Season Slipping Away for Sabres

Despite an optimistic start to the season, the year is quickly slipping away for the Buffalo Sabres.

Dec 9, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Nicolas Aube-Kubel (96) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The Atlantic Division is filled with teams hoping for a playoff spot, including the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL, and they've been vocal as an organization about their deep desire to end it. Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams has been involved in trade talks all season in an effort to add to this roster for the immediate and long-term.

But the fact of the matter is that the Sabres are 11-13-4, good for seventh place in the Atlantic. In front of them are the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Florida Panthers. In order to make the postseason, the Sabres would likely need to catapult themselves into the top three of the division. The way the team has played lately, a seven-game losing streak, they have better odds at finishing last in the division and conference as their season quickly slips away.

And what makes it even more frustrating for the Sabres is the pieces they already have are so talented. Tage Thompson is a legitimate star. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is one of the top 15 goalies in the league. Their top three defensemen are envied by everyone in the NHL with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Bowen Byram all skating 20+ minutes a night. It's not a powerhouse roster, but the pieces are in place to build around.

But no one has been able to push the right buttons with this team. Adams tried this past offseason. He brought in veteran winger Jason Zucker, gritty centerman Ryan McLeod, and 26-year-old Beck Malenstyn to strengthen their bottom-six forward group. Zucker and McLeod have each played well in their first years in Buffal. But the third line isn't creating more chances than they're giving up and they are getting outscored 5-on-5, contributing to the team's negative goal differential.

But it's been 13 years of optimism turning to dejection for Buffalo. This year was supposed to be different. It's taken less than 30 games for it to become perfectly clear that the 2024-2025 season os just more of the same for the Sabres.

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