Buffalo Sabres’ Recent Problems Won’t Be Solved by Devon Levi

On March 17, the Buffalo Sabres finally signed their top goaltending prospect Devon Levi to his entry-level contract. The team followed up that news with a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers that evening, and it was a performance that continued to show the glaring defensive issues they have; defensive issues that could leave Levi wondering if he made the right choice to sign right now. Not too long after the signing was announced, general manager Kevyn Adams did state that Levi would be reporting directly to the Sabres and will not be sent to the minors right away, which means that soon enough he will start his first NHL game.

Buffalo has had some problems recently that are too glaring to overlook. They have some key players who aren’t performing like they need to, a defense that is in shambles each night, and a goaltending trio that has looked shaky at best. Before Levi sees his first NHL start, they need to address these issues or his debut will likely be disappointing.

Sabres Have Too Many Players On Cold Streaks

All season long, the Sabres have had the mentality that they can outscore their problems. Their defensive issues have been outmatched (mostly) by their offensive capabilities, but recently there have been a number of key players going through some mild cold streaks. For a team that relies almost solely on their offense to win games, they cannot afford anyone getting cold as they make a playoff push. The players in question are Rasmus Dahlin, Victor Olofsson, and Tage Thompson, and their lack of consistent performance down the stretch in March is a big reason this team is struggling.

Olofsson has always been a streaky player, but recently, he has been next to useless as far as point production goes. Prior to scoring the only two goals in the loss to the Flyers, Olofsson had one goal in a span of 17 games. It appears his time spent in the press box recently got something to click again, but time will tell if that will mean consistent production from him.

Dahlin has easily been the Sabres’ best overall defender all season. His point production has also been on a personal record pace, but recently, he has fallen off, and it couldn’t be at a worse time. He has zero points in his last seven games and is sporting a minus-10 during that same span. This team relies on his play to get the offense going a lot of times, and with his defensive play slipping a bit too, it has just…