The Buffalo Sabres turned the page to a new chapter in the offseason when they replaced general manager Tim Murray with Jason Botterill and head coach Dan Bylsma with Phil Housley. The Sabres are hoping that a fresh approach can help elevate a roster that has some substantial talent take the next step and contend for the playoffs in 2017-18.
How They Finished Last Season
Buffalo finished with the worst record in the Atlantic division a year ago when they went 33-37-12 and finished with 78 points. This was a huge blow to a team that had been expecting to turn the corner. They had finished with 81 points the year before but remember that they ended that season on a 6-3-1 run, so some people had hoped that they could use that momentum to springboard for the 2017-18 season. That momentum was lost when the Sabres were dealt a major blow in the preseason when Jack Eichel suffered an injury in training camp and missed the first 21 games of the season. They never seemed to turn things around following the slow start. Eichel is back to 100-percent and Buffalo is banking on its young core and some key additions gelling to take this club to another level this coming season.
What Changed In The Offseason
Eichel is healthy and one year more experienced heading in to 2017-18. The same can be said for Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen and Evander Kane, with the latter of that group entering a contract year. The Sabres were active in the offseason as they traded for defenseman Nathan Beaulieu and added a pair of former Minnesota Wild teammates in forward Jason Pominville and defenseman Marco Scandella. Benoit Pouliot will also get the opportunity to prove he still belongs in the NHL after he signed a one-year, $1.15 million deal with the team. The defense should be better with the additions of Beaulieu and Scandella. The forward additions will likely settle in to depth roles with Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, Ryan O’Reilly, Kye Okposo and Matt Moulson filling out the top-six forward spots.
Most Valuable Fantasy Hockey Asset
A high ankle sprain injury kept Eichel out for the first quarter of last season and it took some time for him to hit his stride once he returned to the ice. However, Eichel still finished with 57 points including 24 powerplay points despite missing 21 games. With another year of experience and a healthy training camp the potential is there for Eichel to deliver on his immense potential with a breakout season in 2017-18. The sky is the limit for the former second-overall pick.
Rising Star
The Sabres selected Alexander Nylander with the eighth pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and he could be a player that rises up to shine for them this year. Although he didn’t look so hot last year in the AHL with just 28 points in 65 games, he did respond well to a late-season call-up. He picked up four assists in four games with the Sabres. Keep in mind that he was banged up for the rookie tournament and hasn’t quite got right for training camp, so he’ll start the season in the AHL. However, he’s someone to keep an eye on as a player on the rise.
Outside of Nylander, obviously Eichel is this team’s main rising star. That’s stating the obvious more so than anything but Eichel could go from being a very good player to being a top-five scorer this year.
Regular Season Win Total Outlook
The NHL futures regular season win total line for the Sabres has been set at 36 wins, which is three more than they recorded last season. Buffalo could have hit that mark a year ago if Eichel had been healthy from the start of the season. With Eichel back in the lineup and some decent additions to the back end and in the bottom-six forward group, the Sabres have the potential to take another step forward in 2017-18. They might not be good enough to squeeze in to the playoffs just yet but 37 wins is still a reasonable expectation for a team that will remain in contention until the end of the season.
Pick: Over 36 Wins
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