By Gavin Lindahl
Sports Assignment Editor
With the 2014-15 NHL season starting next week, Western New York is buzzing with the possibilities of what the Buffalo Sabres’ campaign will bring. The answers vary from fan to fan.
Ask some fans, and they’re bound to tell you the Sabres will finish last again and draft the highly-touted prospect forward Connor McDavid. Ask others, and they’ll tell you the same, except the Sabres will miss McDavid in the draft because of the new lottery system. More will tell you the Sabres, with their new additions, will finish out of the cellar, but not quite good enough for the playoffs. And, of course, there are fans who’ll tell you the Sabres will make the playoffs.
The first two conclusions are the most likely. It’s true that the Sabres improved in the offseason after finishing last in April, but not that much better. Additions like forward Brian Gionta and defensemen Andrej Meszaros show that the organization is more focused on fostering their young players for winning down the road rather than winning right now.
Finishing last, or around last, is a very real possibility and perhaps the most realistic. However, Sabres fans shouldn’t assume that means that the team will without a doubt get the first pick and Connor McDavid. It’s true that Sabres owner Terry Pegula has claimed that the team would love to get McDavid in 2015, but so would the other 29 teams in the league. Sabres fans shouldn’t hold their breath.
Even if the Sabres finished 30th, and the New York Islanders and St. Louis – two teams who owe Buffalo their first round picks – finished second and third worst, the Sabres would still have under a 50 percent chance of getting McDavid. They’re good odds, but far from certain. Not to mention that the chances of the Blues finishing so low is slim to none. Can the Sabres get McDavid? Yes. Do they have a good chance of it? Yes. Should Sabres fans count on it? Not at all.
However, if the Sabres miss McDavid, it’s not the end of the world. American forward Jack Eichel, who just played in Buffalo last week for CCM’s All-American Prospect Game, would be the clear first overall pick if it weren’t for McDavid, and the Sabres’ shot at grabbing him is solid. Aside from McDavid and Eichel, there is still a plethora of other young talents eligible in what scouts claim will be one of the deepest drafts in years. Regardless of who’s picked, the Sabres will have themselves a great draft with three first round picks.
Nonetheless, it’s still not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the Buffalo Sabres play decently this year and end up just outside the playoffs. The Sabres’ top forward line of Matt Moulson, Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford is regarded by many as an offensive threat that would log good minutes on any NHL club. The Sabres’ second forward line of Cody Hodgson, Mikhail Grigorenko, and Chris Stewart has also impressed throughout the preseason.
In their own zone, the Sabres’ Tyler Myers, who was thought to be a fallen young star, has found his game under the guidance of Head Coach Ted Nolan. The additions of veterans like Meszaros and Josh Gorges are also sure to have a positive impact on young Sabres defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake McCabe who both bring loads of potential to the table.
Backstopping the team are goalies Jhonas Enroth, who was star goalie Ryan Miller’s understudy from 2011 until last year, and trade-acquisition Michal Neuvirth. Both young goalies have shown sturdy play in the past, and many believe Enroth will get the starting role. Enroth, who has thrived in sink-or-swim situations throughout his career, has looked confident in the preseason.
The Sabres also have 2014 second overall pick Sam Reinhart and 2012 first round pick Zemgus Girgensons on the club. Reinhart has just as good a chance to make an immediate impact for the Sabres as anyone. Girgensons showed signs of strong, consistent play in his rookie season last year and is expected to show more of the same.
All of that aside, the Sabres’ also have a slew of prospects and young talent on its farm club, the Rochester Americans. The Sabres have hosted one of the most competitive camps and preseasons in recent history this year. Young players in Rochester are itching for the chance to get the call up and play for the big club.
With all this in mind, it’s possible the Sabres could get out of the bottom 10 and gives their fans a roller coaster season filled with ups and downs and twists and turns. Stranger things have happened in sports than this year’s Buffalo squad making the playoffs. Young and eclectic players having the season of their life – a postseason appearance isn’t impossible. That being said, I wouldn’t advise Sabres fans to bank on making the playoffs because the odds are still extremely small. Win or lose, first overall pick or not; this Sabres’ season will be exciting whether of its implications in the near future or the far.
lindahg12@bonaventure.edu
