Coach: Phil Housley (since 2017). 8/10
2017-18 record: 25-45-12, 62 points, 31st overall, out of the playoffs.
Departures: Ryan O'Reilly (C), Robin Lehner (G), Chad Johnson (G).
Arrivals: Matt Hunwick (D), Connor Sheary (LW), Patrik Berglund (C), Tage Thompson (C), Vladimir Sobotka (LW), Carter Hutton (G), Scott Wedgewood (D), oh and Jeff Skinner (LW).
Top forwards: Jack Eichel (70-85 points), Skinner (45-55 points), Sam Reinhart (40-55 points), Kyle Okposo (35-45 points), Casey Mittelstadt (35-45 points), Pominville (40-45 points), Sobotka (30 points), Berglund (30 points), Alexander Nylander (30-40 points in his rookie year would be nice).
Must-improve forward: Okposo used to be a 30-goal forward. Of course, he played with John Tavares back then. Eichel may become as good as Tavares, but he's not there yet - and by then, maybe Okposo will have been bought out.
Top defensemen: Rasmus Ristolainen (40-50 points), Rasmus Dahlin (look for 35-45 points in his NHL debut), Marco Scandella (20-30 points), Jake McCabe (20 points), Zach Bogosian (20 points).
Goalies: Hutton (79/100) as #1 goalie by default, Linus Ullmark (78/100).
Top rookies: Nylander (20 years old, RW), Dahlin (18, D, first-overall pick in 2018), Mittelstadt (19, C), Brendan Guhle (21, D), Rasmus Asplund (20, C).
Analysis:
The Sabres will be the NHL's most-improved team, with a third line essentially lifted from the Blues that can finally stop the opposition, improved youngsters and the addition-by-subtraction of ROR moving on to Missouri. Captain Eichel will finally be able to rally "his" team instead of having his message muddled by a dissatisfied voice. Former captain Pominville will surely help in that regard.
Skinner is a potential 30-goal man who can play on the first line on a weak team or middle-six on a contender. The problem for the Sabres is they're two or three years (and a goalie) away from being one, and Skinner's going to be a free agent at the end of the year; if he performs well in the first half of the season, the team might be willing to sign him long-term at $7-8M per, which would be a huge mistake, not just because he's more fragile than thin ice, but also because he's not a lock for 55 points, let alone more.
Speaking of not-60-point-men, at 30 and 31 years old, it's safe to say Sobotka and Berglund will never be the point producers St. Louis had hoped for. However, they're dependable middle-six guys (ideally on a third line) who will not feel out of place in Buffalo, wearing blue and yellow.
I can live with the Sabres' defense, but I'm really not sold on their goaltending. Hutton is not a #1 and Ullmark is not yet ready, if he ever will be. A 40/45-game stopgap would have been preferable to Hutton, say a Ryan Miller or a Jaroslav Halak.
I think the Sabres will start hot but cool off in February; they should miss the playoffs by just a couple of wins.
Prediction: 5th in the Atlantic Division
No comments:
Post a Comment