Sabrespace 2023-24 predictions for the Sabres

[GASabresIUFAN]

It's that time again.  It's one week until opening night.  What are your predictions for the season?

1. Sabres win and point totals

2. Do the Sabres make the playoffs and if so how far do they go?

3. Team MVP

4. Team ROY

5. Most Improved player

6. Team leader in goals, assists and points

7. NHL Award candidates (Norris, Vezina, Selke, Calder, Richard, MVP etc)? Any winners?

8. How many players score 10 or more goals? Who?

9. How many players score 20 or more goals? Who?

10. Does anyone from Rochester get callup and stay with the Sabres (such as Pominville back in the day)?

11. Which Eastern playoffs team (s) miss the playoffs and who replaces them?

12. Stanley Cup champions 2023-24?

13. Other predictions you'd like to share? 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[GASabresIUFAN]

1. Sabres win and point totals - 47 wins and 102 pts

2. Do the Sabres make the playoffs and if so how far do they go? - Yes, and they win their 1st rd series.

3. Team MVP - Dahlin over Levi and Thompson

4. Team ROY - Levi over Benson and Kulich

5. Most Improved player - JJP - he puts up 50-55 pts 

6. Team leader in goals, assists and points - Thompson 51 goals, Dahlin 68 assists,  Thompson 105 pts

7. NHL Award candidates (Norris, Vezina, Selke, Calder, Richard, MVP etc)? Any winners? Dahlin (18 g 68 a for 86 pts) finishes top 3 in the Norris.  Levi finishes 2nd in the Calder to Bedard.  Benson in the top 5.  Thompson and Dahlin get votes for the MVP.  

8. How many players score 10 or more goals? Who? 12 - Thompson, Cozens, Tuch, Mitts, Greenway, Skinner, Benson, JJP, VO, Krebs, Dahlin and Power.

9. How many players score 20 or more goals? Who? 5 - Thompson, Cozens, Tuch, Mitts, and Skinner

10. Does anyone from Rochester get callup and stay with the Sabres (such as Pominville back in the day)? Kulich, he comes up and gives the team a spark and his work ethic sends Greenway to the 4th line filling in for oft injured Z and KO.

11. Which Eastern playoffs team (s) miss the playoffs and who replaces them? Boston, and TB.  Replaced by Buffalo and Ottawa

12. Stanley Cup champions 2023-24? Lindy Ruff gets his Cup with the NJ Devils

13. Other predictions you'd like to share? VO traded by mid-season creating a roster spot for Kulich.  When Quinn returns Jost is traded.  KO or Z become the 13 forward.  Also Mitts scores 20 for the first time and adds 50 assists.  Sabres finish top 3 in goals again and the D improves as the season goes along and the Sabres finish with a +30 differential.

Edited October 6, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[pi2000]

 

1. 96 points

 

2. Do the Sabres make the playoffs and if so how far do they go?y

yes, lose in first round

3. Team MVP

Tuch

4. Team ROY

Levi

5. Most Improved player

Peterka

6. Team leader in goals, assists and points

Thomspon

7. NHL Award candidates (Norris, Vezina, Selke, Calder, Richard, MVP etc)? Any winners?

Dahlin

8. How many players score 10 or more goals? Who?

7

9. How many players score 20 or more goals? Who?

5

10. Does anyone from Rochester get callup and stay with the Sabres (such as Pominville back in the day)?

R. Johnson

11. Which Eastern playoffs team (s) miss the playoffs and who replaces them?

 

12. Stanley Cup champions 2023-24?

Carolina

13. Other predictions you'd like to share? 

McDavid traded

[Zamboni]

[French Collection]

1    100 points for the Sabres

2.   Sabres make the playoffs and win the first round series

3.   Dahlin is the team MVP

4.   Levi is the Rookie of the Year

5.   Power is the most improved player

6.   Goals TNT 51, Assists Dahlin 64, Points TNT 102

7.    Dahlin wins the Norris, Levi is 3rd in Calder voting, Dahlin is 5th in Hart voting while TNT gets some votes.

8.    11 players score 10+, TNT, Skinner, Cozens, Tuch, Mitts, JJP, VO, Dahlin, Okposo, Greenway and Quinn.

9.    5 players score 20+ TNT, Skinner, Cozens, Tuch and Mitts.

