On The Rise In Buffalo
The 2022-2023 NHL Season has certainly been an eventful one with plenty of storylines, but the Buffalo Sabres have been a fascinating one to follow this season.
With an average age of 25.55, the Sabres are currently the youngest team in the NHL. Sabres fans have had very little to look forward to over the last fifteen years, with their last playoff appearance in the 2010-2011 season. In other words, they have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL, currently at 11 years. Between their disappointing results on the ice and their drama off the ice, they’ve been largely looked at as either an irrelevant team or an outright laughing stock over the course of the past decade. After trading their former captain Jack Eichel in November of 2021, the drama off the ice was resolved and the ambiance of the organization was looking up.
This year, there is a lot to be proud of in Buffalo. They named Kyle Okposo as their new captain; the first African American captain in Sabres history. Team morale seems to be high as a result, and his teammates are praising him for his leadership over the course of the season. In addition, they currently sit at number 3 in goals per game with 3.70, only behind the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers.
The high-powered offense has been led by Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. Thompson was chosen for the NHL All-Star Game, which is this weekend, but with an upper-body injury, Dahlin replaced him on the Atlantic Division All-Star roster. Tage has widely been touted as a Hart Trophy candidate, and for good reason with his 34 goals and 34 assists in 50 games. He's been a big presence for them; quite literally at 6’7”. Thompson also had great individual moments including scoring a hat-trick and the game winning goal the day after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the football field, paying a unique tribute to Hamlin and the city of Buffalo. He did it on January 3 vs the Washington Capitals in DC, and Damar’s jersey number was also 3. Rasmus Dahlin is widely touted as a candidate to win the Norris Trophy this year as the league's best defenseman. As a former #1 pick by Buffalo in 2018, he’s consistently showing the upside that led to him being taken there in the first place. They’re also getting breakthrough performances from other players on their team like Dylan Cozens, Alex Tuch, and Jeff Skinner. While Thompson and Dahlin get most of the spotlight, Tuch and Skinner have been fantastic linemates for Thompson. The contributions of their supporting teammates should not be overlooked.
While goaltending and defense have held them back from being a dominant team this season as they sit at 22nd in goals allowed per game, it hasn’t derailed their season either. It still remains to be seen how their goaltending can hold up for the rest of the season. 2021 #1 pick, Owen Power is flashing his potential with a recent 3 game goal streak last week, which has added some much-needed depth at defenseman. The Sabres have a lot of young talent that are either currently having breakthrough seasons or starting to show potential for a bright future. They are currently a point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they enter the all-star break. Whether they end their playoff drought or not, the 2022-23 season should be considered a huge success for hockey in Buffalo.