Words cannot really begin to describe the disappointment that was the 2020-21 season for the Buffalo Sabres. When Taylor Hall signed back in October, there was optimism that this team would compete for a playoff spot, even if they didn’t make it. The fans just wanted a team that would be entertaining to watch night in and night out, and would play meaningful games down the stretch. Well… for a good chunk of the season they were anything but entertaining, and meaningful games lasted for about a month. It was a train wreck on all levels and another campaign that was disappointing.
The season did start out somewhat promising, with the Sabres playing .500 hockey through their first 10 games with some decent possession numbers and impacts. McCabe and Ristolainen were one of the best analytically inclined pairs, as was the Hall-Eichel-Reinhart line for forwards, and the team seemed to be buying into whatever Ralph Krueger was selling. However, any momentum that could’ve been gained from the initial stretch was killed by a COVID-19 pause at the beginning of February.
After this stoppage, the team flat out fell apart. Their positive metrics dropped, McCabe was injured for the rest of the season, as was Eichel who was clearly playing through pain for a while, and other players such as Ullmark, Borgen, and Cozens were also sidelined for stretches. Worst of all, it was obvious that Ralph Krueger had lost the team.
This was of course highlighted by the 18-game losing streak. 12 of those consecutive losses registering before Kevyn Adams decided to pull the plug on Krueger. For a more in-depth examination of his tenure here as a whole, you can view it by clicking here.
In his place, the Sabres named Don Granato as Interim Head Coach. He did have an established coaching career prior to this promotion, as he had most notably been the head coach of Worcester IceCats, the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, and US Men's National Team (U17 & U18). Not a lot was expected out of Granto, just some hope that he would let some of the struggling guys loose while he was here (i.e. Dahlin, Skinner, Jokiharju).
Turns out that’s exactly what he did, and then some. The second half of the season was night and day compared to the first half. Being given half the roster that Krueger was provided with, Granato was able to completely change the play-style of the team almost instantly. Suddenly, fans weren’t watching a defensive trapped-centered game. Rather, they were watching a team who played with speed and skill.
Granato's best work was how he developed the youngsters for the remainder of the games. Mittelstadt was great, scoring 17 points in 28 games, showing that he’s not the bust many fans thought he was. Same logic applies to his linemates Rasmus Asplund and Tage Thompson, who had 10 points in 23 games and 12 points in 25 games respectively.
This also applies to Dahlin and Jokiharju as well, who were a legitimate top pair for the remainder of the season. Jokiharju’s stagnated development went pretty under the radar, but he was consistently a healthy scratch during the midst of the season which was extremely worrying. However, he was able to get back in the lineup and play a great two-way game the rest of the season, helping Dahlin flourish once again like the Dahlin we knew from his rookie campaign. He finally showed off some of the finesse on a constant basis that had been missing since the beginning of this season and even last.
Don Granato (also known as Donny Meatballs) has quickly gone from a placeholder to arguably the top candidate for head coach. When you’re down to your 6th goalie on the depth chart and are still able to rack up wins against a playoff team, that’s pretty reflective of a great coach. Depending on how the offseason shakes out, I would love it if Granato came back. If Adams does decide that it’s time for a rebuild, then he is the perfect candidate. He’s clearly a great developmental coach that would help ease the young guns into the league and create a winning culture.
However, despite the optimistic end to the season, the outlook of the offseason has become all the more chaotic with the exit interviews of Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and Rasmus Ristolainen.
These are the three big players that (other than Ullmark, McCabe, and Girgensons) have been here the longest, especially Ristolainen. Despite what you may think about him as a player, you just have to feel for Ristolainen, who has had to suffer through 4 last place finishes in just 8 seasons. He’s told Adams that he’s “fine” with being traded, but that he just wants to win. You can’t blame him for wanting out and it’s honestly probably best for both parties if they moved on from one another this offseason.
The woes of the Sabres are no longer a secret to the rest of the league. They’re desperate, and every single team is going to try and take full advantage of that, especially if Eichel and Reinhart are made available.
Why don’t we talk about those two for a moment, shall we? Sam Reinhart’s end of season interview was the first inclination that this team might be in for a hectic summer. He seemed broken and emotionless the entire time, with all of the losing of years past clearly taking a toll on him. When asked about his future in Buffalo he made no commitment, needing time to reflect on the future ahead of him.
And why should we blame him? He’s turning 26 this year, has never been to the playoffs, and just had an outstanding season with nothing to show for it. This offseason is going to be his big pay day (that he should’ve been given previously), and of course he's going to want to figure out if he wants to spend the rest of his prime on this team. Of course we want him to stay, but we need to understand the difficult situation he’s in.
If those interviews were the dousing of the oil on the Sabres, then Eichel’s interview was the spark that ignited the fire. Where to even unpack with his? Eichel specifically stated that there is a “disconnect” between himself and the organization, mostly relating to the dispute on handling his injury. However, I’m sure that this isn’t the only disconnect that he may feel on some levels. Nevertheless, this is more and more looking like the straw that broke the camel’s back, as Eichel seems very upset with the organization.
The doubt that the Sabres have is justified if I’m being honest, as the surgery that Eichel is requesting is rather new. The procedure would place an artificial disk in his neck that would supposedly allow for more movement and create less stress on the body. It sounds good, but the doubt comes from the fact that it hasn’t been used by any NHL players, rather only with a few mixed martial artists. Additionally, the Sabres' doctors and Eichel's second opinion both believe that he might not need it at all, with some offseason rehab being able to get him back to 100% by the start of next season.
Tensions seemed to have cooled a bit, as both Eichel and the Sabres organization have gone quiet since the interviews. However, this could be interpreted as a standoff going on between the two parties. Whatever the case, you have to fix this before it gets any worse, and that time is now. .
Sabres fans are only going to continue to hear about this situation until it is resolved, which might not be until next season. It flat out stinks that it has come to this, Eichel and Reinhart (and even to an extent Risto) were seen as future Stanley Cup winners for this franchise when they were drafted, and we have absolutely nothing to show for it. Not 1 playoff appearance, not even a winning season for that matter.
While the team's play on the ice ended on a high note, that is clouded over by the uncertainty of Eichel and Reinhart's commitment. We might be in for the most hectic Sabres offseason in history with the possibility of looming blockbuster trades. Hopefully, everything works out and the Sabres are able to make amends, but we shall see.
Until then, Go Sabres.
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