Interesting Article On Which Sabres Will Have Break out Season

[bob_sauve28]

https://thehockeywriters.com/sabres-players-put-nhl-notice-2025-26/#google_vignette

 

Every season, there are always a few players around the league who have a breakout season and “put the league on notice”. Last season, we saw it with players like Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas of the Washington Capitals, who both put up career highs, helping the team to the Metropolitan Division title.

 

 

And this is a second article to chew on:  https://thehockeywriters.com/until-the-sabres-fix-their-culture-nothing-else-matters/

 

 

[dudacek]

34 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

https://thehockeywriters.com/sabres-players-put-nhl-notice-2025-26/#google_vignette

 

Every season, there are always a few players around the league who have a breakout season and “put the league on notice”. Last season, we saw it with players like Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas of the Washington Capitals, who both put up career highs, helping the team to the Metropolitan Division title.

 

 

And this is a second article to chew on:  https://thehockeywriters.com/until-the-sabres-fix-their-culture-nothing-else-matters/

 

 

I always go back to my signposts:

Forwards generally break out — basically become who they are — in their 3rd or 4th season, after 200ish NHL games.

Defenceman take a little longer

Peterka (3rd year, after 161 games), McLeod (4th year, 217 games) and Krebs (4th year, 214 games) followed the model last year.

Right now, the Sabres have the following players as candidates

• Byram 246 games, 5th year
• Power 242 games, 4th year
• Quinn 178 games 4th year
• Kesselring 156 games, 3rd year
• Benson 146 games, 3rd year

I'm not expecting a fully formed Doan (62 games, 2nd year), or Kulich (63 games, 2nd year) to appear yet.

Edited 3 hours ago by dudacek

[bob_sauve28]

48 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I always go back to my signposts:

Forwards generally break out — basically become who they are — in their 3rd or 4th season, after 200ish NHL games.

Defenceman take a little longer

Peterka (3rd year, after 161 games), McLeod (4th year, 217 games) and Krebs (4th year, 214 games) followed the model last year.

Right now, the Sabres have the following players as candidates

• Byram 246 games, 5th year
• Power 242 games, 4th year
• Quinn 178 games 4th year
• Kesselring 156 games, 3rd year
• Benson 146 games, 3rd year

I'm not expecting a fully formed Doan (62 games, 2nd year), or Kulich (63 games, 2nd year) to appear yet.

I forgot about Krebs. Wonder if there is more offensive upside there? We do have a lot of interesting potential risers on the team. Especially assuming Norris injured at some point, we will need someone to step up and replace JJP's scoring. Kulich better learn not to set himself up for thundering body checks or he might miss time. 

Quinn really had chemistry with JJP, hope he is able to play without him 

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

I always go back to my signposts:

Forwards generally break out — basically become who they are — in their 3rd or 4th season, after 200ish NHL games.

Defenceman take a little longer

Peterka (3rd year, after 161 games), McLeod (4th year, 217 games) and Krebs (4th year, 214 games) followed the model last year.

Right now, the Sabres have the following players as candidates

• Byram 246 games, 5th year
• Power 242 games, 4th year
• Quinn 178 games 4th year
• Kesselring 156 games, 3rd year
• Benson 146 games, 3rd year

I'm not expecting a fully formed Doan (62 games, 2nd year), or Kulich (63 games, 2nd year) to appear yet.

REALLY hoping this season is kind of the inverse of when they originally hired Ruff.  They made MAJOR changes in the FO and coaching ranks and it looked like the team would be a tire fire coming off an unexpectedly good season in Nolan's 2nd year.  But, rather than be a tire fire all year, they figured it out in the 2nd 1/2 of that season and went 1 round further than Nolan's squad had a year earlier.

Not expecting it.  But hoping for it.

And for anybody that cares, there were NOT a lot of seats with placards on them today.  Though the HARD CORE Sabres fans that come here are for the most part despondent, it doesn't seem to be a universal sentiment.

Edited 14 minutes ago by Taro T
unexpectedly, not expectedly