The Buffalo Sabres open their most anticipated season in a decade tomorrow night, so we decided to put together some fun questions and talking points for the coming year, and poll Christian Kowalski, JP Ahrens, and Jonah Ahrens to see their what they thought of them.
Here's what they had to say.
Who will be the Buffalo Sabres' MVP?
Christian: My prediction for MVP is Tage Thompson. I believe last year was just the beginning of a player who could become an all-time Buffalo Sabre. This
season will be the first where he nets 50 and breaks 100 points. I can speak for all
Sabres fans when I say we cannot wait for all the highlight reel goals TNT gives us this
season.
JP: As much as I don’t want to put it all on a rookie, I think Devon Levi will be the Sabres' MVP. We can only go as far as our goaltending brings us, and I think Levi will live up to the hype. If he is able to carry us to the playoffs, I think it would be hard to say any other player on our team would be more valuable. While Dahlin or Tage would probably be the easier answers, I think Levi is more key to the team's success.
Jonah: My pick is Rasmus Dahlin. In my opinion, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone as important to the Sabres as Dahlin is. Tage might lead the offense and Levi will be tasked to carry a big burden in net, but Dahlin is the most complete player on the roster right now, and has a hand in every important role the Sabres have. He's their 1st pair defender, their power play QB, and their best option on the PK. He's the backbone of the team and I expect another monstrous season from him, which could even result in his 1st Norris.
Which Sabre is going to have their breakout season?
Christian: For breakout candidate, this season I’m going with JJ Peterka. We all saw how well he played for team Germany at the World Championships and I don’t see any signs of him
slowing down. With an injured Jack Quinn for the first part of the season, I think the
Sabres and their staff are going to give JJ every opportunity to become a top line player.
JP: I think JJ Peterka is primed to have a breakout year. He has been flying around this preseason and had an incredible world championships. Towards the end of last year, you could really see him come into his own and I think he continues to grow from it. Quinn going down for the first two months doesn’t help, but I think Peterka and Cozens will continue to gain chemistry and be great second pieces. I also think he will see more power play success this year on PP2 as he has a sneaky good one timer if he’s given the opportunity.
Jonah: JJ Peterka is going to be everyone's easy pick, so to spice things up a little, I'm gonna go with Jordan Greenway. He's already quickly become one of the fanbase's whipping boys after a sluggish start to his Sabres' career, and I think being fully healthy and being given a full training camp under Granato is going to do him wonders. We've seen some flashes this preseason, so I'm very excited to see what kind of role they have carved out for him.
Which Sabre is going to surprise the most this season?
Christian: Peyton Krebs is who I am going with. Being a big piece in the Jack Eichel trade, Sabres fans have kept their expectations high for the young forward. Krebs has been a great defensive forward for the team while being placed in a bottom-six role for the most part, but something that has always stuck out to me is his vision and passing. I think this could be the season where Krebs solidifies himself as a great two-way player that can score and make plays, all while playing an important defensive role.
JP: I think Jordan Greenway is going to surprise a lot of fans this year who developed their opinion on him from 17 games of playing in a new system and not being 100% healthy. He has said how he was battling injuries last year and how he feels great this year. I think he will get used to our system more and will be put in a better position to succeed. Donny wanted him for a reason and I think we will see that this upcoming season.
Jonah: Connor Clifton was Buffalo's marquee addition of the offseason. Brought in to help solidify the Sabres' D-core and alleviate their woes in the defensive zone, I think he's going to surprise many for just how solid he is. Whether he's paired with Dahlin, Power, or Samuelsson, I think he's going to be the type of player they've needed for awhile on the back end: a right-hand shot defender that can play up and down the lineup while limiting chances for the opposing team.
Which Sabre is going to disappoint the most this season?
Christian: If I am strictly going off roster players, a Sabres player I think may disappoint this season is Jack Quinn. Coming back at 100% after an Achilles injury is no easy task and it could inhibit how well we’ve seen Quinn play in the past. On top of that, he lost almost a full offseason of training, and will instead be focusing on trying to re-strengthen that foot, so we should keep our expectations for him in check as he works his way back. Hopefully, he's able to return to 100%, but it's important to keep in mind the hurdles that are now placed in front of him.
