Folks the Buffalo Sabres have made it to the All-Star break and are still playoff hopefuls. While snapping the 12-year playoff drought would be incredible, it is not playoffs or bust for this team.
Playoff possibilities
As of today, the Sabres sit three points behind Pittsburgh for the final wildcard spot, but the blue-and-gold hold three games in hand over the Washington Capitals and only trail them by four points.
It appears to be a five-team race for the final two wildcard spots with the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers also in the mix.
The Sabres control their own destiny the rest of the way out as they face the Islanders, Panthers, Penguins and Capitals six more times during their final 32 games.
Moneypuck gives the Sabres a 32% chance at making the postseason, as the aforementioned teams have come out of the All-Star break at a combined record of 4-0.
Is sneaking into the final wildcard spot a must for this team?
Trade deadline decisions
As we approach the March 3 trade deadline, there is an increased sense of action wanted by the fans for GM Kevyn Adams to bolster this Sabres team via trade. Names like San Jose’s Timo Meier and Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun are some of the hottest names this trade deadline. Buffalo has a plethora of prospects in the system, and are able to ship some of them off for a player at the deadline. The Sabres do not have to worry about the salary cap as they have the most cap space in the NHL.
I would love the Sabres to target a bottom-pairing defenseman who can help boost the bottom six. Chychrun who is a top 4 d-man could be the perfect piece to take this team to another level. The ability to always have on either Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power or Chychrun would be a dream come true.
I would not want the Sabres to sell the farm to get Meier as he is expecting a massive payday at the end of the year. It is nice that the team has had team-friendly deals made recently, but I don’t think it’s worth paying Meier $10 million. While he is already at 30 goals this year, he is playing top minutes with the Sharks. With an already packed forward core, rookies Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka will most likely see less ice time as a result of a Meier acquisition.
How should we define success
There’s nothing more I’d love to see than the Sabres in the playoffs. Hell, I haven’t seen them in the postseason since I was in elementary school. But this team has taken massive strides in the past year, and the fact they are where they are now; shows this is only the beginning.
Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson will be the one-two punch down the middle for seven years. Dahlin and Power are game-changers each shift they are on the ice. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is H1M and has proven when healthy it is his crease. Not to mention guys like Quinn, Peterka, Peyton Krebs finding their footing in the NHL.
It is not playoffs or bust, but I dare say there is something special about this group. As long as a massive collapse doesn’t happen, this season will be a success. We have seen how streaky this squad is, and if they get hot, they will break their 12-year playoff drought
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