How can the Sabres finally make playoffs? 10 key questions to end a record drought
To finally make it over the playoff hump, this year's Sabres team has some things to prove.
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The Buffalo Sabres are just a few weeks away from starting training camp and beginning their latest attempt to end the franchise’s league-record playoff drought.
Unlike a few years ago, the Sabres are no longer a trendy pick to make the postseason. The disappointment of the last two seasons is still lingering. So what has to happen for the Sabres to finally get over the hump? I narrowed it down to 10 critical questions facing this team ahead of the season.
We’ll remove the variable of health. Like every team, the Sabres need to avoid injuries to key players to reach their potential. Saying so doesn’t require much analysis. With that out of the way, here are some of the variables I’m thinking about when pondering whether the Sabres can finally end their playoff drought.
1. Can Thompson hit 90 points?
We already know Tage Thompson is one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the NHL when he’s healthy. He led the NHL in five-on-five goals last season and posted the second 40-goal season of his career. Outside of Rasmus Dahlin, no player is as important to the Sabres. And you could argue that Thompson has more of an ability to take over games.After scoring 47 goals and adding 47 assists in a 94-point season in 2022-23, Thompson hasn’t reached those totals since, mostly due to minor injuries. His 44 goals last season were impressive considering he had to deal with a few different linemates and a switch from center to wing. Assuming he stays on the wing, Thompson has a chance to take his game to another level. He’ll be playing for a spot on the United States’ Olympic team and has the added experience of winning a gold medal with Team USA at the World Championship. I’m expecting a big season for Thompson.
2. Will the goaltending be better?
Fresh off signing a five-year contract extension, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen took a big step back. He never found the same form he had during his breakout season in 2023-24. He was 55th in the league in goals saved above expected last season. That’s why Lindy Ruff leaned on James Reimer late in the year. And with Reimer’s steady play, the Sabres started to play much better as a team.Team defense played a role in how much Luukkonen struggled last season, but it’s safe to say the Sabres won’t get to the postseason unless their goaltending is dramatically better than it was a year ago.
3. Will Quinn bounce back?
Jack Quinn was supposed to be on his way to becoming a consistent scoring threat for the Sabres. Instead, it took him until Dec. 15 to score his first non-empty net goal of the season. Quinn’s skating looked sluggish coming off an injury-plagued season, in which he tore his Achilles in the summer of 2023 and then broke his leg early in 2024. The Sabres are counting on Quinn to rebound now that he’s further removed from those injuries.They signed him to a two-year extension worth more than $3 million per season, and he’s likely to find a spot in Buffalo’s top three forward lines. With JJ Peterka gone, the Sabres need someone to step up and backfill that offense. Quinn is one candidate, and he’ll be among the most intriguing players to watch at training camp.
4. Can Zucker do it again?
Jason Zucker was a huge success as a free-agent signing. He scored 21 goals and had 32 assists, marking his highest point total since the 2017-18 season. He also became an important leader for some of Buffalo’s younger players. Now that he’s back on a two-year contract that pays him $4.75 million per year, can the 33-year-old repeat the output he had last season?Whether Zucker hits the same point total could depend on whether he gets power-play time. But his contributions extend beyond his scoring. His energy, forechecking and net-front presence open up opportunities for teammates. And he’s a reliable defensive forward. If he can be a 45-point player with the same play away from the puck, that should be enough.
Jason Zucker posted 53 points last season, the second-highest total of his career. (Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
5. What will the Sabres get out of Norris?
Josh Norris is one of the great unknowns for this Buffalo team. The Sabres acquired him at the deadline in a deal for Dylan Cozens, but Norris played only three games before a torn oblique muscle ended his season. Norris hasn’t played a full season since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.Norris looks like the most likely candidate to be the Sabres’ No. 1 center. He’s also Buffalo’s highest-paid forward. If he can perform up to that price tag, Norris could be a key reason the Sabres take a step forward. Otherwise, do the Sabres have the depth to withstand a Norris injury?
6. Are Benson and Kulich ready for elevated roles?
As has been common during Kevyn Adams’ tenure as general manager, the Sabres will rely on young players to fill big roles this season. The two biggest examples are Zach Benson and Jiri Kulich, both of whom have a chance to play in the top six this season. That’s where they finished last season and both played well alongside Thompson.Benson is already one of Buffalo’s best defensive forwards, but the team needs him to take another step offensively to warrant a spot on one of the top lines. Kulich showed flashes of being a top-six center last season. He just needs to show he can do it over the course of an 82-game season. If one or both of those players break out, that will change the complexion of the Sabres’ lineup. If neither does, Buffalo could be in trouble.
7. What will Adams do to address remaining needs?
The Sabres have $5.19 million in cap space and could still use a playmaking center or another top-six winger. Last season, Adams reflected on what went wrong during the season and said he wondered whether he should have acted with conviction and made a move during the 13-game winless streak. Will he act on that lesson learned this season?Entering the final season of his contract, Adams should feel more pressure than ever to end this playoff drought. Considering the Sabres aren’t a proven or deep team, the right in-season moves from Adams could help push the team over the edge. This will be his sixth season on the job and he won’t get a seventh if the Sabres miss the postseason again.
8. Will the new-look blue line lead to better team defense?
The Sabres were among the worst teams in the NHL at preventing goals last season. Part of that was shaky goaltending, but Buffalo also allowed 11.54 high-danger chances per 60 and 2.66 expected goals against per 60 at five-on-five. That’s a recipe for trouble regardless of who is playing goalie.Adding Alex Lyon should provide some veteran stability in net, but the bigger question is whether the team defense can improve. Most of the Sabres’ offseason investments were made with that goal in mind. They shipped out Peterka, a prolific scorer with defensive shortcomings, and got Josh Doan, a defensively sound forward, and Michael Kesselring, a defenseman they hope can lock down a spot in the top four. The Sabres also traded Connor Clifton in a deal that brought back Conor Timmins, a defenseman they think can solidify their bottom pair. On top of that, Bowen Byram is back after a summer of trade speculation.
Josh Doan, formerly with Utah, should help bolster the Sabres’ defensive chops. (Alex Goodlett / Getty Images)
Will any of that make the Sabres a more reliable defensive team? That remains to be seen. Among Ruff’s biggest challenges last season was getting the Sabres to consistently buy into the details required. On paper, they have improved defensively. But it’s going to take more than the goalies and defensemen to keep the puck out of the net. The Sabres need more reliable play from their forwards to be able to play the type of defensive game required to get to the playoffs.
9. Are the team toughness problems behind them?
Last season was a calamity for the Sabres filled with embarrassing moments. But the one that will stand out to fans is the day Thompson took a high hit from Stefan Noesen and his teammates didn’t jump in to defend him. That moment magnified a season-long issue for the Sabres. Mentally and physically, the team didn’t show enough toughness when the moments called for it. The roster isn’t drastically different, but we’ll soon find out if this group internalized some of the hard lessons it learned last season.10. Will a full training camp allow the Sabres to get off to a hot start?
Last season, Ruff was still getting to know his team and had a truncated training camp before the team finished its preseason in Germany and opened the regular season in Prague with two games against the New Jersey Devils. The Sabres won’t have the same built-in excuse for a slow start this season. With a normal camp and 10 of their first 14 games at home, the Sabres have a chance to start quickly.How this team starts the season will be a reflection on Ruff and his coaching staff, which is returning unchanged.