JP: While some people may not like this answer, I think Alex Tuch will disappoint some fans this year. He had a career year last season with 36 goals and 43 assists. His next best season was a 20 goal and 52 point campaign in 2018-19, and he also had 16.5% shooting percentage last season where is next closest before last year was 12.7%. I think it will be hard for Tuch to put up the same numbers he did last year and likely won’t be able to maintain that shooting percentage. With that being said, I still think he will be great for us and put up 60-70 points, but I think a little regression is in order.
Jonah: Ever since Krueger's firing back in 2021, Jeff Skinner has seen a career revival that was once thought to be impossible to regain, with two straight seasons of tremendous production. However, when you look at his career as a whole, it seems as if every other year he has a productive season before dipping back down for another. After two terrible years under Krueger, he's had two great seasons with Granato. Following this pattern, and taking into account his age, I wouldn't be surprised if we see some regression from Skinner.
Does Victor Olofsson play the entire year on the Sabres?
Christian: No, I do not believe Victor Olofsson plays the entire season with Buffalo. The writing is on the wall for him, and he’s proven to be a very one-dimensional player that the Sabres really don't require anymore. We all love to see the puck go in the net but with all the prospects breathing down his neck for a shot in the bigs, he is definitely the first player to rotate out if necessary.
JP: Oh boy, here we go again with this. No, I don’t believe he will play the entire year on the Sabres. I think once Quinn comes back, I can’t see him being in the everyday lineup, just like the end of last season. Instead of losing him for nothing after this season, I think we trade him for cheap at some point. Once he goes on a shooting and scoring bender, we should take advantage of it and trade him before he goes cold.
Jonah: This is a tough one, because the I (along with the entire fanbase) figured he would have been dealt in the summer, but that obviously never happened. We've heard that this sort of thing has happened before where the Sabres explore the market with no team seeming to bite of Olofsson. With that being said, I don't see a scenario he's on the team come March. Granato showed distrust in him down the stretch last season, and I believe they can get a team to take him on at the deadline with some salary retained.
Does Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen finish this year on the Sabres?
Christian: After seeing this preseason, it just looks to be more of the same for UPL. My ideal goalie rotation would be Levi and Comrie, but it seems for now they're keeping all three. If the Sabres want to win with him in net it’s going to be barn-burner hockey, which we know from last year is not sustainable if you want to be a playoff team. I think the team will look to move him in-season to give him a fresh start in a new organization.
JP: This is a tough one. While I do think Comrie is the better goalie, I also think the Sabres will keep UPL over him and hope that he takes a big step this year. All he has to do is be a league average goalie to be a good backup this year. I don’t see the Sabres giving up on UPL just yet and for this reason, whether I like it or not, I think UPL will finish the season with the Sabres.
Jonah: I've voiced my distrust in UPL as a goaltender before, but the team clearly thinks there is still something there. I do believe that this is UPL's last chance to try and stick around past this season (especially given he needs a new contract after this year), so I would be very surprised if he wasn't in the Sabres' organization by the end of the season, unless he's involved in a bigger move.
Will Tage Thompson score 50 goals for the first time?
Christian: I already stated that Tage Thompson is getting 50 goals this season, let’s shoot for 60! JP: I do think Tage will break the 50 goal mark this year. He had 47 last year and went on a cold streak when he was injured. If he is able to stay healthy all year, he should be able to score 50 and maybe more. I think he will also score 100 points this year and be the first Sabre to do it since Pat Lafontaine did it in the 1992-93.
Jonah: Call me a pessimist, but I don't think Tage will hit 50. HOWEVER, I expect him to be verrrry close, around that 46-49 goal range like last season. He would've had 50 goals last season if he had stayed healthy, but I think given that teams know he's one of the most talented scorers in the league now it'll be tougher to reach that goal-per-game peak he was hovering around for much of last year. I am more than happy to be wrong about this one.
Does Zach Benson play more than 9 games for the Sabres this season?
Christian: Zach Benson had arguably the best preseason out of all the rookies in this past year’s draft class. With 7 points in 6 games, and playing a role on the teams power play, it's clear the Sabres like what they see heading into opening night. Worst case scenario, he gets his nine games, best case, he never looks back. I’ll bet on the latter. JP: While Benson has looked like he already belongs in the NHL, I find it hard to believe that Kevyn would keep him in the NHL all year. Our prospect development paths have always been to let our players marinate at a lower level and to not rush anyone. For this reason, I think he will play 9 games with the Sabres and then go back to the WHL with Savoie and have another great year. With this being said, I hope I’m wrong and he proves he is ready after his 9 game tryout.
