2025-26 Sabre season projections

[LGR4GM]

What's really interesting is that a bunch of the projections have Sabres making the playoffs. 

 

[inkman]

You know what they say, you don’t play the games on paper…er…in the charts…er…electronically? 

[Jorcus]

It seems like a lot of these surveys really under rate the Montreal Canadiens. It would not shock me to see them win the division. Hutson is a year older, They added Dobson, and Demidov looks like the next Patrick Kane. They are the fastest team in the East and the goaltending is decent and has some depth. What am I missing?

[LGR4GM]

4 minutes ago, Jorcus said:

It seems like a lot of these surveys really under rate the Montreal Canadiens. It would not shock me to see them win the division. Hutson is a year older, They added Dobson, and Demidov looks like the next Patrick Kane. They are the fastest team in the East and the goaltending is decent and has some depth. What am I missing?

I'd guess their forwards and depth defense don't grade out that well. 

[SabreFinn]

1 minute ago, Jorcus said:

It seems like a lot of these surveys really under rate the Montreal Canadiens. It would not shock me to see them win the division. Hutson is a year older, They added Dobson, and Demidov looks like the next Patrick Kane. They are the fastest team in the East and the goaltending is decent and has some depth. What am I missing?

I think Montreal will have big problems in defensive zon, both on pk and 5v5. Players like Dvorak, Armia and Heineman are not flashy, but they did a dirty job that also should be done by someone. Habs will realize that pretty fast imo.

[GASabresIUFAN]

No goaltending, no playoffs.  

[dudacek]

Posted about this elsewhere, but the discrepancy between the hockey math nerds and the hockey talking heads is striking when it comes to the Sabres.

[steveoath]

Wood be absolutely hilarious if the Atlantic ended up like the evolving wild prediction

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Posted about this elsewhere, but the discrepancy between the hockey math nerds and the hockey talking heads is striking when it comes to the Sabres.

Personally, I think the truth is someplace in between.

2 hours ago, Jorcus said:

It seems like a lot of these surveys really under rate the Montreal Canadiens. It would not shock me to see them win the division. Hutson is a year older, They added Dobson, and Demidov looks like the next Patrick Kane. They are the fastest team in the East and the goaltending is decent and has some depth. What am I missing?

When I watch Montreal, yes, they play fast, but they seem to not have much of a 'half court' game in the offensive zone.  Whether on the PP, or just setting up in the offensive zone, their skill doesn't seem to be that high in terms of cycling the puck and generating good scoring chances.  Off the rush they are OK, but their entire forward group just doesn't mesh in terms of playmaking once they establish the offensive zone.

Edited 25 minutes ago by mjd1001

[North Buffalo]

https://www.nhl.com/news/vegas-golden-knights-dallas-stars-favorites-to-win-stanley-cup-nhl-writers-say

No one has Sabres making playoffs... seems about right... need to prove it.

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, Jorcus said:

It seems like a lot of these surveys really under rate the Montreal Canadiens. It would not shock me to see them win the division. Hutson is a year older, They added Dobson, and Demidov looks like the next Patrick Kane. They are the fastest team in the East and the goaltending is decent and has some depth. What am I missing?

Scoring.  They only scored 243 last season and had a -18 differential.  They scored 22 less goals than the Sabres.