And so it begins.

The 2021-22 NHL season is officially underway, and the Buffalo Sabres kick off their campaign this evening as they host the Montreal Canadiens. Many things this year back to normal, or at least some semblance of normalcy, compared to last season. Fingers crossed, we should get an 82-game season, something we haven’t had in a while for Buffalo.

As we do every year, Die By The Blade editorial staff got together to compile their predictions for the upcoming season. Just how good (bad) will the Sabres be? Which players will stand out? Which goaltender steps up to the plate?

Obviously anything can happen, especially in these pandemic times, but for now, we know what the Sabres are and reasonably what to expect from them. It’s quite a different team from last season, too, so let’s check out what our staff had to say:

Team MVP

Dylan Cozens (3 Votes) – Taylor, Calvin, Kerra

Rasmus Dahlin (1 Vote) – Melissa

Casey Mittelstadt (1 Vote) – Ryan S.

Tage Thompson (1 Vote) – Bryan

Leading Goalscorer

Dylan Cozens (1 Vote) – Taylor

Rasmus Dahlin (1 Vote) – Ryan S.

Victor Olofsson (1 Vote) – Calvin

Jeff Skinner (3 Votes) – Bryan, Melissa, Kerra

Surprise Player

Anders Bjork (1 Vote) – Melissa

John Hayden (1 Vote) – Bryan

Vinnie Hinostroza (1 Vote) – Taylor

JJ Peterka (1 Vote) – Calvin

Arttu Ruotsalainen (1 Vote) – Kerra

Craig Anderson or Mattias Samuelsson (1 Vote) – Ryan S.

Best Defenseman

Rasmus Dahlin (5 Votes) – Taylor, Ryan S., Calvin, Melissa, Kerra

Will Butcher (1 Vote) – Bryan

Total Team Points

78 (1 Vote) – Bryan

69 (2 Votes) – Taylor, Calvin

63 (1 Vote) – Ryan S.

58 (1 Vote) – Melissa

48 (1 Vote) – Kerra

Will the Sabres make the playoffs?

No (6 Votes) – Taylor, Ryan S., Bryan, Calvin, Melissa, Kerra

Bold Prediction(s)

Taylor: JJ Peterka ends up 2C; Eichel does a SportsCenter exclusive interview fully airing out the Sabres’ dirty laundry.

Ryan S.: Arttu Ruotsalainen ends the season as the team’s second-line center.

Bryan: Will Butcher scores 40+ points.

Calvin: Dylan Cozens will take over Eichel’s mantle, be the team leader in points scored & get the ‘C’ early in 2022.

Melissa: The Sabres are unable to find a suitable trade partner and cannot move Jack Eichel before the Olympics.

Fans, now it’s your turn. Leave your responses in the comments for:

Team MVP
Leading Goalscorer
Surprise Player
Best Defenseman
Total Team Points
Will the Sabres make the playoffs?
Bold Prediction(s)