To many peoples’ surprise, the Buffalo Sabres have begun the preseason as the hottest team in the NHL. After four games, the team is undefeated with a perfect four wins in four games to lead the league in points roughly halfway through the preseason. But what exactly does this early success show us about the team’s future?
The Sabres were a quiet team this offseason, only making a few minor signings and preserving their cap space for the upcoming season. So, it is safe to say that a major winning streak to begin the preseason was not on most fans’ bingo cards. However, the Sabres do tend to begin the preseason and early regular season on a hot streak and then cool down as the season goes on until they fall out of a playoff spot. This makes it difficult to draw any conclusions regarding the team’s status or make any predictions regarding their future success. Nonetheless, we are only starting to enter hockey season, so fans will grasp at straws to get excited about their favorite team for the upcoming season.
The team was given the opportunity to play in the Global Series and before the game, the organization named defenseman Rasmus Dahlin as their new captain. This unique opportunity paired with the added morale of having a new captain is likely motivating the team to open the season on a strong note and work towards being a playoff team from Game 1 to Game 82. Having Dahlin in an increased leadership role should benefit the team greatly. The former first-overall draft pick has been making a strong case for being a top defenseman in the league over the last few seasons. Ever since the Jack Eichel trade in 2021, it was obvious that Dahlin was the future of the team and likely the next captain. Last season, the C was given to veteran Kyle Okposo over Dahlin to give Dahlin some time to mature as a player before being ready to accept the captaincy. Okposo was traded last season leaving the Sabres without a captain. Dahlin was the obvious choice and the team did not wait an additional season before handing over the captaincy to the young defenseman.
With their new captain and early success in the preseason, fans are hopeful that the Sabres might finally snap their post-season drought that has been haunting the team for over a decade. Buffalo is currently on a 13-season streak of missing the playoffs which is an all-time record. Ever since this record was set, that has been the main story surrounding the Sabres. The Bruins, Lightning, and Maple Leafs are all major wildcards in the Atlantic Division, which leaves the Sabres with some hope of locking up a playoff spot. That being said, teams like the Red Wings, Canadiens, and Senators are also rising into potential contenders.
The Sabres are starting strong, but we have seen this story before. This team’s true abilities will be shown once they start facing adversity in the thick of the regular season.
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