There is a lot of optimism among the Sabres faithful for this upcoming season, and rightly so. This season is meant to be when Sabres' young core comes together to form an explosive partnership and probably make the team playoff contenders again. Coming off a breakout year where he scored 38 goals and 68 points in 78 games, eyes will be on Tage Thompson to see whether or not last year was a fluke and if he and Star winger Jeff Skinner can lead the line efficiently.
At the back, Blueliners Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, coming off a stellar rookie year, have shown what they are capable of and could be highly integral to a breakout season for the Sabres this year.
Other players like Alex Tuch, Victor Olofsson, Dylan Cozens, and Peyton Krebs could play an important role down the stretch and lead the Sabres over the finish line.
Luckily for this team, more focus will be on the improved Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings, thanks to their off-season additions. So, the Sabres can work without much pressure on their shoulders (there are still expectations, though).
While they weren’t amongst the top favorites to go all the way preseason, the Sabres might be worth looking at when picking NHL bets, especially if they can be found at good value odds. One thing is for sure; the Sabres will make some noise in the Eastern Conference, but only time will tell if they still have their voices when the playoffs arrive.
With a 32-39-22 record and 75 points, the Buffalo Sabres were the "best of the rest" in the Atlantic Division as they finished fifth and missed out on the last playoff spot in 2021-22.
The last time the Sabres made the playoffs was in 2011 (an NHL record for the longest active playoff drought.) Their fifth position last season is their highest in the previous eight seasons, and they would be looking to go one better and finish in one of the playoff spots this season.
The Buffalo Sabres, also known as the Sabres, compete in the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division. They play home games at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. They had previously played their home games at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium before moving to the KeyBank Center in 1996.
Founded in 1970, the NHL established the Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks while expanding to 14 teams. They have made two appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals but have failed to emerge victorious, losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975 and to the Dallas Stars in 1999.
The Sabres and the Canucks hold an unwanted record as the longest continuously running active NHL teams to have never won the Stanley Cup. The Sabres also maintain a current record as the team with the longest playoff drought at eleven seasons (they could make it twelve if they fail to make the playoffs again this season).
They ended the 1974-75 regular season with the best record in the NHL and reached the Stanley Cup Finals. They played against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Finals and lost 4-2 in the series.
Their second Stanley Cup Finals appearance came in 1999, where they faced the Presidents’ Trophy Winner, the Dallas Stars. They also lost that series 4-2.
This team is affiliated with several Hall of Famers and Hall of Fame Builders, including club legends like Tim Horton, Gilbert Perreault, Pat LaFontaine, and Dominik Hasek.
The Sabres share a notable rivalry with the Toronto Maple Leafs; the Maple Leafs were the only team in the Golden Horseshoe region before the Sabres came into the picture in 1970. As expected, they haven’t been fond of each other from the outset.
