Rasmus Dahlin (left), David Pastrnak (center), Tage Thompson (right) -- (Timothy T. Ludwig, USA TODAY Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/2aafa831-6fef-4375-b07e-a3d6da1c3c5a.jpeg] Rasmus Dahlin (left), David Pastrnak (center), Tage Thompson (right) -- (Timothy T. Ludwig, USA TODAY Images) The Buffalo Sabres [http://thn.com/buffalo] have made most, if. not all of their off-season moves. And before we get around to making our pre-season predictions as is custom at THN.com, we're going to take a different approach to our picks this time around. Instead of just giving you all the picks at once, we're going to break things down for the Sabres by looking into who their divisional opponents will be next season -- and why that contributes to them either making, or missing, the Stanley Cup playoffs. That process, then, will start in earnest today, as we focus alphabetically on the first team in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division and analyze how they may fare against the Sabres. We'll give you the days they're going to play each Atlantic team, their new faces, and how they fared against each other last season. With that said, let's start, alphabetically, with Buffalo's Atlantic Division-rival Boston Bruins [http://thn.com/boston]: "The Wraparound" BUFFALO SABRES VS. BOSTON BRUINS NEW BRUINS PLAYERS: Fraser Minten, C; Michael Eyssimont, LW; Sean Kuraly, LW; Tanner Jeannot, LW; Viktor Arvidsson, RW 2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 3-1-0, Bruins 1-1-2 2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: October 11, at Boston; October 30 at Boston; December 27 at Buffalo; March 25 at Buffalo CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? If they're to be a playoff team in the Atlantic this year, the Sabres have to take advantage out of every poential soft spot in the leauge, and that includes a Bruins team that missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in nine years. And judging by the moves Boston GM Don Sweeney has made, this Bruins team intends on ending their playoff drought at one year. Now, in saying that, we're not saying the moves Sweeney has made *will* get his team back in the post-season. To the contrary -- we're skeptical in the extreme that Boston can do such a thing. When your off-season consists of acquiring "energy" players -- your Jeannots, your Kuralys -- you're probably not taking a big step forward in the standings. The Bruins' system isn't bad, but we don't see the generational talent you need to see in teams people talk about as legitimate Cup contenders. So, bringing us back to the Sabres question -- yes, we do think Buffalo is capable of beating the Bruins. Will they beat them in all of their four showdowns? That's proably asking too much of any team, but a good bounce here or there, and we see the Sabres being hungry enough and skilled enough to beat Boston more times than they lose next year. Let's Be Optimistic -- Maybe Sabres' Best-Laid Plans Will Work Out Next Season [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c44a42d7-ceb2-4cf9-90d6-e9436c3c173a.jpeg] Let's Be Optimistic -- Maybe Sabres' Best-Laid Plans Will Work Out Next Season Having made most, if not all of their off-season moves. the <a href="http://thn.com/buffalo">Buffalo Sabres</a> now sit and wait for the 2025-26 regular-season to begin. The next five-to-six weeks are almost assuredly going to be rather quiet when it comes to Sabres news, but you can never be completely sure nothing will take place in terms of Buffalo's roster composition. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/let-s-be-optimistic----maybe-sabres-best-laid-plans-will-work-out-next-season] The Sabres/Bruins showdowns will happen early this coming season -- with three of the four games to be played by Dec. 27 -- which is the opposite of what happened last season, when most games came in the second half of the season. That said, Boston and Buffalo will square off one final time (at least, in the regular-season) on March 25 -- the eleventh-to-last games of the schedule. That means each team will be able to look at each other after the trade deadline and try to make some sort of statement when it comes to potentially playing again in the post-season. And the competitive bar for the Sabres against the Bruins is very possible to be cleared by Buffalo. Boston no longer has the aura of champions. They may get back there some day, but at the moment, the Bruins simply don't have enough of that elite play at all positions, they way they used to. So the Sabres can't pretend they were bullied by the Bruins. This Boston team just ain't that good, and Buffalo needs to take advantage of that. If Buffalo doesn't take care of business against lesser teams like they Bruins, they're going to have to win more games against true Atlantic playoff teams in Florida [http://thn.com/florida], Toronto [http://thn.com/toronto] and Tampa Bay [http://thn.com/tampabay]. And that's a huge ask of any NHL team. One Of These Three Young Sabres Players Has To Step Up If Buffalo Is Going To Be A Playoff Team Next Year [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/34b93f30-30f6-47d5-aa0d-eea003c1acd7.jpeg] One Of These Three Young Sabres Players Has To Step Up If Buffalo Is Going To Be A Playoff Team Next Year If they're to end their 14-year Stanley Cup playoff drought, the <a href="http://thn.com/buffalo">Buffalo Sabres</a> will need a lot of things to go right. They're going to need solid goaltending from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and/or Devon Levi. They're going to need veterans including Tage Thompson, Jason Zucker and Alex Tuch to produce what they've usally produced in their NHL career. They're going to need coach Lindy Ruff's instruction to be followed. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/one-of-these-three-young-sabres-players-has-to-step-up-if-buffalo-is-going-to-be-a-playoff-team-next-year] The Sabres and Bruins have a terrific rivalry that two older teams should always have with one another. That's going to make for passionate hockey, and in one of this year's potential narratives, Boston and Buffalo could be fighting it out for a wild card berth. So, in sum -- will the Sabres beat the Bruins next year? That, we're not so sure. But should they beat the Bruins? Absolutely. The Bruins still haven't come to terms with not being a playoff team, and the Sabres desperately need to come out of the gate strongly next season. If that sense of urgency is apparent in Buffalo's game, that's a great sign of how things will go for their season, including in games against the Bruins. And if that urgency isn't there? Well, let's say it'll be another hellish year in Buffalo, and leave it at that.
