Good news! Sabres not the youngest NHL team but...

[LGR4GM]

Good news, the Buffalo Sabres are no longer the youngest NHL team. They currently sit 31st just one ahead of Montreal. Buffalo is 25.7yrs compared to 25.35yrs. 

BUT... Buffalo is dead last in the NHL by experience. 5,881 total games played. Next closest is 644 more games played with 6,525 (also Montreal).

To help compare this, the Oilers are 8th with 10,991 games played and the Panthers are 3rd with 12,384gp. The Winnipeg Jets are first with 13,020gp.

So we are not the youngest but we are least experienced team in the entire NHL. 

Source: https://www.eliteprospects.com/league/nhl/teams-physical-stats/2025-2026

[LGR4GM]

Michael Kesselring has played 10 more NHL games than Zach Benson. 156 to 146. 

[bob_sauve28]

Does this number include playoff games? 

 

Oh, just kidding 

[GoPuckYourself]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Good news, the Buffalo Sabres are no longer the youngest NHL team. They currently sit 31st just one ahead of Montreal. Buffalo is 25.7yrs compared to 25.35yrs. 

BUT... Buffalo is dead last in the NHL by experience. 5,881 total games played. Next closest is 644 more games played with 6,525 (also Montreal).

To help compare this, the Oilers are 8th with 10,991 games played and the Panthers are 3rd with 12,384gp. The Winnipeg Jets are first with 13,020gp.

So we are not the youngest but we are least experienced team in the entire NHL. 

Source: https://www.eliteprospects.com/league/nhl/teams-physical-stats/2025-2026

It’s the built in excuse they can keep using every year.

[inkman]

Honestly, I’m not sure they’ll ever be competitive until they get into the upper half of the league in experience. It means something. In every walk of life, I have to imagine, sports even more so.  Sheer talent isn’t just going to translate into winning.  They need guys who have been there and done it.  

[Archie Lee]

I guess Montreal getting in last year is evidence to support it could happen.  Also, the Sabres missing by a point 2 years ago is similarly evidence that it is possible.  Adams continues to try to accomplish the unlikely though. 

The hockey DB page lists a player's age at the start of training camp as their age for that season (at least it seems that is what they do). Connor Timmins is the oldest of our d-men who are likely to be the 6 roster players for game one (injuries aside). He will be listed on the Sabres 25-26 roster page on the hockey DB site, as being in his age 26 season.  Dahlin, Samuelsson, and Kesslering will be in their age 25 years.  Byram 24.  Power 22. 

Looking back at the last 5 years, the only playoff team with a D that young is the 20-21 Avalanche.  They of course, had elite level forward talent.

Obviously our defenseman as individuals, are all capable of helping a team into the playoffs. Byram and Timmins were on that Avalanche team. I don't understand what Adams has against bringing in additional veteran players though. He certainly is not acting like a GM who is under any pressure from the owner to get in the playoffs any time soon. 

 

[triumph_communes]

I view the lack of emphasis on experience as a consequence of obsession on statistics. As teams tried to find types of players that could project to be players from the past, and manage the cap station, they lost the mentorship and culture players needed to grow into those projections.

 

Then we had ‘development’ focused coaches which doubled down on making things worse. Coaches who never understood a damn thing about building culture, but teaching each player they are a special snowflake and the grass is always greener on your next team.  The thing players need to hear in a summer camp, not in the big league
 

Now we are in the ‘everyone is 28’ time period, where the hope is guys are competing to be in their prime as a way to ensure there’s motivation for leadership and accountability to develop in the room. I agree this is way better than hand selecting 22yos and expecting ***** to pan out, but there’s still maturity outside of the room. 
 

