Sabres Playoff Chances Rest On Scorers Bouncing Back
Buffalo's goal production declined by 50 goals last season
© Eric Bolte-Imagn Images - Sabres Playoff Chances Rest On Scorers Bouncing BackThe Buffalo Sabres embark on their 2024-25 regular season on Friday against the New Jersey Devils in the NHL Global Series. The club under head coach Lindy Ruff has adopted an attitude of more accountability in hopes of snapping their 13-year Stanley Cup Playoff drought, but their chances of qualifying for the postseason will depend on their top scorers returning to form after a subpar 2023-24 campaign.
The betting line that Buffalo will make the playoffs according to DraftKings is +155, with the same odds as the Washington Capitals and better than the Detroit Red Wings (+180), Philadelphia Flyers (+220), Montreal Canadiens (+750), and Columbus Blue Jackets (+1500).
For the Sabres to get over their over/under of 88.5 points, the club will need better production from their offensively gifted blueline (Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Bowen Byram) and for their forward group to improve on their 246 goals scored from last season (a 50-goal decline from two years ago).
Tage Thompson – 36.5
JJ Peterka – 25.5
Alex Tuch – 23.5
Leading scorer Tage Thompson scored a career-high 47 goals in 2022-23, but missed 11 games due to a hand injury and dropped to 29 goals last season. Linemate Alex Tuch had a significant decline last season from 36 to 22 goals and center Dylan Cozens dropped from 31 to 18.
JJ Peterka more than doubled his rookie totals, going from 12 to 28 goals last season, but now will have to build on that moving permanently to the top line with Thompson and Tuch.
The difference in making or missing the playoffs may come down to whether wingers Zach Benson and Jack Quinn can show some growth. The 19-year-old Benson is moving into the top-six spot previously occupied by veteran Jeff Skinner and will have to boost his production from his 11 goals as a rookie. Quinn scored nine goals in 27 games but missed two-thirds of the season recovering from two significant injuries.
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