Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Aside from an active 2022 NHL Draft with a total of 11 picks being made, three alone in the first round, the Buffalo Sabres had a relatively quiet offseason leading up to the 2022-23 season.
Buffalo's biggest acquisitions this offseason came in free agency with the signings of defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and goalie Eric Comrie. Other than that, the team made some additional depth signings mainly for the American Hockey League, but stood pat on other bigger moves.
A large reason for that is the success of this Sabres team towards the end of the 2021-22 season under the leadership of head coach Don Granato. Because of that, Buffalo elected to bring back a couple of pieces like forward Vinnie Hinostroza and goalie Craig Anderson, while allowing the chance for a couple of young prospects to make the jump to the NHL.
This game plan for the offseason came despite the team missing out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year for an 11th-straight season, which is a new NHL record for the longest playoff drought, ever.
Is the 2022-23 campaign finally the season Buffalo puts together a run to end their postseason drought? Can the Sabres continue to show growth with the current group in place? Was their finish to the 2021-22 season not just a fluke?
Let's take a look at five bold predictions for the upcoming season that may have a substantial impact for the Sabres:
1.) Jack Quinn, not Owen Power, named a Calder Trophy finalist
While Power will certainly get a lot of attention for the yearly honor of Rookie of the Year, and could still finish as a finalist, Quinn could be an underlying candidate if his production at the AHL level can carry over to the NHL level.
After a season of growth and adapting to the pro hockey level during the 2020-21 pandemic-shortened season, Quinn played with a ton of confidence and moxy this past season with the Rochester Americans, recording an impressive 61 points (26+35) in 45 games. Although his production dropped off a cliff once the playoffs started, there's no denying just how good he was over the course of the 2021-22 campaign.
During the 2022 preseason, Quinn didn't look one bit out of place in the Sabres' lineup, playing with plenty of speed, using his skill set to his advantage, and looking completely confident in his game with or without the puck.
The key for Quinn will be to stay healthy throughout the season, while also remaining consistent with his game. He ran into some health issues during the course of last year, which may have played a part in his consistency problems with him not being at 100%.
It appears Quinn will get the opportunity to contribute right away, as he has been practicing and playing on a line with Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch. If the trio is able to get their chemistry down and play with good speed, there's the chance that Quinn can be looked to as a finisher on that line with his shot playing the off-wing.
And while Quinn is not starting the season playing on one of the power play units, if Granato wants to shake things up a bit during the year, he can easily throw the rookie on the ice and utilize another weapon.
Other Calder Trophy candidates: Matty Beniers (SEA), Mason McTavish (ANA), Kent Johnson (CBJ), Juraj Slafkovsky (MTL)
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2.) Rasmus Dahlin finishes top-five in scoring among defensemen
Last season, I had predicted Dahlin to finish top-10 in scoring for defensemen in the NHL, and he ended up finishing 13th. Close, but no cigar.
This season is hopefully another year we see Dahlin not only take another giant step in his overall game, but also continue to play with the moxy and confidence that made him such a dangerous threat every time he took to the ice.
It is quite clear that Dahlin is looked at as the Sabres' No. 1 defenseman, and him earning the "A" on his sweater this season also shows the leader he has become on and off the ice.
A player Dahlin gets compared to a lot is Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who took some time at the NHL level to get his feet under him before exploding on the scene as a top defender in the league. It was Year 5 for Hedman where he really started to take the league by storm with 55-point campaign (13+42) in 75 games played.
Through his first four seasons in the NHL, Dahlin has produced an impressive 160 points (31+129) in 277 games. This includes a career year last season for the Swedish defender with 53 points (13+40) in 80 games.
If you can imagine Dahlin having a breakthrough season similar to Hedman in Year 5, we could see Dahlin producing, at least, a 75-point season. 75 points would have been good for fourth place in defensive scoring last year. And Dahlin will get plenty of chances to produce offense for the Sabres with him playing on the No. 1 power play unit, as well as having a stable defensive partner with him on the ice in Mattias Samuelsson.
This kind of production could also have Dahlin in the discussion for the Norris Trophy as the NHL's Best Defenseman, but maybe that's a discussion for another day.
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3.) Tage Thompson eclipses 40 goals
It was certainly a surprise to see the way Thompson came onto the scene last season with an incredible 38-goal performance in 78 games. This kind of production helped the 6-foot-7 behemoth earn a new seven-year contract extension this offseason to keep him in Buffalo for the long-term.
The big question surrounding Thompson heading into next season is quite obvious: Can he replicate the production of the 2021-22 season? I say he can, and then some.
There's little denying what the move to center did for Thompson last season, as Granato had the confidence that playing down the middle of the ice would open his game up even more. Granato was correct, as Thompson was able to flash his skill set, confidence, and his wicked shot on a number of occasions.
And yes, while it was the preseason, Thompson looked to be even faster and stronger in the limited game action he played. If that is a sign of things to come for the 2022-23 campaign in Buffalo, what's to say Thompson can't get to the 40-goal mark?
Even if he can't get to 40 goals, Thompson's likely to start the year with a pair of wingers - Jeff Skinner and Victor Olofsson - who also have the potential to hit that mark.
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4.) Don Granato wins the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year
Despite a losing record in his first year-and-a-half as head coach of the Sabres, Granato has really taken this young group in Buffalo to another level, which showed in the final 25-30 games of the 2021-22 season. The Sabres were playing so well in every facet of the game, they ended that final stretch on a pace that would put Buffalo in the playoffs over 82 games.
That production from this Sabres group, as well as the development of a number of young players in the current core, factored in to general manager Kevyn Adams awarding Granato with a contract extension on Wednesday.
If the Sabres are able to replicate last year's late-season success at the start of the 2022-23 campaign and sustain that pace throughout the year, not only would Buffalo be a playoff team, but even contend for a top-three spot in the Atlantic Division standings.
If Granato is able to help lead the Sabres back to the playoffs this season, and in convincing fashion, that should be plenty to put him at the center of conversation for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Coach of the Year. Even if the Sabres find a way to earn one of the two Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference, that would certainly be enough for Granato to get consideration as a finalist.
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5.) Sabres finally end their 11-year playoff drought
If all of the four bold predictions listed above come to fruition and the Sabres can remain healthy long enough to develop some consistency in their overall game, it very well could, and maybe should result in Buffalo clinching a playoff berth for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
The key for the Sabres will be getting off to a great start to the season. It will not be easy, though, with an early matchup with the Florida Panthers on Saturday, followed by a tough four-game road trip to Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
If the Sabres can find a way to come out of the gate with some convincing wins and strong play against some challenging teams, it may go a heck of a long towards the ultimate goal of just getting to the playoffs.
Once in the playoffs, you never know what happens come the postseason. But the Sabres have to get there first, and if the cards fall perfectly into place, it could very well happen.
