State Your Case: Can Sabres make Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The Buffalo Sabres haven’t qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2010-11 season. 

The following season, they finished third in their division and three points out of postseason berth. Since then, they have finished no higher than fifth place in their division, including last season, when they finished one point out of a playoff spot. 

That finish in 2022-23 led to hope they could finally end their postseason drought this time around, but coming out of the NHL holiday break, the Sabres (14-17-4) are in seventh place in the Atlantic Division, seven points out of the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. 

The road back won’t be easy, starting Wednesday against the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT). 

There is still plenty of time left, 47 games in fact, to turn things around and get to the postseason. But will they? 

That's the question before NHL.com Editor-in-Chief Bill Price and staff writer Amalie Benjamin in this installment of State Your Case.

Price

Do you believe in miracles? Yes. OK, the Sabres making the playoffs wouldn’t be as stunning as the “Miracle on Ice” at the 1980 Olympics, but just like that other hockey event in New York State, I believe Buffalo can get to the postseason this year. It won’t be easy and the Sabres haven’t done themselves any favors by getting off to a slow start, but they have an extremely talented roster led by defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and center Tage Thompson. Thompson had a career season in 2022-23 with 94 points (47 goals, 47 assists) in 78 games, but has 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 26 games this season. If he can get back to form, Buffalo can, too. The Sabres finished strong last season, going 9-2-1 in their final 12 games, and played two strong games before the holiday break (a 9-4 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday and a 4-3 overtime loss at the New York Rangers on Saturday) so the ability to string together wins is there, and I believe they will.

Benjamin

I do believe in miracles. I also, ultimately, believe in what the Sabres are doing, in the collection of talent they’ve amassed and the future of the club. But, yet again, I don’t believe the future is now for them. Part of that is the bad luck Buffalo has had this season, with more injuries than is probably fair, with Thompson and forwards Jeff Skinner, Jordan Greenway, Alex Tuch and Jack Quinn each missing time. And though their returns will surely help, this is a team that simply isn’t scoring enough to get itself back in the playoff race. The Sabres are tied for 20th in the NHL in goals per game with 3.03 after scoring 3.57 goals per game last season, good for third in the League. Unless that changes in a major way, Buffalo looks like it will be on the outside looking in when spring comes.

Price 

Luck has certainly not been on the Sabres’ side this season, but they do have one thing going for them -- and I can’t believe I’m saying this -- in that the Atlantic Division is not as stacked as we all thought it would be. Yes, the Bruins are monsters, and the Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers are the second and third best teams, but after that, it’s wide open. The Tampa Bay Lightning, who have been an Atlantic Division power the past several seasons, have struggled this year, and the Detroit Red Wings have stumbled in December, opening the door for the Sabres to make a move. Now, Buffalo, with several of those players back from injury, has to step through that door. As Amalie pointed out, the injury bug has bitten the Sabres, but if they can somehow stay within striking distance of a playoff spot around the All-Star Game and NHL Trade Deadline, why not? They have to keep their heads above water and get hot like they did last year. 

Benjamin

They certainly did have a strong finish last season, which puts a playoff spot in the realm of possibility, but the problem is I haven’t seen any indication their season is going to turn. The Sabres have not just lost to the meat of the NHL, they’ve dropped games that were, in theory, winnable, like a 9-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 19. Those are games they have to have if they’re going to re-enter the playoff race. And they’ve gotten behind, fast. The Sabres have given up 46 first-period goals this season, the most of any team in the NHL. That’s a tough way to begin game after game, especially for a young team that perhaps doesn’t have the conviction and ability to rebound. It adds additional pressure right from the puck drop. For Buffalo fans, I hope I’m wrong and this team can bounce back and return to the race. I just can’t see it happening this season, not with what the Sabres have shown me thus far.