The Buffalo Sabres main focus this season is putting an end to the NHL record 14-year playoff drought. The result of the seven months will not only determine the fates of GM Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff, but the direction and composition of the roster for the foreseeable future. 

The happenings in the Atlantic Division are undoubtedly things that the club is tracking. With the top three teams, Florida brought back the same club that won the championship, but they will be without Matthew Tkachuk until at least December, and likely without captain Aleksander Barkov for the regular season. Couple that with the wear and tear of three deep runs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Panthers could be in position to fall out of the top three.  

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Toronto has moved on from Mitch Marner, and will be without goalie Joseph Woll to start the season, but the club has added size and snarl more conducive to the way Craig Berube wants to play. Tampa’s preseason has been focused on the status of goalie Andrei Vasilevsky, who has missed most of camp with an unspecified injury. The two-time Cup winner had back surgery in 2023 and there is some concern that the issues have returned. 

Ottawa did not make many changes from the club that made the playoffs last season, while Montreal added blueliner Noah Dobson in a sign and trade from the NY Islanders. Boston is healthy and is expected to bounce back from an injury-plagued campaign, while Detroit is hitching their wagon to veteran goalie John Gibson. 

Some of those things may help the Sabres in their division, but Ruff’s club really has to look internally and depend on a series of things turning out positively to challenge for a playoff spot. Buffalo will need goalie Ukko-Pekka Luuukkonen to play as he did at the end of the 2023-24 season and not with the inconsistency of last campaign. The acquisition of Michael Kesselring and his being paired with Owen Power to give the Sabres blueline more depth is extremely important in giving the club more depth on defense. Up front, the club needs center Josh Norris to stay healthy and be the offensive driver he was with the Senators, and also need youngsters Zach Benson and Jack Quinn to step up to fill the gap left by the trade of JJ Peterka. 

If one or more of these things do not turn out, it is likely that the playoff drought will extend to 15 years, and that the club will be undergoing a significant revamping next summer. 

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