Buffalo Sabres Mid-Season Awards
The club is one game under .500 (22-23-4) at the All-Star break
Buffalo Sabres Mid-Season AwardsART ROSS: Casey Mittelstadt, 42 points (12 goals, 30 assists) in 49 games
On a team that is well behind their 2023 offensive numbers, Mittelstadt has been the exception. The 25-year-old is well ahead of the pace to exceed his career-high 59 points from last season, but his future status is in question as a restricted free agent this summer.
ROCKET RICHARD: J-J Peterka, 18 goals in 49 games
After a decent rookie campaign (32 points), the 22-year-old starred for Germany at the World Championships last summer and has taken giant steps forward as an NHL sophomore, being one of the Sabres most consistent scorers and leading the club with 18 at the All-Star break.
HART AND NORRIS: Rasmus Dahlin, 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 48 games
The dual awarding of the club MVP and top defenseman is more due to the rest of the core group (Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens) having disappointing seasons. Dahlen leads all NHL blueliners in goals (13) and is in the top 10 in points (38) and time-on-ice (25:02), but in spite of his importance and primary role with the Sabres, there was an expectation that the 23-year-old would have shown more growth in the defensive side of his game.
VEZINA: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, 12-11-2, 2.61 GAA, .909 Save %
The 24-year-old has shown a higher level of consistency after his play was wildly chaotic in 2023. After trying to hand the #1 duties to Devon Levi at the start of the season, Luukkonen has taken the reigns on two occasions and has thrived with regular work. There is some speculation that Levi’s recent demotion to Rochester may be long-term and if that is the case, Luukkonen will get a chance to prove that he can be a legitimate primary NHL starter.
SELKE: Jordan Greenway, 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 37 games
The rangy forward took on a bigger two-way role at even strength and as a penalty killer after being acquired from Minnesota last March, and was trusted enough by head coach Don Granato to shift to center when the Sabres were depleted up the middle in January.
CALDER: Zach Benson, 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 38 games
The 18-year-old was expected to be playing in the WHL and for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships after being selected at the Draft in Nashville last June, but after an excellent training camp and playing with feistiness, energy, and two-way responsibility, Benson remained with the Sabres past the 10-game mark and has played up and down the lineup.
MASTERTON: Jack Quinn, 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in 17 games
After suffering an Achilles injury in off-season training in June, the 22-year-old returned ahead of schedule in December and did not show any rust after a long layoff. Unfortunately, the 2020 first-rounder was injured in the final game before the All-Star break and will be out for eight weeks following surgery for a lower-body injury.
LADY BYNG: J-J Peterka
If Peterka leading Buffalo with 18 goals wasn't enough of an accomplishment, the 22-year-old only has 10 minutes in penalties this season.
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