Buffalo Sabres Top 5 Questions For 2015-2016

The recent struggles of the Buffalo Sabres are no mystery, especially to the many die-hard sports fanatics that occupy Western New York. The Sabres have sat in the cellar of the Eastern Conference for the past 2 seasons collecting 52 points in 2013-2014, with a slight improvement of 54 points in 2014-2015.

Those fans have suffered through some tough times with their Bills and Sabres, but through and through they never waver. They always believe in their Buffalo sports teams, which is very admirable. The Bills seem to be getting better each year. And after a very eventful offseason in Buffalo, the inhabitants of Western NY may have some reason to be cautiously optimistic about their Sabres.

With some new veterans and an abundance of young talent, the Sabres are well on their way to becoming relevant again in the Eastern Conference. Here are the Top 5 Questions facing the Buffalo Sabres for the upcoming 2014-2015 season:

Can Jack Eichel make an immediate impact?

On Saturday, April 18, 2015, after all the dust had settled, a collective groan of disbelief could be heard echoing across the shores of Lake Erie. On that night the Edmonton Oilers, who had an 11.5% chance at winning the NHL Draft Lottery, were awarded the #1 overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft.

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Jack Eichel poses with team executives after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously, the Sabres, Oilers, and darn-near every other team in the league wanted to use that pick to select prized prospect, Connor McDavid. Buffalo had the best chance to receive that honor at 20%, but in true Buffalo fashion, came up short. The one thing that made all of that tolerable, was the fact that with the 2nd overall pick in this year’s Draft, the Sabres could select F Jack Eichel from Boston University.

Eichel led the Terriers from Boston University last season by tallying 26 goals and 45 assists for 71 points, with a +51 rating in only 40 games. Just take another minute to re-read that. That is an incredible season. To top it all of Eichel was given the Hobey Baker Memorial Award which is given to the top hockey player in Division 1 American College Athletics.

Oh, and he did it all as a freshman. Eichel brings speed, skill, goal-scoring ability, and star potential to a Buffalo team that is in desperate need of all of those things. Buffalo hasn’t had a premier player to build a team around since Dominik Hasek, and Eichel could very well be the next big thing in Western NY.

If Eichel can show even just the slightest flashes of what he can bring to the table, the Sabres will have no choice but to find ice time for him. That is all this young man needs, to make an instant impact for a struggling Buffalo team.

How will Ryan O’Reilly bounce back from off-the-ice issues?

After a stellar 2014-2015 campaign in Colorado, F Ryan O’Reilly was sent to the Buffalo Sabres during the NHL Draft. The 24-year old forward brings a defensive presence to the forward group in Buffalo, while also bringing in the ability to post 50-60 points throughout the season.

Oct 14, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Colorado Avalanche center Ryan O Reilly (90) skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Avalanche 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

A main reason the Av’s sent him packing was due in part to some stagnant contract extension talks between O’Reilly’s agent and the team. O’Reilly, who was about to enter the final year of a contract that paid $6 million annually, felt he had earned a more lucrative contract. Unfortunately, the two sides could not find a middle ground, and consequently O’Reilly was shipped to Buffalo for a package of prospects and a pick in the 2015 draft.

After acquiring the talented forward, Buffalo signed O’Reilly to a huge 7 yr/52.5 million dollar contract extension. While some may view that has a heavy cap hit (7.5 million annually), this extension shows the player that the team believes in him and what he can bring to the team now, and in the future.

Buffalo has put a ton of faith in Ryan O’Reilly. And what does he do 10 days later? He drives his beautiful 1951 Chevy pickup into the side of a Tim Horton‘s at 4 AM, and then flees the scene. And the collective groan can be heard again all across Western NY. Ouch. Not a great way to repay the team that put a huge chunk of the franchise in your hands.

While this might not have been the best way to start your career with a new team, it certainly does have one upside, in that it can only get better from here, right? I expect O’Reilly to come into this season with a huge chip on this shoulder. He is going to have the eyes of every Sabre fan and Sabre coach and executive on him all season long.