Jonah: Everything I've learned about the Sabres for the past 2 years tells me that they're going to give Benson his 9 games, and then send him back to Wenatchee to marinate in the WHL. It's the path they've chosen for all of their high draft picks during Adams' tenure, even including Owen Power who was taken 1st overall. However, Benson has already shattered expectations of where people thought he was at, and he looks more than ready to contribute into an NHL lineup, so who's to say he won't keep surprising? I'll take the more optimistic and way more fun view that he'll stick around for longer than 9 games.
How many games does Ryan Johnson play for the Sabres this season?
Christian: If the defensive roster remains healthy throughout the season I can see Ryan Johnson getting a few games here or there, maximum of 6 games. Make no mistake though, if there is an injury on the back end, he should be the first guy to slide into the lineup. Johnson was a treat to watch this preseason. His skating and hands look extremely refined and I believe he’s ready to make the jump from the frats in Minnesota to the NHL.
JP: I think Ryan Johnson will end up playing around 12 games this season. He has proved this preseason that he could probably play in the NHL right now. He has been all over the ice. When injuries inevitably happen, I think he will be called up and may never be sent back down. With that being said, it will still be tough for him to break into the top 6 when everyone is healthy. This will be entirely dependent on if our top 6 can stay healthy this year.
Jonah: Johnson looked fantastic at points during the preseason, and I am sure he could be an NHL regular at this very moment. That said, his path to a spot in the Sabres' lineup is a bit murky. 7 defense spots are filled on the main roster, and then you have Riley Stillman and Kale Clague as alternative call up options with legitimate NHL experience ON the Sabres' roster, so his time with the team could be limited this year. Having said that, I do think he'll get his chance at some point, and he may stick around after that chance (similar to Samuelsson's path in 2021-22), so I will say 15 games.
How many games does Jiri Kulich play for the Sabres this season?
Christian: Jiri Kulich is going to make his NHL debut this season, but I think we’re only going to see him two, maximum three times. Kulich is extremely young still and his game will benefit tremendously from being with the Amerks this year. His preseason wasn’t anything to write home about and with Zach Benson leap frogging him, it’s just one less roster spot available. It’s a numbers game.
JP: I think Jiri Kulich will play 3 games this year. While he is one of our top prospects, there are still other players ahead of him who aren’t in our top 12 going into the season. Tyson Jost, Brandon Biro, and Lukas Rousek are all ahead of him right now and that’s not even including if Zach Benson or Patrick Kane find a home in Buffalo. Injuries will happen and he will probably get a few games, but I think he needs another year of developing and cooking in the AHL.
Jonah: Heading into the preseason, I definitely would have given a much larger answer, somewhere around 30-40 games. However, after a disappointing showing in the preseason and the emergence of Zach Benson, that number will shrink quite a bit. Whether Kulich gets an extended look or not depends on quite a few factors, such as how long Benson sticks around, if they sign Kane, and how soon Quinn gets back into the lineup. I expect there to be a call up at some point, but rather it'll rather brief, so I'll say 5 games.
How many games does Devon Levi start for the Sabres this season?
Christian: Devon Levi has the opportunity to do something that very few goalies have done before him. Making the jump from the NCAA directly to the NHL…as a 21-year-old. Throughout preseason and camp and even the end of last season, not only has he proven he deserves to be a starter, but he is the Sabres number one goalie. I think he plays at least half the season, so a minimum of 41 games. If he deserves to play more, great, give it to him. This could be the start of something special in net.
JP: I think Levi will take over the crease in Buffalo and play around 50-55 games this year. There currently isn’t a goalie who is backing him up that deserves to split games with him unless UPL takes a major step. While this is a huge workload increase for him from college, he has proven at every step so far that he is up to the challenge. If the Sabres want to make the playoffs, Levi will have to play around this many games this year.
Jonah: The Sabres are setting Levi up to carry a monstrous burden, especially for a 21 year old. It's not too crazy to say that Buffalo's playoff hopes live and die by how Levi performs this season. Given that their other options in net are less than stellar, I expect them to see just how many bullets they can get out of the gun from Levi. I expect 55ish games to be the final total.
Do any Buffalo Sabres take home any awards this season?
Christian: If the Sabres are a team that makes the playoffs and is competitive, I think Granato makes a case for the Jack Adams. He witnessed the collapse of this organization at the hands of Ralph Krueger and built this team back from the rubble. As a more fun prediction, I think Tage could keep the Rocket race close.
