Sabres -------> Playoffs?

Sabres fans have gone through a rough time the last 12 years. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2011. In the meantime they missed out on Connor McDavid and ended up with Jack Eichel, who years later betrayed the team and requested a trade. However, after a long battle things are finally starting to look up for Sabres fans. The Sabres are pushing hard and are currently in a playoff spot based on point percentage. So will the Buffalo Sabres make the playoffs? Let’s discuss.

Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin

Let’s get something straight, all good teams in the league need their superstar players to play like superstars. Luckily, this year the top players on the Sabres are performing well above expectations. NHL All Star Tage Thompson is on a crazy pace right now and is on track to score over 72 goals. According to JFreshHockey and TopDownHockey, Tage is third in the league in goals above expected. 

Then there is Rasmus Dahlin. After a solid season last year collecting 53 points in 80 games, in 46 games this year he has already matched those numbers for a career high. Not only has he improved his offense, but the stats suggest he has tremendously improved his defense as well. It is clear that these two have helped tremendously to get the Sabres to where they are at this point. 

Forward Depth

However, many other Sabres aside from Thompson and Dahlin have performed well. From an outside look you may assume Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch’s production is just a result of playing with Tage. While that may be part of it, they have also both played tremendously. Back when Ralph Krueger was head coach, Jeff Skinner was stuck playing 4th line minutes. It wasn’t until Donny Meatballs came in that Jeff was brought back to the top line and returned to former glory. 

Another power forward is Alex Tuch, who the Sabres acquired last year in return for Jack Eichel. Alex Tuch has made Eichel look like a fool. While Eichel is crying about fake injuries, Tuch has been averaging over two points per game. There is no doubt Alex Tuch will go down as one of the greatest athletes to ever play the sport.

The trio of Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch have emerged as a top line in the league. They have amazing chemistry and power, with no signs of slowing down. 

What Can The Sabres Do To Improve? 

The Sabres have two clear needs for the future. A defensemen to play with Owen Power, and a starting goaltender. The Sabres have many good goalie prospects in UPL and Levi, but is Sabres management sure that they have what it takes to be quality NHLers? 

The answer is yes. Ukko Pekka Lukkonen is already a top goalie in the league, showing shades of Dominik Hasek in his early career. However, he and Levi still may not reach their prime for a while. The Sabres are going for it all this season, and may not have the time to wait. Could someone like Freddy Anderson be of interest to the Sabres? Only time will tell.

 Another big need for the Sabres is a right shot defenseman to play with Power. I think the prime candidate would be Filip Hronek of the Detroit Red Wings. I’m not sure of the Red Wings willingness to trade him, but he is soon to be RFA. If they don’t see him as part of the future or he does not want to be with Detroit, Buffalo could swing in and trade for him. If this were to happen Filip would easily sign an extension this summer to be part of Buffalo’s bright future.

It will be interesting to see if the Sabres make the playoffs this year. I think the young group and their high work ethic proves the team has what it takes. If the Sabres are serious about making the playoffs I think adding a goalie and defensemen would be a smart way to improve this team. Even if the Sabres don’t make the playoffs this year, or the following year, I know for a fact that this team has a bright future. 

With all the amazing talent and prospects, a Stanley Cup in Buffalo is almost a guarantee in the near future.