Is Buffalo's Long-Term Future Brighter than Detroit's?
From The Silky Mitten State: The Red Wings have an inside track on the Sabres for a playoff spot this year, but what about after that? Which team's rebuild portends brighter days beyond this season?
Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports - Is Buffalo's Long-Term Future Brighter than Detroit's?Last Saturday, the Red Wings knocked off the Sabres 4-1 on home ice and in so doing left Buffalo's playoff aspirations for this season in serious peril.
However, for both Detroit and the Sabres, 2023-24 was never going to be a year for serious Cup contention. Instead, both teams are looking to emerge from prolonged rebuilds with an eye toward opening up windows of contention in the not-too-distant future. With that in mind, even if the Red Wings have edged past Buffalo for the time being, should Detroit fans expect that margin to remain in place moving forward?
On the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I wound up discussing this question as we debriefed the trade deadline. Specifically, the Sabres' acquisition of Bowen Byram from Colorado prompted us to wonder aloud about Buffalo's progress.
With Byram in the fold, the Sabres blue line (which already was graced by two number one overall picks in Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power) looks like a force to be reckoned with in the Atlantic Division for years to come. The eldest of those three is Dahlin at just 23.
Meanwhile up front, Buffalo has no shortage of young talent between players like Tage Thompson (a relative elder statesman at 26) down to youngsters like Dylan Cozens (23) and rookie Zach Benson (18).
Detroit is clearly ahead of the Sabres when it comes to winning games at the NHL level right now, but it's hard not to be a bit frightened by Buffalo's potential in the years to come.
For an excerpt of that conversation, check out the clip below:
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