Another season has passed by, and still, Buffalo Sabres fans were left with a sour taste in their mouths as winger Jack Quinn did not live up to expectations. After having another down season, he still managed to secure a solid bridge deal that will see him remain with the team on a more “prove it” basis for two more seasons. As Quinn moves into year five of his NHL career, he has a lot to show in order to prove that he still can be the high-level scoring winger that he was touted to be when he was drafted. With the door being wide open in the Sabres’ top six for him to walk through and claim a spot, there should be no excuses beyond injury why he cannot step up and take one of them.
Quinn’s Weaknesses Have Held Him Back Too Much
Throughout the course of his NHL career so far, Quinn has found himself on the other end of some fairly tough injuries that have kept him out of the lineup for extended periods of time, or have simply hindered his ability to be at 100% capacity for the entire season. His conditioning could be to blame for this, but the reality is that when he is healthy, he has the capacity to be a very capable forward. Taking injuries out of the equation, Quinn has two things that really hold back his game, and neither of them is difficult to fix.
The first is his confidence. Since coming into the NHL, he has looked very sheepish on the ice and has given off the impression that he is nervous when he has the puck at times. While it is not a constant issue, and he has moments of determination and levelheadedness, he struggles to maintain this headspace for extended periods of time, and that really trips him up as a season drags on (especially when scoring slumps and losing streaks happen).
The second is his physicality. While he is not a large player, standing at a modest 6-foot-1 and weighing in at 185 pounds, he has some size and could easily use it more. This is not an expectation for him to throw hits, but as a decent-sized winger, it means he has the capacity to use his body to get physical around the net and score, or even use his weight and size to drive the net to put the puck in. Adjusting his game to have a more physical style incorporated will only boost his confidence when the goal totals start going up.
Quinn Needs to Use His Greatest Strength More
Quinn’s best asset is, by far, his shooting ability. He is not the fastest skater on the team by any means, but he does have some speed, and he can use it to complement his hands and shooting abilities well. His creativity and ability to score in so many different ways make him more unique compared to some of the other Sabres goal-scorers like Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, who both have fairly predictable ways of scoring. Quinn, on the other hand, has a knack for being able to shoot the puck from just about anywhere and then finding a hole in the defense to have it go in. While his overall goal total may not speak to that (39 goals in 178 games), there is a truth to it in watching his play. When the puck is on his stick, there is a confidence that the puck can very much end up in the back of the net, and that is more than fans can say about most Sabre players.
If Quinn remains healthy and is willing to play a little more selfish or go to the rougher areas of the ice to score, he can easily break his prior personal best of 15 goals (which he set in 2024-25) and reach the 30-goal mark. If he takes a spot in the top six permanently and thrives in the role, it would not shock me to even see him put up 40 goals in a season. Between his shooting accuracy and shot choice and timing, Quinn has everything he needs to be a great scorer in the NHL. He just needs to trust himself and do it.
If Quinn Does Not Take the Spot, He Should Be Moved
Quinn was drafted by the Sabres with the eighth overall selection back in 2020, and with him only being able to secure a short-term deal, he needs to make the most of it. If he does not, the Sabres need to assess that as soon as possible and move him for some other asset or player in order to maximize his value while it is still possible. The Sabres have plenty of high-end prospects that Quinn could be replaced by, whether it be young gun Jiri Kulich or any of the talents with the Rochester Americans. He is the kind of player who is expendable, especially on the contract he signed. He could be easily moved and shuffled out if need be. However, on the flip side, should he claim the spot that he needs to, the Sabres could have a wonderful dilemma on their hands.
Quinn may have struggled over the course of the last few seasons, but 2024-25 was not terrible for him. He did post career highs in goals (15), assists (24), and points (39), and he looked more confident as the season was winding down and he was healthier. With former linemate JJ Peterka no longer in the picture, he will have to find some chemistry with other teammates, as the two of them were outstanding together. It is on him to step up and be the player he was always meant to be this coming season. He needs it, and the team really needs it.
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