10.   Ryan Johnson gets called up a few times and sticks in the New Year.

11.    Buffalo and Ottawa replace the two Florida teams.

12.    Colorado returns to the pinnacle of hockey over the Canes.

13.    Benson leads the WHL in scoring despite missing games to an NHL stint and the WJHC. Cooley becomes the #1 in Rochester and gets a few games when Comrie gets hurt. Quinn has a successful return in mid January so VO is traded to Winnipeg for a 2nd round pick.

[steveoath]

 It's one week until opening night.  What are your predictions for the season?

1. Sabres win and point totals  - 46 wins 106pts

2. Do the Sabres make the playoffs and if so how far do they go? Yes, 2nd round

3. Team MVP - The Ras

4. Team ROY - Levi

5. Most Improved player - Greenway

6. Team leader in goals, assists and points - Thompson

7. NHL Award candidates: Norris- Dahlin,  Vezina- Levi,  Selke- Cozens, Calder- Levi, Richard- Thompson, MVP- Dahlin - Levi will win Calder.

8. How many players score 10 or more goals? Who? Thompson, Skinner, Tuch, Mittelstadt, Cozens, Peterka, Benson, Okposo, Dahlin, Power, Krebs, Greenway

9. How many players score 20 or more goals? Who? Thompson, Skinner, Tuch, Mittelstadt, Cozens, Dahlin

10. Does anyone from Rochester get callup and stay with the Sabres (such as Pominville back in the day)? Ryan Johnson

11. Which Eastern playoffs team (s) miss the playoffs and who replaces them? Tampa - US

12. Stanley Cup champions 2023-24? Colorado

13. Other predictions you'd like to share? Benson sticks, but has slump over festive period, comes back strong in late Jan/Feb and finds chemistry with Peyton Krebs. We look on course for playoffs, and end up making it, but only as wildcard. Granato to be suspended for comments made to ref after series of terrible decisions in Boston.

[SabresBaltimore]

1. Sabres win and point totals 43-31-9 - 95 points

2. Do the Sabres make the playoffs and if so how far do they go? Yes, but out in the first round

3. Team MVP: Dahlin

4. Team ROY Levi

5. Most Improved player Peterka

6. Team leader in goals, assists and points: Goals: TNT, Assists: Dahlin, Points: TNT

7. NHL Award candidates (Norris, Vezina, Selke, Calder, Richard, MVP etc)? Any winners? Dahlin for the Norris, Levi for Calder but neither winning

8. How many players score 10 or more goals? Who? 9: TNT, Skinner, Tuch, Dahlin, Cozens, Mitts, Olofsson, Peterka, Krebs

9. How many players score 20 or more goals? Who? 4-5: TNT, Skinner, Tuch, Cozens then one of Peterka (most likely), Dahlin or Mitts

10. Does anyone from Rochester get callup and stay with the Sabres (such as Pominville back in the day)? Not unless we have a long term defensive injury. Then Ryan Johnson maybe

11. Which Eastern playoffs team (s) miss the playoffs and who replaces them? No clue really. Bolts and Rangers out. Sabres and Detroit in

12. Stanley Cup champions 2023-24? No clue really. I don't really follow the league that closely beyond the Sabres, so I'll just guess based on who was good last year and say the Devils make the jump this year. Maybe that's wishful thinking because I like Lindy Ruff

13. Other predictions you'd like to share? Nope

Edited October 6, 2023 by SabresBaltimore
forgot to put Levi for Calder candidate >.<

[Buffalonill]

Buffalo will make it to the stanley cup final .

No other predictions matter

[matter2003]

12 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

It's that time again.  It's one week until opening night.  What are your predictions for the season?

1. Sabres win and point totals - 48 wins and 108 points 

2. Do the Sabres make the playoffs and if so how far do they go? - yes, to the ECF

3. Team MVP - Dahlin

4. Team ROY - Levi

5. Most Improved player - Mittelstadt

6. Team leader in goals, assists and points G: Thompson, A: Dahlin, P: Thompson

7. NHL Award candidates (Norris, Vezina, Selke, Calder, Richard, MVP etc)? Any winners? Norris: Dahlin, MVP: Thompson, Calder: Levi (no winners)

8. How many players score 10 or more goals? Who? 12 players - Thompson, Skinner, Dahlin, Mittelstadt, Cozens, Peterka, Quinn, Benson, Tuch, Olofsson, Okposo, Greenway

9. How many players score 20 or more goals? Who? 7 players - Thompson, Skinner, Mittelstadt, Cozens, Tuch, Peterka, Olofsson

10. Does anyone from Rochester get callup and stay with the Sabres (such as Pominville back in the day)? No

11. Which Eastern playoffs team (s) miss the playoffs and who replaces them? Islanders replaced by Sabres

12. Stanley Cup champions 2023-24? No

13. Other predictions you'd like to share? Quinn will take a giant leap once he gets back from injury and gets reacclimated to playing after a month or month and a half.

