The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway and for the 13th consecutive season, the Buffalo Sabres are watching other teams compete for hockey’s ultimate prize. In order to win, your best players have to be at their best, and the Sabres are out of it again due (in large part) to the regression of certain players during the 2023-24 season. Here are three Sabres who need to bounce back in 2024-25.
Dylan Cozens
On a number of occasions this season, Cozens was very self-critical by pointing out that he makes a lot of money and needs to produce offensively. During the 2022-23 NHL campaign, he did exactly that with 31 goals and 68 points in 81 games, but this season was a step backwards (18 goals and 47 points).
During his press conference last week (April 16), general manager Kevyn Adams singled out Cozens by saying that he lost his identity at times this season and needs to be a handful for the center he’s matched up against. Two days later (April 18), Cozens (during the players’ end-of-season interviews) to no surprise, talked about how big this offseason is for him, which should give Sabres fans a lot of confidence. The 23-year-old has six years remaining on his seven-year contract ($7.1 million cap hit), and will suit up for Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.
Jeff Skinner
When it comes to players who were reborn under former head coach Don Granato, who was fired April 16, Skinner is right at the top of the list. Skinner, under Ralph Krueger, found himself demoted to the fourth line and the press box, which was problematic given his $9-million price tag. Under Granato (for the most part) over the last three seasons, Skinner has been a top-six mainstay, and registered a career-high 82 points in 79 games in 2022-23.
This season, Skinner was not as productive alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch with 36 fewer points (46) than last season. In addition, Skinner’s decline in output resulted in JJ Peterka taking his spot on the top line alongside Thompson and Tuch. The left winger will turn 32 next month (May 16) and at that age, along with his $9 million cap hit for three more seasons, it would be difficult for the Sabres to move on from him. That being said, Skinner (in all likelihood) will be back next season, so you’d hope to see a bounceback from him under a new bench boss.
Tage Thompson
Make no mistake about it, 2022-23 was Thompson’s coming out party (47 goals and 94 points), but this season was more of a struggle for the star center due (in large part) to injuries. In fact, Thompson left the Sabres’ final game of the season versus the Tampa Bay Lightning (April 15) with a lower-body injury that will prevent him from playing for USA at the World Championship. However, Adams said the injury won’t interfere with his summer training and the start of next season.
Related: Buffalo Sabres’ 2023-24 Team Awards
There’s no question Sabre fans were expecting Thompson to follow up on last season, and even though he wasn’t able to do that (29 goals, 56 points in 71 games), it’s not the end of the world because in his last 20 games, Thompson looked more like himself (11 goals and 10 assists). Similar to Cozens, you can see how much Thompson cares, and (like many Sabres players) wants to be held accountable by whoever takes over as the Sabres’ new head coach. The key for the 26-year-old is to be healthy and ready for year number two (2024-25) of his seven-year contract.
The Sabres were 23rd in goals for this season (falling from 12th in 2022-23), and when you look at the regression from the players above, it’s not a shocking statistic. In order for the Sabres to outscore their opponents and ultimately win more hockey games next season, these three players have to be at the forefront. A crucial offseason is just underway in Western New York.