Matt Moulson and Okposo were just the wrong kinds of leaders. They’re good people, just not the cut throat accountability Nazi the team needs out of a vet. The guy who is only there because he works hard, not because he has raw talent. Yet he’d go to war if someone cheap shotted the rookies he hazes day in and out. We just didn’t have that latter part. And didn’t even try to cover the gap with a goon. We just let the kids wallow in no accountability and positive reinforcement useless development coaches.  And did nothing when the evander kane, Zach Bogosian bad influences rotted out the room. 
 

At least there’s a shred of hope that ‘tougher to play against’ isn’t only measure in height and weight, but attitude as well. The kid Doan and the obsession with Bensen is my hope Lindy at least knows it right. Those 4th liners last season had none of it tho. 
 

Average age can be thrown off too much by a couple players. Give me the median

Edited 8 hours ago by triumph_communes

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Michael Kesselring has played 10 more NHL games than Zach Benson. 156 to 146. 

By trading Peterka he put a lot of eggs into the Kesselring basket, he is expected to not just play in the top 4, but to improve the top 4. 

I sure hope he can kill penalties and give us 20-21 minutes.   

[oddoublee]

The average age of the defense is the most damning part of this roster...imo

[inkman]

2 hours ago, oddoublee said:

The average age of the defense is the most damning part of this roster...imo

How many teams have had two first overall picks under 25 as their top 2 defenseman?  The team won’t succeed this way.  There is a reason 35 year old dmen are still a thing.  Experience matters.  Every season teams grab one or two grizzled vets at the deadline just for this reason.  The Sabres almost make it impossible unless they a supplement with more veterans.  Is Bowen Byram an ideal player for Dahlin?  Kesselring might the right kind of player for Power but he could use another 5 seasons under his belt. The whole process is flawed.  You can’t win with a bunch of kids. 

[PerreaultForever]

I read somewhere on twitter that this D of Dahlin Byram Power Kesselring Samuelsson Timmons is the youngest D in the league. Don't know if that's true or not. 

I think if Zucker, Greenway and Norris all go on IR at some point the roster would be one of the youngest if not the youngest again. We definitely still lack veteran experience and leadership. Their plan is stupid. 

[DarthEbriate]

What is the likelihood that Montreal gets back in this season without a substantial improvement in goal differential— like a +25 in goal differential?

Of note: GM Holland went to Edmonton and built the oldest team in the league (including Perry) around McDavid and Draisaitl. Their only flaw is they ran into a better and more balanced team in back-to-back years. I’d say hire Holland, but the Sabres do not have two MVP centers, nor could they afford to pay Holland and the final year of those coaching contracts. 

1 minute ago, PerreaultForever said:

I read somewhere on twitter that this D of Dahlin Byram Power Kesselring Samuelsson Timmons is the youngest D in the league. Don't know if that's true or not. 

I think if Zucker, Greenway and Norris all go on IR at some point the roster would be one of the youngest if not the youngest again. We definitely still lack veteran experience and leadership. Their plan is stupid. 

Someday, there’s a good chance all of the Sabres current top 6 d-men play games in their age 30 season. There’s a good chance that none of them play that age 30 season for the Sabres. 

[Thorny]

10 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Good news, the Buffalo Sabres are no longer the youngest NHL team. They currently sit 31st just one ahead of Montreal. Buffalo is 25.7yrs compared to 25.35yrs. 

BUT... Buffalo is dead last in the NHL by experience. 5,881 total games played. Next closest is 644 more games played with 6,525 (also Montreal).

To help compare this, the Oilers are 8th with 10,991 games played and the Panthers are 3rd with 12,384gp. The Winnipeg Jets are first with 13,020gp.

So we are not the youngest but we are least experienced team in the entire NHL. 

Source: https://www.eliteprospects.com/league/nhl/teams-physical-stats/2025-2026

This will be the 4th year straight they are one of the 4 youngest teams 

Edited 25 minutes ago by Thorny

[Thorny]

7 minutes ago, Thorny said:

This will be the 4th year straight they are one of the 4 youngest teams 

It’s funny they’ve basically proceeded to get younger instead of older until maybe now haha