JP: Don Granato might be the biggest lock of the season to win the Jack Adams if the Sabres make the playoffs and break the current longest NHL playoff drought. I also think Rasmus Dahlin will win the Norris trophy, all he has to do is put in a healthy campaign and he could easily take it home. If it wasn’t for Bedard, I might say Levi for the Calder but Bedard is all but a lock for rookie of the year.
Jonah: There's 3 potential winners I could see. If the Sabres were to make a Devils-type leap in the standings, Granato could be a candidate for the Jack Adams. As for the Calder, this might be a hot take, but I think Levi could be the only rookie to have a chance to take down Bedard in a Calder race. If the Sabres were to make the playoffs, Levi's role and importance to the team would dwarf that of other competitors (Cooley/Fantilli), and could even rival Bedard's chances; but it would have to be a stellar campaign. With that said, my actual pick is Dahlin takes home the 1st Norris in Sabres' history next season.
Will Patrick Kane be a Buffalo Sabre by season's end?
Christian: Considering all the rumors swirling around, Patrick Kane as a Buffalo Sabre is probably a done deal. The organization has shown “tremendous” interest in him and I’m sure ownership loves the idea as well. Kane is not the player he used to be and he’s coming off a surgery guys don’t really come back from, so if it were up to me I wouldn’t log jam the forward roster more than it is, but that decision is above my pay grade.
JP: Maybe this is more just personal hope for the move not to happen, but I don’t think he will be on the Sabres this year. While there is a ton of smoke, it would just go against everything Kevyn Adams has been building. He would block young players and is analytically... complicated. He is past his prime and is coming off a MAJOR surgery. I don’t see it happening and I don’t think Sabres fans should want it to happen.
Jonah: There's one thing that's clear: the Sabres are interested in Kane's services. That said, while I could be naive in thinking this, I don't think Kane will be a Sabre at any point this year. The Sabres have to juggle Benson's emergence, Savoie maybe sticking around, Quinn coming back, and guys like Kulich/Rosén knocking on the door of the main roster. Above all else, I don't even know if Kane will be ready for this season. This situation gives me "OBJ trying to sign with teams before he's healthy" vibes to me, and I also think Kane would rather sign with an immediate contender first, such as Florida (who's shown interest). I hope that I am right.
What are you looking forward to the most this year?
Christian: This season I am looking forward to getting back to an arena that is at capacity and watching a good team that has expectations. The home opener is looking to sell out for the first time since 2019 and that’s something I love to hear. To summarize in the words of Marshawn Lynch I’m looking forward to “the décor and the ambiance”.
JP: I’m most looking forward to the city getting behind the Sabres again. Towards the end of last year so many people were coming back to the Sabres and investing their time in them again. I can’t wait until Buffalo can consistently fill out KeyBank Center and show its support for the Sabres. I’ve said it before and will say it again, Buffalo is a hockey town.
Jonah: I'm looking forward to a season that will feel different. Last year had playoff ambitions (especially towards the end), but we didn't know what to expect heading in. This year, it's clear: we want playoffs. I am excited to experience a season full of high expectations from the team and fanbase, and to see how that buzz will translate to the on-ice product and overall vibe around the organization.
And finally, do the Buffalo Sabres make the playoffs for the first time in 12 years?
Christian: Yes. The Sabres are going to take that next step in their longtime rebuild and make the playoffs. Don’t worry, I will be at “Party in the Plaza”.
JP: The Buffalo Sabres will finally make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season. A whole season with (hopefully) competent goaltending and our young players continuing to develop and succeed should lead to postseason birth. I also think Boston and Tampa Bay (with Vasilevskiy out) will regress which leads to two playoff spots being there to take. I also don’t buy Ottawa or the Red Wings taking an even bigger step than the Sabres just yet; I need to see it first. If all goes well, I think the Sabres sniff the 100 point mark as well.
Jonah: I think they're gonna do it, I think the Sabres will end their 12-year playoff drought. There are still question marks on this roster, don't get me wrong, but they've exceeded projections placed on them multiple times, and I think they do it again. The high end talent is there, the scoring is there, the organizational process is there, and the excitement from the fanbase is there. The only question that remains (and it's a big one) is if they can keep the puck out of their own net. Let's see what ya got, Devon.
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