With only one game left in the regular season for the Buffalo Sabres, there will be plenty of time to sit down and think about where it all went wrong. From player performances to coaching decisions and even roster moves by the general manager, there are definitely a few good things to pull from this season going into the next one. So, in the spirit of finding something good in a pile of mediocrity, these are the three biggest positives that I took away from the Sabres’ 2023-24 regular season.
Sabres’ Young Guns Taking Steps Forward
Without a shadow of a doubt, some of the most entertaining parts of this season have come from the sticks of JJ Peterka, Zach Benson, and Jack Quinn. While Quinn was mired with injuries all season long, when he was in the lineup, he was an absolute difference-maker. On a team that was struggling to put up goals on a regular basis, he was a bright light on the ice many times with his nose for the net and his goal-scoring gifts.
Speaking of goal-scoring, Peterka was one of the Sabres’ best goal-scoring threats all season long. He was shuffled up and down the lineup at different points of the season, but ultimately found a home on the top line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. He currently sits with 28 goals and 50 points with one game remaining against the Tampa Bay Lightning, so he still has a great chance to eclipse the 30-goal mark by the season’s end. Peterka has grown from an unconfident playmaker in his rookie year, to a speedy and soft-hands-driven goal scorer who easily has the potential to grow even more. Beyond any doubt, he was one of the Sabres’ best players on any given night.
Then there was rookie Zach Benson who went through all the typical trials of a first-year player in the NHL. He had a dominant preseason that had him earn a roster spot, and he managed to stick with the big club all season long despite some slumps along the way. By the end of the season, he went from a slightly undersized forward trying to prove he could play well, to a pest who was outstanding at puck possession, playmaking, and exciting goal-scoring. With easily the best and most entertaining goal of the Sabres season, he has shown that he does not score boring goals. He is definitely one to watch grow into his game in the next two to three years.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen… Enough Said
At the start of the season, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen found himself on the outside looking in as the third-string goaltender after a very slow start. With the…
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