I Cannot See Buffalo Missing the Playoffs Next Year

[barabas21]

I came into discuss but completely got sidetracked when I saw OP has 739 posts in 20 odd days. I am impressed, those are Gretzky like message board numbers.

 

[CanadianCoyote]

Buffalo has slowly been improving year by year.

And the clock is ticking on Boston. I actually think there is a decent chance they miss the playoffs this year.

People said Boston was done in 2019 and they made the Finals. There's not a chance that they miss the playoffs in a shortened season, they're still going to be a very, very good team.

 

[CanadianSniper]

How is Boston clearly better? They lost the puck moving Krug and Chara is one year older (not signed yet either). Pasta and Marchand are not expected to be ready until mid Jan or early Feb. Bergeron and Krejci also one year older. Bruins still a good team but they have more questions heading into this season than previous ones

How is Boston clearly better? Well, Boston finished in 1st place in the entire league last year, Buffalo finished in 25th place, I think that paints a pretty clear picture. I don't think Boston will be as good as they were last season, but they are still clearly better than Buffalo until Buffalo proves otherwise.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Not in that division

 

[Mickey Marner]

I can easily see it.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

How is Boston clearly better? They lost the puck moving Krug and Chara is one year older (not signed yet either). Pasta and Marchand are not expected to be ready until mid Jan or early Feb. Bergeron and Krejci also one year older. Bruins still a good team but they have more questions heading into this season than previous ones

Losing Krug isn't the difference in Buffalo passing Boston in the standings

 

[Habs Halifax]

Losing Krug isn't the difference in Buffalo passing Boston in the standings

I'd agree with that if Pasta and Marchand don't miss too much time.

 

[GOilers88]

Boston is looking at a big regression imo. Islanders I think lack the high level Buffalo has. Pens I don't see making the playoffs.

The Islanders that went to the ECF but a few months ago?

 

[John Eichel da GOAT]

Because the Edmonton Dou has 2 top 5 players in th NHL.

I disagree. I think the Edmonton duo has a top 2 player a top 15 player in it with the top 2 carrying the bulk of the load. The Sabres have had garbage teams and Eichel has proven to be a top 15 player and even a top 5-10 player. Now that he actually has some talent around him in Hall, no reason if they mesh well Hall could easily be a top 10-15 player with Eichel.

Now if the argument is their new division is too tough or Eichel/Hall wont play together, then fine.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

People said Boston was done in 2019 and they made the Finals. There's not a chance that they miss the playoffs in a shortened season, they're still going to be a very, very good team.

There is a chance but it's not likely.

In a world where Covid exists though yeah there is a chance

 

[joe dirte]

People said Boston was done in 2019 and they made the Finals. There's not a chance that they miss the playoffs in a shortened season, they're still going to be a very, very good team.

Done? well that's jumping the gun. And "people", as you put it, were wrong, but I can't imagine there were very many. I've been anticipating a downturn for quite some time, given the ages of Chara, Bergeron, to a lesser extent, Marchand, and even Rask, without much high end youth there, but I'm not so sure you'll see them "fall off a cliff". It's amazing they've held on this long. But I wouldn't go so far as to say it will be sudden and they'll be a basement team (or, as you phrase it, "done")

They're a one line offense. Their top scorers beyond the first line are Ottawa Senators level bad. Their top scorer off that first line is Kavid Krejci, with 43 points, and even he is in the twilight of his career. So, a lot of it hinges on Bergeron, who we all know drives that first line. If he has a bad year, or declines, I can see them missing the playoffs.

that doesn't even address the fact that their defense lost a key part in Krug. That was their number one dman in terms of feeding the forwards the puck.

They'll decline, I think that's a given. Will you see a little this year, or a lot? I don't know. but the writing is most definitely on the wall with them.

I just don't see anything as a guarantee with Boston. Lots of question marks there.

 

[CanadianCoyote]

I just don't see anything as a guarantee with Boston. Lots of question marks there.

Buffalo's entire playoff ambitions pretty much revolve around Hall meshing well in that lineup. If he doesn't, like what happened in Arizona? They're f***ed.

They don't have the depth necessary to compete with the big boys in their division without Hall and Eichel meshing together, and losing a couple of good players in Kahun and Larsson and bringing in noted not-good player Cody Eakin and the desiccated remains of Eric Staal aren't moves that make me think the Sabres are trending in a direction that makes them better then Carolina, the Islanders, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Boston.

Their moves so far are getting Brandon Davidson, Taylor Hall (who's almost definitely just wanting to use Buffalo to inflate his price before hitting the market again), Tobias Rieder and Eric Staal.

