Buffalo Sabres Season Preview

After another disappointing season for the Sabres many changes were made this off season in the front office and on the ice. The defence was terrible last season allowing the most shots per game in the NHL but some trades were made to try and fix the defensive problem. Even with an improved defensive core and new head coach, the Sabres should once again be on the outside looking into the playoffs.

Arrivals/Departures

Arrivals: Marco Scandella, Jason Pominville, Nathan Beaulieu, Chad Johnson, Benoit Pouliot, Jacob Josefson, Matt Tennyson, Seth Griffith
Departures: Dmitry Kulikov, Tyler Ennis, Anders Nilsson, Cody Franson, Marcus Foligno, Brian Gionta, William Carrier, Derek Grant, Cal O'Reilly



Forwards:

Jack Eichel is the Sabres' future and starting this year they will rely on him to be their first-line center after missing the first part of last year's season. When Eichel was healthy he dominated at points putting up 57 points in 61 games. After a health problem ended Kyle Okposo's first season as a Sabre early, there were questions if he would play again but he is healthy and should line up on Eichel's right wing. The first-line left winger should be Evander Kane who has lots of skill but needs to pick up his act off the ice if he is to remain with Buffalo. Ryan O'Reilly may still be the team's best player but he is more a second-line shutdown center than a first-line scorer like Eichel. Sam Reinhart has been good in his first two seasons but he will need to take the next step for this team to compete. Alexander Nylander got in four NHL games last season and it is now time for him to make the leap on to the Sabres where he could be a top-six forward. Zemgus Girgensons has taken many steps back since making the all-star game in 2015 only poducing 16 points last season but he will remain the third-line center. Former Sabres captain Jason Pominville returns to be a veteran presence and leader on the third line but he can still provide scoring. Matt Moulson may be the other forward on the third line after not playing like expected since coming over from the Islanders. The fourth line will likely be Benoit Pouliot, Johann Larsson and Nicolas Deslauriers while Jacob Josefson may compete for a spot too.



Defenceman:

Rasmus Ristolainen was the only good Sabres defenceman as he played top minutes against other team's top players while producing 45 points. At only 22 years old, Ristolainen has a bright future ahead of him and one day could compete for a Norris trophy. Marco Scandella was brought in from the Wild in a trade that sent Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno to Minnesota. After playing behind good defenceman in Minnesota, Scandella will be asked to play a bigger role with his new team likely on the first pair. The second pair will consist of Zach Bogosian who has struggled since his trade to Buffalo and Jake McCabe who has showed flashes in his short career. Nathan Beaulieu was also brought in with a trade this off season from Montreal to provide depth on the defence that the Sabres have lacked. Veteran Josh Gorges will probably get the last spot on the top six as he provides veteran leadership. Matt Tennyson will be the seventh defenceman but he is better suited as an AHL player. If Josh Gorges or Zach Bogosian struggle early in the season, Brendan Guhle could be called up to assist the team.



Goaltending:

Robin Lehner is an OK goalie that is not going to steal many games and is often injured. Chad Johnson will come back to Buffalo after a season in Calgary where is was decent but he and Lehner don't make a very good goalie tandem. If the Sabres are to compete for a playoff spot, the goaltending situation will need to improve.

Projected Lineup:

Evander Kane	Jack Eichel	Kyle Okposo
Alexander Nylander	Ryan O'Reilly	Sam Reinhart
Matt Moulson	Zemgus Girgensons	Jason Pominville
Benoit Pouliot	Johann Larsson	Nicolas Deslauriers
Evan Rodrigues	Jacob Josefson	Justin Bailey

Marco Scandella	Rasmus Ristolainen
Jake McCabe	Zach Bogosian
Josh Gorges	Nathan Beaulieu
Matt Tennyson	Brendan Guhle

Robin Lehner

Chad Johnson

Linus Ullmark

Top 10 Players:

10. Zach Bogosian 

9. Robin Lehner 

8. Jason Pominville 

7. Marco Scandella 

6. Sam Reinhart 

5. Evander Kane 

4. Kyle Okposo 

3. Rasmus Ristolainen 

2. Jack Eichel

1. Ryan O'Reilly 

Projected Finish: 85 Points (6th in Atlantic)
Last Year: 78 Points (8th in Atlatnic) 

Photo credit for Marco Scandella goes to http://www.tsn.ca/. Ryan O'Reilly goes to http://bleacherreport.com/. Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel goes to https://www.nhl.com/.