The Penguins finished with a 38-32-12 record (88 points), four points ahead of Buffalo
The Buffalo Sabres took a step back after barely missing the playoffs in 2023, finishing seven points out of the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with a 39-37-6 record (84 points). The regression cost head coach Don Granato his job and put more pressure on GM Kevyn Adams to snap the league’s longest playoff drought of 13 seasons.
Adams brought back veteran head coach Lindy Ruff to stress accountability and has made trades and free agent signings to remedy the Sabres depth and defensive issues, but the question now is whether they are as good or better than their competition in the Eastern Conference.
The Pittsburgh Penguins hoped that significant changes to their roster made by new GM Kyle Dubas would breathe life into a club with an aging core group, but they struggled with consistency throughout the season and made the decision to trade pending UFA winger Jake Guentzel at the deadline. The Pens made a late push led by the ageless Sidney Crosby, but fell short of the postseason, missing by three points with a 38-32-12 record (88 points).
This summer, Dubas traded veteran winger Reilly Smith to the Rangers to clear out salary, acquired center Kevin Hayes from St. Louis and signed former Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk as a free agent.
Forwards
At a certain point, one has to wonder when the Pens core group that won three Cups in 2009, 2016 and 2017 will hit the wall. It did not happen last season, as Crosby scored 42 goals (his most in seven years), Evgeni Malkin had 67 points, and Bryan Rust netted 28 goals. The significant amount of turnover up front (Guentzel, Smith, and Jeff Carter out, Michael Bunting and Hayes in) could lower the output of the club that scored 255 goals last season. Veterans Noel Acciari, Rickard Rakell, and Lars Eller provide experienced depth, but the Sabres with their additions in the bottom six, their quality young veterans, and skill throughout their forward corps have the advantage.
Defense
The Penguins brought in Erik Karlsson coming off a 101-point Norris Trophy-winning season, and the 34-year-old led the club in defensive scoring with 56 points. Kris Letang played his first complete season in more than a decade and had 51 points. Ryan Graves and Marcus Pettersson are solid veterans, and Grzelcyk and former Islander Sebastian Aho will likely fit in on the bottom pairing.
As with their core group up front, Pittsburgh will be heavily reliant on players whose age begins with a “3”. The Sabres have younger high-end talent with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Bowen Byram as their top three defensemen, and have better depth on the blueline, giving them a distinct advantage.
Goaltending
Tristan Jarry struggled in the first year of a five-year contract extension, going 19-25-5 with a save percentage just over .900, and lost his starting job to backup Alex Nedeljkovic, who made almost every start down the stretch and went 18-7-7. Nedeljkovic was re-signed for two years, and will likely battle Jarry for the starting job at training camp.
In spite of the uncertainty that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen can repeat his 2024 performance and that Devon Levi can achieve a level of consistency that evaded him as a rookie, the Sabres have less question marks with their tandem than the Penguins do.
Outlook
Pittsburgh will be in that bubble group of five or six teams along with the Sabres battling for the Eastern Conference wildcard spots, but their position in that group is more tenuous than the Sabres, as they are totally dependent on their aging core maintaining their high level of performance for one more season.
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