Their current projected forward lines are;

• Hall-Eichel-Olofsson
• Skinner-Staal-Cozens
• Thomson-Eakin-Reinhart
• Girgensons-Lazar-Okposo

Dunno about you, but that forward group does not inspire much fear beyond the first line. Their projected defensive pairs don't exactly inspire me, either;

• Dahlin-Miller
• Ristolainen-Montour
• McCabe-Jokiharju

 

[joe dirte]

Buffalo's entire playoff ambitions pretty much revolve around Hall meshing well in that lineup. If he doesn't, like what happened in Arizona? They're f***ed.

They don't have the depth necessary to compete with the big boys in their division without Hall and Eichel meshing together, and losing a good player in Kahun and bringing in noted not-good player Cody Eakin aren't moves that make me think the Sabres are trending in a direction that makes them better then Carolina, the Islanders, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Boston.

Well they dont though. Im not saying they will make the playoffs, but Dahlin is young and improving, with potential to be elite. Hes s near lock to be an improvement this year. eichel is a top forward. Reinhart is solid for a second line centre. Skinner, tough to imagine he wont bwme better than last year...

Just like boston is full of question marks in terms of how much theyll decline, buffalo is full of question marks in terms of young improving players, unsure of how much theyll improve.

Theyll almost surely improve. A lot? I dont know. Maybe, maybe not.

 

[ricky0034]

How is Boston clearly better? They lost the puck moving Krug and Chara is one year older (not signed yet either). Pasta and Marchand are not expected to be ready until mid Jan or early Feb. Bergeron and Krejci also one year older. Bruins still a good team but they have more questions heading into this season than previous ones

you say that like it's a long time

the league isn't even supposed to start at all until mid January and we'll see whether that even ends up happening(at this point i'll believe it once I see camps starting up and such)

 

[Mikeshane]

If Dahlin is a legit #1 overall he could make a huge improvement from the last time he's played.

 

[nickdawg95]

People are really disrespecting Dahlin and Hall It's a little pathetic.

IMO If we upgrade on Hutton i see us making the playoffs. if we had an average backup last year we would of made the playoffs.

 

[Habs Halifax]

you say that like it's a long time

the league isn't even supposed to start at all until mid January and we'll see whether that even ends up happening(at this point i'll believe it once I see camps starting up and such)

Have not heard any news lately on them so what I remember is their are expected to return mid Jan or Feb. They miss camp and one of them missing about a month maybe. We don't know when they will return so it's a question mark for the Bruins no matter how we spin it. Could be a major problem or a minor one.

Starting off slow in a 56 game season is not easy to recover from vs a 82 game season

 

[Mickey Marner]

Buffalo's entire playoff ambitions pretty much revolve around Hall meshing well in that lineup. If he doesn't, like what happened in Arizona? They're f***ed.

They don't have the depth necessary to compete with the big boys in their division without Hall and Eichel meshing together, and losing a couple of good players in Kahun and Larsson and bringing in noted not-good player Cody Eakin and the desiccated remains of Eric Staal aren't moves that make me think the Sabres are trending in a direction that makes them better then Carolina, the Islanders, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Boston.

Their moves so far are getting Brandon Davidson, Taylor Hall (who's almost definitely just wanting to use Buffalo to inflate his price before hitting the market again), Tobias Rieder and Eric Staal.

Their current projected forward lines are;

• Hall-Eichel-Olofsson
• Skinner-Staal-Cozens
• Thomson-Eakin-Reinhart
• Girgensons-Lazar-Okposo

Dunno about you, but that forward group does not inspire much fear beyond the first line. Their projected defensive pairs don't exactly inspire me, either;

• Dahlin-Miller
• Ristolainen-Montour
• McCabe-Jokiharju

I have a hard time seeing Reinhart on the 3rd line. He's paid his dues and it's another contract year. If he's on the 3rd line regularly this season it'll be his last in Buffalo.

I agree that their depth is poor though.

 

[McShogun99]

They still have the same defence and goaltending

 

[sabremike]

Not replacing Carter Hutton (who starting in net is essentially the same thing as a forfeit) with someone who actually belongs on an NHL roster is what is going to kill us.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I can easily see them missing. My argument would be that they're the f***ing Buffalo Sabres.

That cannot be argued

 

[Golden_Jet]

Have not heard any news lately on them so what I remember is their are expected to return mid Jan or Feb. They miss camp and one of them missing about a month maybe. We don't know when they will return so it's a question mark for the Bruins no matter how we spin it. Could be a major problem or a minor one.

Starting off slow in a 56 game season is not easy to recover from vs a 82 game season

Starting off slow is not their issue, were they not the best team 15-20 games in the last 2 years.

 

[BHD]

Who are they demonstrably better than in that division?

 

[5 Minute Major]

I'm a 45 year plus Sabres fan and I have no issue saying that I do have a difficult time seeing the Sabres in the playoffs because I think our goaltending is the worst in the league.

 

[GuerinUp]

I hate to say it, but in that division buffalo has about as good of a chance to make the playoffs as toronto has to win a stanley cup