The last time the Buffalo Sabres made the playoffs, Ryan Miller was the starting goaltender and the team was led by Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville and Tyler Ennis. Oh, and Barack Obama was President of the United States. Yes, it’s been that long.
The Sabres last advanced to the dance in 2010-11, where they led the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 ahead of Game 6 at HSBC Arena in Western New York (now KeyBank Center). They had a prime opportunity to advance to Round 2 for the first time since 2007. But the Flyers won that game in overtime, took care of business at home in Game 7, and sent Sabres faithful home disappointed yet again.
Fast forward 13 years and Buffalo still has somehow not advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Through multiple rebuilds, various head coaching changes and the eventual trade of once-franchise cornerstone Jack Eichel, this club has not been able to find a way back to playing meaningful games in April and beyond.
But things do seem to be looking up. In 2022-23, the Sabres came within one win of making an appearance, and they were just seven points back of the second wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference last season. Close doesn’t mean anything, but the core has proven that it can hang around all season long. Now, it’s time for results.
With Lindy Ruff back behind the bench and a fantastic year from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the books, there’s belief that this squad will again be in contention for the one of the eight spots in the East. But the Atlantic Division remains a gauntlet, with all of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers likely to get in. And the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens all got better this summer.
It’s certainly the most competitive division in the NHL, and it’s not getting any easier. But if a few of these bold predictions come true, it could be another photo finish for the Sabres in 2024-25. Let’s discuss.
Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens bounce back from down years
Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens were both absolutely excellent for the Sabres two seasons ago, but both star forwards endured a down year in 2023-24. That absolutely needs to change if this roster wants any chance of competing for a playoff spot.
Thompson broke onto the scene in 2022-23, putting together one of the best seasons in the history of the franchise. The former No. 26 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft exploded for 47 goals and 47 assists in 78 games, looking like a true NHL superstar. But he fell back to earth last season, chipping in just 29 goals and 56 points over 71 contests.
It’s a similar story with Cozens, albeit with slightly lower expectations. The Workhorse from Whitehorse was also excellent two years ago, amassing 31 goals and 68 games in his second full season in the National. But he also struggled last year, failing to score 20 goals and adding just 47 total points in 79 games.
Both Thompson and Cozens badly need to return to their 2022-23 selves if Buffalo hopes to be competitive. These two drive the bus as the squad’s 1C and 2C, and their play will directly correlate to the success of their linemates, including Alex Tuch, JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn.
But the two will have the benefit of playing top minutes with strong linemates. Quinn was great after battling back from a preseason injury, and he should slot in on Cozens’ wing on line two, along with proven veteran Jason Zucker. As for Thompson, he’ll play 1C — like usual — along with Tuch and Peterka.
They’ve both shown they can play at an extremely high level, and if they stay healthy, both are bounce-back candidates in 2024-25. And speaking of Peterka, he seems to be getting better and better, and with Jeff Skinner now off the team, he’s the no-brainer player to jump onto that top line and top powerplay unit.
JJ Peterka enjoys true breakout campaign, scores 40 goals
Earlier this offseason while training in Europe along with Rasmus Dahlin and others, Peterka said there was no excuse for the Sabres not to make the playoffs in 2025. That’s certainly bold, but the German has gotten better and better every time he’s stepped onto the ice.
After ripping up the AHL to the tune of 68 points in 70 games as a member of the Rochester Americans in 2021-22, the 22-year-old made the jump to the big leagues and chipped in 32 points in 77 NHL games in 2022-23.
He was even better last season, scoring 28 goals and adding 22 assists over a full 82-game slate. He’s poised to break out this year, with full exposure to Tuch and Thompson on the top line and a full season on the top powerplay unit along with that duo, as well as Cozens and Dahlin.
While predicting 40 goals for any player is certainly bold, Peterka has proven he can score, and with the right opportunity, he could be due for a terrific season in Western New York.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen becomes bonafide No. 1, wins over 30 games
One of the bright spots in another postseason-less campaign was the play of UPL, who recorded a sparkling .910 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average over 54 starts — 27 of them wins. Now locked up on a lucrative five-year, 23.75 million contract, he’s the bonafide starter for the Sabres going forward.
The 25-year-old has always been the goalie of the future in Buffalo, and the future is now. With no more competition as the No. 1 — Devon Levi is a capable backup — Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has the ability to be a top goalie in the NHL. And with a D-core that now features Bowen Byram, along with a couple of No. 1 overall picks in Dahlin and Owen Power, the overall defensive game should be much-improved.
If he can stay healthy, let’s predict UPL wins 30-35 games, and probably starts upwards of 60 as Lindy Ruff looks to guide this squad back to the ever elusive postseason. Whether or not it will happen, only time will tell. But if all of these bold predictions come true, the Sabres will be in the conversation all year long.
