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Sabres’ fatal flaw that must be fixed in 2024-25 season

Originally posted on NHL on ClutchPoints
By Nate Duffett | Last updated 10/14/24

The Buffalo Sabres and their fans are running out of patience after a record-breaking playoff drought. The Sabres are tied for first amongst the four North American sports for the longest active postseason droughts. Buffalo and the New York Jets are tied with a 13-year absence, last making the playoffs in the 2010-11 season. One positive thing about being so abysmal is that the Sabres have gotten some top draft picks. However, those picks have done nothing to solve the Sabres’ most fatal flaw in 2024-25.

The Sabres’ biggest flaw has been their inability to remain consistent week-by-week and season-by-season. Buffalo can have a week where they look like an elite offensive unit and an Eastern Conference playoff contender. However, there are also weeks where they fall apart and string together multiple losses. The 2022-23 season was the best for the Sabres over this drought. They were tenth in the Eastern Conference, their highest finish since the 2011-12 season.

Expectations were high entering the 2023-24 season. All their top prospects were steadily increasing in development, and it looked like the season where the playoff drought would end. However, the reality was four more losses than the previous season and a 12th-place finish in the conference. An easy thing to blame was a massive dropoff in scoring, as the Sabres scored just 244 goals. However, their goals against also decreased from 297 to 243.

The goal for the Sabres in 2024-25 is to get their goal totals back up but keep the same defensive structure as last season. It felt like a trip to Europe for the season’s first two games could be a bonding moment. However, they are 1-3 in their first four games and have only scored eight goals compared to 12 against.

Rasmus Dahlin’s captaincy signals fresh start for Sabres

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) during the third period against the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center. © Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The Sabres are trying to pull out all the stops to end this playoff drought. They made Rasmus Dahlin the captain before the 2024-25 season, which signals a fresh start for the organization. Dahlin has been the most reliable player on the Sabres since they drafted him first in 2018. He had 73 points in 78 games in 2022-23 when the Sabres were an elite offensive team, which was a massive reason for optimism about Buffalo’s future. However, he had just 59 points in 81 games last season.

Dahlin’s start to the 2024-25 season hasn’t been great. He has just one assist over the four games, and people will soon blame him for Buffalo averaging just two goals per game. It could be a matter of the pressure being a difficult adjustment for the new captain, and it seems like it could be getting to him. The defenseman lined up teammate Peyton Krebs with an open-ice hip check in practice after the 1-3 start, which ignited a fight between the two players. A practice scrum kickstarted a Stanley Cup for the St. Louis Blues in 2019, but the result for the Sabres remains to be seen.

Dahlin will be a hero if this scrum between him and Krebs begins a winning streak. However, if it’s the start of a team breakdown, the captaincy move will be one of the quickest disasters in NHL history.

The Sabres are already fragile thanks to their inconsistent play over the past few seasons. They may not have a strong enough mindset to advance past a team controversy. The Sabres need a shot in the arm to get them out of their slump, and fans hope Dahlin’s leadership will be the answer.

Is Buffalo’s goaltending tandem good enough to contend?

A massive reason for the Sabres’ inconsistencies over the past few seasons has been questionable goaltending. They believed Devon Levi would be the answer to all their problems when he signed his professional contract. He struggled at the NHL level in 2023-24 but settled into a role with the Rochester Americans. Levi had a 2.42 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.

Levi’s numbers were too good to ignore entering the 2024-25 season. The Sabres made him the tandem partner with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to begin the year, and Levi has the only win for them so far. Luukkonen had a 2.57 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage last season, which earned him a raise and a contract extension.

The question for the Sabres is whether they can get the goaltending and offense to match up for an 82-game season and get them to the playoffs. The early returns aren’t great, as Luukkonen and Levi are performing decently but the offense has just eight goals in four games. If the offense begins clicking but the defense and goaltending falters, prepare for another long season in Buffalo.

This article first appeared on NHL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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