 

 

Predictions in bold.

[Ctaeth]

1. Sabres win and point totals:  97 points, 44 wins

2. Do the Sabres make the playoffs and if so how far do they go?  first round exit vs top seeded Devils

3. Team MVP:  Dahlin

4. Team ROY:  Levi

5. Most Improved player:  Comrie

6. Team leader in goals, assists and points  Goals:  Tage, Assists:  Dahlin, Points:  Tage

7. NHL Award candidates (Norris, Vezina, Selke, Calder, Richard, MVP etc)? Any winners?  candidates:  Richard (Tage), Calder (Benson).  Finalists:  Norris (Dahlin, wins), Calder (Levi)

8. How many players score 10 or more goals? Who?  13 (in order of most to least):  Thompson, Skinner, Tuch, Cozens, Peterka, Mittelstadt, Quinn, Dahlin, Olofsson, Benson, Krebs, Okposo, Girgensons 

9. How many players score 20 or more goals? Who?  Thompson, Skinner, Tuch, Cozens, Peterka, Olofsson (if he isn't benched/traded), Mittelstadt

10. Does anyone from Rochester get callup and stay with the Sabres (such as Pominville back in the day)?  Negative

11. Which Eastern playoffs team (s) miss the playoffs and who replaces them?  Out:  Tampa/Boston.  In:  Sabres/Ottawa

12. Stanley Cup champions 2023-24?  Edmonton

13. Other predictions you'd like to share?  #1:  Eastern standings:  1.  Toronto, 2. Florida 3. Ottawa 4. Buffalo, 5. Boston 6. Tampa 7. Detroit 8. Montreal.  Sabres, Tampa, and Boston battle it out for the last playoff spot.  #2:  Olofsson will be traded when Quinn returns.  #3:  Benson will stay w/ the Sabres the entire season and be in consideration for the Calder.  #4:  Comrie makes the team over UPL and both Comrie & Levi are above .900 save.  #5 Cozens looks better defensively and becomes our faceoff ace w/ a percentage above 50.  

[Quint]

I'm going to simply say this: I don't think the Sabres are making the playoffs this year either. They never addressed a goalie tandem, the defense looks rough and the forwards are still soft. Add to it injury-prone players and very, very tough competition in the Eastern Division.

I hope they prove me wrong.

[LGR4GM]

6 minutes ago, Quint said:

I'm going to simply say this: I don't think the Sabres are making the playoffs this year either. They never addressed a goalie tandem, the defense looks rough and the forwards are still soft. Add to it injury-prone players and very, very tough competition in the Eastern Division.

I hope they prove me wrong.

What injury prone players. Devon Levi only played 7 games last year. Clifton and Big Johnson were not on the team. 

[Taro T]

14 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

It's that time again.  It's one week until opening night.  What are your predictions for the season?

1. Sabres win and point totals  - 48 & 103

2. Do the Sabres make the playoffs and if so how far do they go? - Yes; 3rd Round

3. Team MVP  - Levi

4. Team ROY  -  Also Devon

5. Most Improved player - Jokiharju

6. Team leader in goals, assists and points  - Thompson, Rasmus, Dahlin

7. NHL Award candidates (Norris, Vezina, Selke, Calder, Richard, MVP etc)? Any winners?  N - Dahlin; V - Levi (but only top 10 ); S - No; Calder - Levi (most votes for players not named Bedard) & Benson (top 3 of that same pool); R - Thompson; H - Dahlin (national writers will see it differently than we do and Ras will be in the mix with Levi in the conversation but not getting (many) votes)

8. How many players score 10 or more goals? Who?  Thompson, Skinner, Tuch, Cozens, Peterka, Mittelstadt, Dahlin, Benson, Quinn, Olofsson

9. How many players score 20 or more goals? Who?  Thompson, Skinner, Tuch, Cozens, Peterka, Mittelstadt

10. Does anyone from Rochester get callup and stay with the Sabres (such as Pominville back in the day)?  - Johnson

11. Which Eastern playoffs team (s) miss the playoffs and who replaces them? - Tampa & the Aisles; Sabres & Pens (Otters just miss out)

12. Stanley Cup champions 2023-24?  - Mother f'n Canes

13. Other predictions you'd like to share?  - PA will continue to stalk a couple of posters but noone including the stalkees will care; Buffalonil's takes will become much more reasonable but he will get little to no acknowledgment for that because once you're identified as an early riser you can sleep until noon and nobody will notice.  😉

 

 

 

[Quint]

46 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

What injury prone players. Devon Levi only played 7 games last year. Clifton and Big Johnson were not on the team. 

