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Insane Stat Puts Sabres' Playoff Drought Into Perspective

To say the Buffalo Sabres have had a rough few years would be a huge understatement.

Jon Alfano

December 18, 2010; Tampa FL, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Mike Grier (25) skates during the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Pete Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
December 18, 2010; Tampa FL, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Mike Grier (25) skates during the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Pete Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images
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Over the past decade and a half, the Buffalo Sabres have had it harder than any franchise in not just the NHL, but possibly in all of North American sports.

At the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just weeks left in the regular season, the Sabres' NHL-record playoff drought will extend to 14 seasons. That inevitablity will tie them with the New York Jets for the longest playoff drought in the four major North American leagues (NFL,NBA, MLB, NHL).

In case that somehow doesn't sell how wild the Sabres' futility has been, maybe this will.

As Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group pointed out, San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier, who's now 50 years old, was in the Sabres' lineup for their last playoff game. That game, a 5-2 Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, was the last of Grier's 15-year career.

A Detroit native, Grier had himself a solid playing career. In 1,060 games with the Edmonton Oilers, Sabres, Sharks and Washington Capitals, he had 383 points (162 goals, 221 assists) while being responsible defensively. He even earned some down-ballot Selke Trophy votes late in his career.

Grier retired after the Sabres chose not to re-sign him before the 2011-12 season, and moved into hockey operations. He started off as a scout for the Chicago Blackhawks and then became an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils. However, his big break came in 2021, when the New York Rangers hired him as a hockey operations advisor.

The Sharks hired Grier just over a year later in July of 2022, making him the first Black general manager in NHL history. He's now in charge of leading a deep rebuild in San Jose, and while the Sharks have been down for a while, the future looks bright with young stars Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith leading the way.

Meanwhile, the Sabres are still desperately searching for a way to get back to the playoffs, but have sadly come up empty for the past 14 years.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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