He needs to use that chip as motivation to prove to the city of Buffalo that he not only deserves the colossal contract he signed, but that he can act professionally with class off the ice, while earning that contract on the ice. Expect big things from the new Sabres forward, except maybe an endorsement with Tim Horton’s.

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Who will step up in net?

As of right now, the Sabres only have 2 goaltenders on their roster. Robin Lehner should be the starter. Playing for Ottawa last season, Lehner suffered a concussion in February that kept him sidelined through most of the remainder of the season.

After the outstanding emergence of Andrew Hammond in Ottawa, Lehner became expendable and was promptly dealt to Buffalo. Lehner has claimed that he is no longer feeling the effects from the head injury, but he did look rusty in the limited game time he was given after his return from the concussion last season. Can Lehner regain his form, or will he continue to struggle with holding down a starting job? The 24 year old netminder knows it’s his job to lose.

The only other option in net for Buffalo at the moment is journeyman Chad Johnson. Johnson had an amazing 2013-2014 campaign backing up Tuukka Rask in Boston, in which he posted a 17-4-3 record with a 2.10 GAA and a .925 SV%. However he followed that season up with a less than impressive season with the New York Islanders, where he recorded a 8-8-1 record with a 3.08 GAA and a .889 SV%. Yikes.

That is quite a regression in all aspects of goaltending. Johnson needs to have a bounce back season in net for Buffalo, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Robin Lehner. As a backup netminder, his job is to provide a seamless transition in net for his team when the starter (Lehner) needs a night off. Both of these goalies have a lot to prove this season, and if neither takes the reigns of this team, it could be a much more somber winter than usual in Buffalo.

What does Cody Franson bring to the defense?

The Sabres made a splash recently with an excellent late summer signing in Cody Franson for 2 years/6.65 million. Franson passed up offers from other teams because he was in search of a multi-year deal after signing one-year deals over the past several seasons.

Feb 24, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Cody Franson (44) lines up for a face off during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Sabres were one of the few teams willing to offer the 28-year old defenseman that type of contract, and they will not regret it. Despite an up-and-down season last year, Franson still possesses the abilities and skill to be a very successful defenseman in the NHL.

After starting the season strongly in Toronto, he was traded to the Nashville Predators. Unfortunately, this also coincided with a minutes reduction, thus explaining his poor statistics last season. But Franson’s capabilities have not diminished. He is an exceptional offensive defenseman that can provide a ton of scoring from the point, especially on the power play.

What remains to be seen is if Franson can turn into a more defensive minded d-man. His offensive abilities have never been in question, but is defense has been somewhat of a weak spot in his game. Nevertheless Franson brings a veteran presence to a young defense that drastically needs to improve upon their play from last season.

The progression of the defensive unit could make or break Buffalo’s season this year. With an iffy goaltending situation, it is going to be on Franson to shoulder the load defensively this year, while also maintaining his usual offensive production.

Is there enough talent in place to make a postseason run?

Now when most people read this question they laugh. How can a team with the worst record in the NHL a season ago, possibly make a postseason run one year later? When you take a look at the roster, it doesn’t seem so crazy. Buffalo has a very solid core group of veterans including, Evander Kane, Matt Moulson, Tyler Ennis, David Legwand, Marcus Foligno, Mike Weber, Franson, and O’Reilly and captain Brian Gionta.

That is a strong group of experienced players that can lead this team. If you couple that with the young guys like Zemgus Girgensons, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Jack Eichel, this Buffalo team could definitely turn some heads this season. Buffalo has the talent in place. But the key will be how quickly they can gel as a team.

You can have all the talent in the world, but if their is no team chemistry, it won’t matter. All of that falls on Gionta. He is on a team, in a city, that love him to death and would do anything for him. Gionta needs to pull this team together now and make them believe that they can play hockey worthy enough of a playoff run. Confidence is huge for an up-and-coming team like Buffalo.

There are a lot of question marks facing the Buffalo Sabres for the upcoming 2014-2015 season. The major keys to their success this year will be the development of the defense, “The Eichel Effect”, and their goaltending situation. If Buffalo can start hot out of the gates this season, and tread water through the tougher parts of the year, they will genuinely have a realistic shot at earning a postseason berth.

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