Samuelsson, Tuch and TNT. Levi is unproven as an NHL starting goalie. He's never even had close to that sort of workload. 

Edited October 6, 2023 by Quint

[Taro T]

7 minutes ago, Quint said:

Samuelsson, Tuch and TNT. Levi is unproven as an NHL starting goalie. He's never even had close to that sort of workload. 

41 games isn't even CLOSE to 50? 

While they aren't in the same apartment buliding, they are in the same area code.

[dudacek]

Devon Levi is a star, the Sabres make the playoffs with ease and make a run to the final 4.

[Quint]

6 hours ago, Taro T said:

41 games isn't even CLOSE to 50? 

While they aren't in the same apartment buliding, they are in the same area code.

NHL games, not college.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Levi played 42 games last season; 34 in college, 1 in the Worlds and 7 NHL. 

I expect him to play about 45 games during the season. 

[LGR4GM]

7 hours ago, Quint said:

Samuelsson, Tuch and TNT. Levi is unproven as an NHL starting goalie. He's never even had close to that sort of workload. 

Do you think other teams don't get injuries? Thompson 78 gp, Tuch 74gp. 

I don't really worry about Levi. 

[DarthEbriate]

1. Sabres win and point totals
47-29-6;  100 pts
(unless Levi gets injured for an extended period)

2. Do the Sabres make the playoffs and if so how far do they go? 
Yes. 1st round, but the kids learn the playoff ropes and make it interesting after being down 3-1.

3. Team MVP
Dahlin

4. Team ROY
Levi

5. Most Improved player
Joker

6. Team leader in goals, assists and points 
G Skinner 41, A Dahlin 60, P Mitts 84

7. NHL Award candidates (Norris, Vezina, Selke, Calder, Richard, MVP, etc.)? Any winners? 
Norris - Dahlin, Calder - Levi. No winners.

8. How many players score 10 or more goals? Who?
Balanced lineup and almost everyone up front. 16. Benson, Cozens, Krebs, Mitts, Tage, Tuch, Z, Greenway, VO, Skinner, Okposo, JJP, Quinn, Rousek, Dahlin, Power 

9. How many players score 20 or more goals? Who?
6. Cozens, Tage, Tuch, Skinner, JJP, VO, Mitts

10. Does anyone from Rochester get callup and stay with the Sabres (such as Pominville back in the day)?
Rousek (and maybe Cooley)

11. Which Eastern playoffs team(s) miss the playoffs and who replaces them?
Out: Boston (standard regression + all the top F losses = 94 points); NYI.
In: Buffalo, Ottawa

12. Stanley Cup champions 2023-24?
Carolina

13. Other predictions you'd like to share?
This is where the fun begins. We have left the prequels behind and entered the original trilogy with the trade-children of Senator Reino Samidala and Jackikin Eichwalker (Princess Levi, Tuch Icewalker, (Krebs [probably Wedge] and others not yet with names) leading the Rebellion renaissance. Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.
TNT misses some time, but is hot on the G/P leaders' tails. Mitts get his 1st line sub minutes for 15-20 games.
VO finishes with a positive +/- (barely)

Edited October 7, 2023 by DarthEbriate

[Shoot da Puck]

I predict the fans here will complain all season long as the Sabres win the Cup.

[PASabreFan]

 

[Huckleberry]

They seem very motivated to me 🙂

[dudacek]

Greg Wyshynski picked the Sabres to be the league's most disappointing team this season.

Says everyone seems to think they're about to make a step and they aren't. Says Ottawa is top-to-bottom better.

[GASabresIUFAN]

It’s not an unreasonable take considering they were only 6 points out of a playoff spot and acquired more “proven” goaltending.  

They have also invested in “proven” but still productive older players like Giroux and Tarasenko up front to bolster their offense.  

I have proven in quotes because older players get hurt and their production decreases and goaltenders are notoriously inconsistent.

Add our questions on defense and in goal and our forwards inability to back check consistently and you have a recipe for Ottawa being better than the Sabres.  

Do I agree? No, but in my predictions I have both Ottawa and Buffalo making the playoffs.

Edited October 10, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN