Buffalo’s offensive numbers dropping off is the chief cause for their not fulfilling expectations
Buffalo’s offensive numbers dropping off is the chief cause for their not fulfilling expectations
The Buffalo Sabres reached the first-half mark of the regular season last week and still have a sub .500 record, in spite of some slight improvements defensively. We will break down the club position by position, giving a grade on where they stand at the mid-point of the season, as today we look at the club’s forwards.
The Sabres were an offensive behemoth last season with 296 goals (3rd in the NHL), which powered them to within one point of the playoffs. The focus during the summer leading into training camp was to cut down on the 300 goals allowed, which was addressed in part by the additions of veteran blueliners Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson but also stressed more of a defensive buy-in from their forward group.
GM Kevyn Adams did not make any significant changes up front, re-signing veterans Kyle Okposo, Tyson Jost, and Zemgus Girgensons to one-year deals, and retaining 28-goal scorer Victor Olofsson after the injury to winger Jack Quinn. The club chose their usual course of hoping that internal prospects such as Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen, Lukas Rousek, Matthew Savoie, and Zach Benson to challenge for roster spots.
Savoie’s injury before training camp pretty much ended his chances of making the NHL, while Kulich, Rosen, and Rousek did not make enough of an impression to earn more than brief call-ups. Benson on the other hand was a standout at training camp and has been surprisingly efficient at both ends of the ice, which has enabled him to be a solid contributor offensively and remain in the lineup.
The club was relying on the forward group, led by 47-goal scorer Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, Alex Tuch, and Dylan Cozens to maintain their high-octane scoring pace and cut down on the opposition’s scoring chances, but that has not been the case through the first half.
Of that group, only Skinner is on pace to reach his goal-scoring totals, Thompson missed 10 games due to a hand injury, with Tuch and Cozens well below their 2023 numbers. The overachievers thus far have been leading scorer Casey Mittelstadt (39 points) and sophomore JJ Peterka (14 goals), but in total, the Sabes goals totals have decreased by 38 (172 to 134).
It has to be said that the club's attempt to adopt a more defensive mindset has come at the cost of one of the best offenses in the NHL and that their group is either not ready or not capable of playing a two-way game.
Grade – C-
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