Ready or Not, Here They Come
As another season of Buffalo Sabres hockey approaches, you have to ask yourself this… Are you ready? I mean really, really ready? Because one of two things is going to happen to all of us. The pure joy and elation of finally getting back into the playoffs OR the mind numbing devastation of the 15th consecutive non playoff appearance. Two emotions at wildly opposite ends of the spectrum, so you need to be mentally prepared. It’s a lot to ask of a Sabres’ fan at this point. We already know the Hockey Gods don’t give a rat’s ass about us. We are and have always been on our own. The state of Florida has FIVE Stanley Cups between the two teams. Isn’t that nice? Meanwhile a Northeast snowy fanbase, ravid about hockey for 55 years, long overdue for a taste of the ultimate victory, still goes without. With much more uncertainty still ahead for the team. I almost feel like Sabres’ fans will have to WILL the team to a championship some day. With some of the most intense fandom a sports team has ever seen. But the team has to show that same WILL and INTENSITY just to earn many of them back.
If the Sabres are really going to make a run at it this season, two things need to happen for me. (well, two of about 20 or more) The players that performed well last season must repeat or even surpass those totals. No taking a year off and dropping 10 or 20 points on the stat sheet. They need to bring it, individually and as a team. Grow up and do your job effectively AND consistently like winners do.
Secondly, the players that underperformed last season must bring it even harder. That includes players on a down year, dealing with injuries or not having broken out yet. It’s time to rise up and shed off the funk. Be an NHL player, be an NHL team!
Though nearly every player on the roster fits into one of these categories, I’m going to highlight three each from both sides. Three players who had strong seasons last year and must bring it again. And three players that must improve or bounce back bigtime. Feel free to add your own opinions, these are mine of most importance to me.
And as for the heartless Hockey Gods, they can have an earful of Pedro Cerrano from us.
Played Well, Must Repeat
- Alex Tuch: With 36 goals and 67 points, Alex had himself a whale of a season. He was still 12 points shy of his 2022-23 totals but much better than the previous season of just 59 points. If Buffalo is going to make some noise, Tuch will need to be a catalyst. I don’t know what others think, but Alex comes across as Mr. Sabre to me. He bleeds Buffalo blue. Tuch works hard, scores goals and makes plays, while showing an edge on the ice. He is a puck thief, with an eye-popping six shorties last season. If this team is to go anywhere, Tuch’s leadership must be at the forefront. I’m hoping for 75 to 80 points from him this season and lots of his bright white smiles. (cue the gleaming ping from his teeth)
- Tage Thompson: This season would sure be a great time for TNT to breakthrough to the 50 goal plateau. He has come close twice with mid-season slumps slowing him down. Tage had 44 goals and 72 points last season, much better than the 29 goal, 56 points he scored the year prior. For Buffalo to succeed, he cannot revert back to those numbers. Injuries have not helped, as Thompson has had mutilple nagging issues the past two seasons. He must stay healthy and he must elevate his game like never before. As Tage goes, so does the team. This might sound crazy, but I think he is capable of 50 goals and 90 points. Far and away, that would be his biggest offensive output in his life. But desperate times welcome career years. The Sabres will need a performance like that to improve their playoff chances.
- Jason Zucker: Shoulders shrugged all over Sabres’ fandom when Buffalo signed Jason Zucker last offseason. It felt like a moderate move, a warm body to help fill the middle-six of the Blue and Gold’s lineup. Zucker had been on a downward trend for several seasons before that but what a pleasant surprise he turned out to be. (for many but not all) Jason exceeded expectations, scoring 21 goals and 53 points. He also scored a team high 11 power play goals. For a squad that struggled with the man advantage, imagine how bad they would have been without him? Zucker was rewarded with a two year contract and he needs to match that commitment the Sabres gave him. If he falls back into the downward trend, that will really hurt Buffalo’s odds to make the post season. He needs to score fairly consistently again, something in the realm of 50 points. A very slight dropoff is ok, but only with Zucker. No 15-20 point plunges are allowed.
Time to Step Up Your Game
- Jack Quinn: There is no doubt that the Mighty Quinn has goal scoring talent and good offensive instincts. He had a decent rookie year then suffered his big injury in year two. But he was producing at a good clip when he came back before going out again. Cut to year three and Jack looked lost on the ice to start the season. He couldn’t buy any points and even ended up in the press box for some games. But Quinn salvaged his season with a productive second half. 15 goals, 24 assists, 39 points is nothing to sneeze at. It’s even more impressive when you realize he put up most of those numbers in the last 45-50 games. That’s a pace of something like 55-60 points over the course of a full season. Now in year four, it’s time for Quinn to do just that. He needs to earn his high draft status and put up those type numbers. He should see plently of top-six action in the lineup and he certainly has the talent. He just needs to put it all togther. Jack Quinn’s much needed progression will play a big role in Buffalo’s success or failure. 25-30 goals and 60 points is my marker for Quinn this year.
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Where to start with UPL? He played ok for about a third of the season. He played average at best for another third. Then came the third to forget, where he struggled mightily. His save percentages in those games were atrocious. He would routinely finish a game stopping only 21 of 26 shots or 18 of 24 or 27 of 33. Horrid stuff. He wasn’t all at fault, Buffalo’s team defense left a lot to be desired too. But Luukkonen was never the player we saw from the previous season. He was slow to react and often lost sight of the puck. Worst of all, he was out of position so often, it looked like he was glitching in a 20 year old NHL video game. And now as the season draws close, he is already dealing with an injury. Supposedly nothing major but enough for Buffalo to sign Alexandar Georgiev. UPL may miss some time to start the year, but he needs to make the most of the time he does play. Luukkonen is still the starter on this team until somebody takes it from him. Or he drops off so bad there is no other option. I still have faith in him but he needs to get back to the basics and really work at his craft. The Sabres will go nowhere without solid goaltending and UPL still has all the size and tools to make it happen.
- Zach Benson: Having shocked and rocked the world lately on the DBTB message board, Benson still has some work to do. Offensively at least. He was the 2nd best ranked player under 25 on the team and he sure is a spitfire player on the ice. Always forechecking hard, getting in skirmishes, battling in the corners. But his occasional offense is not enough and he needs a Big-Bang expansion starting right now. Zach was drafted for his talent and skills. The fact that he plays the game right and has all the intangibles is a great bonus. But Benny needs to start piling up more points, and he should with the company he will keep. He will get top-six minutes to start the year, playing with the likes of Thompson, Kulich, Norris and Tuch. Zach has gotten his feet wet but it’s time to dive in the deep end. I expect nothing less than 50 points from Benson in year three, with 60 being a possibility. He is a gifted passer, so many of his points will be helpers. But he should be capable of 20 goals too. His continued development will be crucial to Buffalo’s fortunes as they strive to put an end to this maddness.