The Buffalo Sabers aren't beating the breaks off of every time they play, starting 9-9 to begin the season. But, the Sabers are filled with a young and talented core headed by an experienced coach in Lindy Ruff, who was coach of the Sabers the last time they made the postseason in 2011. With the rise of goaltender Ukko Pekka Luukkonen, I think the Sabers will find themselves in the postseason, but a lot of things need to happen in order for them to find their way there.
Good goaltending
The Sabers goalies have had a good start to the season, namely Luukkonen. Luukkonen has been one of the bright spots of this Buffalo team, and he recently won them a game against the Los Angeles Kings, one of the top teams in the Pacific. Luukkonen stopped all 23 shots in the 1-0 victory, his first shutout of the season. So far this year, Luukkonen is 7-4-1 with a 2.61 goals against average and a save percentage of .909. The numbers aren't amazing, but he's been playing great hockey, and that was after his solid year last season. He did suffer a lower-body injury a few weeks ago, but he's back and healthy now. As long as he continues to play the way he has, the Sabers will win a lot of games this year because of him.
Thompson continues hot start
Center Tage Thompson has been dealing with an injury that has kept him out of three straight games, but so far he is day-to-day. It is not known at the time of publishing if Thompson will play in tonight's game against the Ducks, but if he does come back, he gives the Sabers a big boost. Thompson is their No. 1 guy on offense, leading the team in goals with 11 in 16 games. Thompson is second on the team in points behind Alex Tuch, who has played three more games. Thompson broke out in 2022, setting career highs in goals and assists, scoring 94 points in 78 games. While he did fall off hard last year, scoring 56 points in 71 games, the new coaching staff has revitalized him, as he's scored 18 points in 16 games. If Thompson can put another career season together and stay consistent, the Sabers will have one of the best centers in the league for years to come.
Core of defenseman
The Buffalo Sabers also have a plethora of high-quality defenseman, led by captain Rasmus Dahlin. Dahlin has spend his whole career since 2018 with the Sabers, and he was rewarded with the captaincy this season. Being one of the league's youngest captians, Dahlin hasn't let the pressure get to him, and he's currently third on the team in scoring with 17 points in 19 games. He also leads the team with time on the ice, averaging 24 minutes a game. Dahlin isn't the only young stud the Sabers have on defense. Owen Power and Bowen Byram are both talented defenseman themsevlves. Power was drafted first overall in the 2021 draft, and Byram was acquired in the trade that sent Casey Mittelstadt to the Avalanche. Power has 13 points in 19 games, while Byram has 11 in 19 games. While both aren't blowing up the scoresheet, the Sabers offense can be lethal with multiple defensive pairings, something that teams will have to take note of.
Plenty of things have to go right for the Sabers to make the playoffs, but I believe that it can be done. The Sabers are in a loaded conference, but their division has shown some cracks with the Boston Bruins struggling so far this season, and recently firing their head coach. The Sabers have some quality wins over very good teams, including a 5-2 win against the Florida Panthers and a 6-1 win over the New York Rangers. The Sabers are 5-2 in their last seven games, and when they get healthy again, Buffalo could become a major dark horse in the Eastern Conference.