Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Just nine games remain in the 2024-25 regular season for the Buffalo Sabres. While they have yet to be officially eliminated from playoff contention, the Sabres are on the verge of missing a 14th-straight season of playoff hockey, extending their NHL record drought.
Despite such a grim outlook and another disappointing season in Buffalo, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff believes the organization can use self-evaluation to build off some of the small bright spots this season has provided.
"The important part is the evaluating, whether your players are signed or unsigned. It is evaluating what you have,” said Ruff on Tuesday during his weekly appearance on the “Jeremy and Joe Show” on WGR. “I think this last two, three months, it’s evaluating where we can get better, evaluating each player and what they brought to the team. Every team tries to make themselves better through the offseason, through free agency, and understanding that, ‘Yeah, we have a lot of players signed, that doesn't mean you can't find ways to make yourself better.’ And going through this last couple months, it's about an honest evaluation about where your club is at, and trying to make your club better."
Part of the evaluation process in the coming weeks and months will surround the future of a number of players on the roster and within the organization.
Sabres forward Jack Quinn has had numerous injury issues over the past two seasons, most notably an injury to his Achilles during the 2023 offseason, followed by an ankle injury shortly after his return during the 2023-24 season.
Despite this, Quinn has started to re-gain his game over the past week-and-a-half, recording eight points (4+4) in his last four games.
"Jack obviously got off to a tough start with our club at the start of the year. A lot of conversations with him about where his game was at, and where he could improve and where he could improve in season. I think I've seen him take those steps to improve in season. I think he's getting rewarded for the steps that we've talked about,” said Ruff with Jeremy White and Joe DiBiase. “This is just about different players trying to prove that I can be an important piece for this team. “His play has been elevated. His play has continued to get better here through this last stretch. A young player with the dynamic shot, but areas of his game that he's working on improving, I've seen improvement in and I think he's being rewarded for it right now."
Meanwhile, Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been a consistent starter on the team for the past three seasons, starting in, at least, 30 games in each of those campaigns. His play last season earned Luukkonen a five-year contract extension, but the 25-year-old has dealt with consistency issues this year.
"When a goalie is in a situation like ‘UPL’ right now, a lot of times he can find his game by having back-to-back really good practices, or get inside of an hour workout with the team and face every type of drill that we throw at him to get comfortable again. But with the schedule we've had and the number of games and no practices, I think for goalies at this time of year is the toughest, especially when you haven't played a lot,” Ruff explained. “I believe he'll find it. It is about getting them back in there and him finding his game, and having a strong finish to this year. That being said, I've told the team our goal is to win every hockey game. So that means that if [James] Reimer steps in and plays good, he's going to play. But at the same time, we are going to get ‘UPL’ back in there."
The Sabres are on the road to face the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night at Canadian Tire Centre. Faceoff is slated for 7 p.m., with pregame coverage starting at 6 p.m. with Mike Schopp and the Bulldog on the radio home of the Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.