahlin (2018) and Owen Power (2021) with the first overall pick in recent years. Add in Jack Quinn (2020), JJ Peterka (2020) and Dylan Cozens (2019) and this year’s roster is starting to bear the fruits of successful drafting in recent years. That doesn’t include 21-year-old Peyton Krebs, whom the team acquired in the Eichel trade, and Mattias Samuelsson, who just signed a seven-year deal this week, either.
Adding all of that to a core that includes Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner and Victor Olofsson suddenly makes them more dangerous. Buffalo has the youngest opening night roster in the NHL at an average age of 25.58, which is incredible since 41-year-old Craig Anderson – the oldest player in the league – is set to carry the bulk of the load once more.
Dahlin and Power are the pillars of the team’s blueline, with Power set to make a run at the Calder Trophy this year. Cozens is already established as a forward, with many projecting a huge breakout season a la Thompson from last year. For Quinn and Peterka, their presence gives the Sabres more dangerous scoring options than we’ve seen over the dark period where it felt like it was Eichel vs. the world.
Everyone knows what Power brings to the team: size, intelligence and fantastic two-way play. One worth keeping an eye on, though, is Quinn. Quinn was a surprise pickup at eighth overall in 2020, but he backed that up with a 61-point AHL rookie campaign in just 45 games. He scored 52 goals in the OHL in his draft year, which made him so tantalizing. He took his playmaking game to another level in the AHL last year, and he’s already looking like one of the most promising prospects from that draft class.
Heck, Quinn has to be considered a darkhorse Calder Trophy candidate.
In Peterka’s case, the 2020 second-rounder moves like a Lamborgini, motoring at a high pace seemingly every shift. One scout described him as a “moving razorblade” for how he can disturb the competition while chasing for pucks. Peterka led the AHL’s Rochester Americans with 68 points in 70 games last year and had an extra seven goals and 12 points in 10 playoff outings. He isn’t someone you want to go toe-to-toe with.
If Skinner is the top left winger, having Quinn with either Cozens or Casey Mittlestadt as his center will be dangerous. In fact, with Peterka, Krebs and veteran Alex Tuch also in the fray, Buffalo is quickly building one of the more underrated scoring units.
And on top of all of that, there’s still more high-quality talent on the way. Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen and Ryan Johnson are all tantalizing skaters. In net, they’re hoping one of Devon Levi, Erik Portillo or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will get the job done. There’s depth at every position, and that’s why they have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL today.
There is a reason for optimism in Western New York. The Sabres aren’t going to take significant steps instantly, and that’s OK. Both coach Don Granato and GM Kevyn Adams have been given extensions over the past few weeks, so the organization feels they have the right people in charge. The team can afford to be patient – there’s a reason they’re going with Anderson and Eric Comrie as their 1-2 goalie punch – because help is on the way. One day, the pain and suffering could pay off.
So, it’s a great time to be a Sabres fan.
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