Do the Sabres make the playoffs this season (second edition)

[#freejame]

Pretty straightforward question again. Yes or no. 

Did this poll before the season started and more than 3/4 of Sabres fans said yes. Something tells me this may have changed. 

Edited October 7 by #freejame

[PerreaultForever]

No. 

[Thorner]

I chose to say 51% in spite of better judgment before the year started, 2 games isn’t enough to jump off what was already a hopium filled projection. I’ll still say yes.

It’s probably just cope but I ALWAYS think about that Marcus Johansson 2C, Botterill team that was FLYING out the gate at 2-0. Look what happened. Why not the inverse? 

Edited October 5 by Thorner

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, Thorner said:

I chose to say 51% in spite of better judgment before the year started, 2 games isn’t enough to jump off what was already a hopium filled projection. I’ll still say yes.

It’s probably just cope but I ALWAYS think about that Marcus Johansson 2C, Botterill team that was FLYING out the gate at 2-0. Look what happened. Why not the inverse? 

[SABRES 0311]

No. Lack of talent and hockey IQ in the top six. No viable option for a defense partner for Dahlin unless you break up Byram and Power, our best pairing. 

[TheAud]

We have this to look forward to:

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-nhl-draft-rankings-preseason-top-40

[zow2]

You will know the answer after 10 games (especially after starting 0-2).  If they are above .500 then yes I think they get in.  If they are at .500 then it's unlikely.  If they are below .500 then its a big no and probably a 75 point season.

[Scottysabres]

1 hour ago, TheAud said:

We have this to look forward to:

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-nhl-draft-rankings-preseason-top-40

Ah yes, let's see who's dreams are going to be crushed next.

[HILLsabre]

[JoeSchmoe]

It's two games I know... but we don't have enough players that can score.

Sadly, our GM thought that by getting rid of two legit top-6 forwards (Mittelstadt and Skinner) that we'd somehow improve on our 23rd in the league offense. 🥴

 

[Gatorman0519]

Tough conference with several elite teams. Only one or two spots are going to be open and we don’t look there. 

[That Aud Smell]

I watched a lot of that hockey.

Thompson, Cozens, Tuch. 

They’re just not *that* good.

KA has each of them slotted too high in the pecking order based on the 2 centres’ outlier career years.

Dahlin? A very nice player. Not a Norris candidate.

I saw what the Sabres are supposed to be. It’s the Devils. They have a similar concept — but with better players at just about every spot.

[HumanSlinky39]

Based on what we saw so far? No. But it's far too early to totally give up 

[TRIP65]

8 hours ago, #freejame said:

Pretty straightforward question again. Yes or no. 

Did this poll before the season started and more than 3/4 of Sabres fans said yes. Something tells me this may have changed. 

Obvious now it is NOT a Coaching issue, Player Issue and that leads to the GM.

Sabres have no Top 20 Player, gave it away to LV. So far Dahlin has fallen far short of the Talent we see.

Sabres have no Center on the Top Two Lines. What I mean is someone who can consistently carry the Puck past the Blue line without losing it. Quinn is the closest!

All truly Wingers!!!

So Sabres need to find Centers to play with the 4 other players that remain from the Top 6. They have to Trade for ONE, I think it is time to pick a True Center ready enough to Contribute

To me, Östlund or Wahlberg for 2nd or 3rd Line. Also temporarily use McLeod and put either of these guys on third line.

Have to Trade for a Number 1 Center which we had Top 20 Talent before. Adam Henrique, go get him as a Rental for 1-2 years till Konsta Helenius or Kulich is Ready

Lines would be then

Tage  Henrique Tuch

Quinn McLeod Peterka

Benson Walberg Zucker

Malenstyn Lafferty Aube-Kubel

 

Dahlin Gilbert/Clifton

Power Joki

Byram Samuelsson

 

Greenwood,  Bryson, Clifton or Gilbert

 

Trade Cozens or Tage or Tuch. Also use Kulich, Rozen, Rousek if need. Krebs throw in any deal

 

We need a TOP CENTER NOW

Edited October 6 by TRIP65

[TRIP65]

6 hours ago, zow2 said:

You will know the answer after 10 games (especially after starting 0-2).  If they are above .500 then yes I think they get in.  If they are at .500 then it's unlikely.  If they are below .500 then its a big no and probably a 75 point season.

Tell me Tage and Cozens are True Centers. Neither can carry Puck past Blue line without losing the Puck or Knocked off. way less then 50% they succeed. Not good enough and NJ proved it. top Teams will knock them off if they know how to be Physical.

[TRIP65]

I said YES BUT

Ruff will make it Close.

Dahlin isn't this BAD

Bottom Line was our best line against NJ, that won't always be the case.

We have Very Good Goaltending, UPL alwasy starts a bit slow and LEVI is a STUD

 

We need a #1 Center and he isn't in Rochester this year and NOT on the Team now.

[Porous Five Hole]

11 minutes ago, TRIP65 said:

I said YES BUT

Ruff will make it Close.

Dahlin isn't this BAD

Bottom Line was our best line against NJ, that won't always be the case.

We have Very Good Goaltending, UPL alwasy starts a bit slow and LEVI is a STUD

 

We need a #1 Center and he isn't in Rochester this year and NOT on the Team now.

To the bolded, I am convinced he’s playing hurt. He looks nothing like himself.  I just hope it won’t linger all year.  

[TRIP65]

15 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

To the bolded, I am convinced he’s playing hurt. He looks nothing like himself.  I just hope it won’t linger all year.  

He had no Preseason, 1-2 Practices. Often starts slow like the Rest of the team

[Pimlach]

I voted yes the first time, so I will stick with it.  To change after only 2 games would be ah, uhhmm,  unPunch-like. 

[French Collection]

19 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I voted yes the first time, so I will stick with it.  To change after only 2 games would be ah, uhhmm,  unPunch-like. 

Hear, hear. I feel the same way after only two games.

[Sidc3000]

I didn’t expect to make it before this weekend.  They really didn’t make enough changes and I didn’t think Lindy will make a bit of difference 

[Crusader1969]

I put $5 on the Sabres winning the cup 

can cash out today for $.92.   Thinking I'm getting a steal lol 

[inkman]

[GoPuckYourself]

I refuse to turn negative after just 2 games in, I voted yes we will make playoffs because I cannot fathom thinking about who we can get at pick 1 of the draft in game 3 LOL Nope not gonna do it.

[mjd1001]

Still want to see more.

Last year Florida lost their first 2 games, outscored 8-4.  They had a few (at least 3) streaks in the year where they lost 4 in a row or 4 out of 5 (most teams do). They were shut out SEVEN times last year, and had another 8 games where they only scored 1 goal. So 15 times their fans thought they couldn't generate hardly any offense.

 

Washington made the playoffs last year. Being a negative 37 in goal differential.

They started 1-4 in their first 5 games last year, being outscored 19-7 and shut out once, including losses to Pittsburgh, Ottawa, and Montreal. They were awful for the first 2-2.5 weeks of the season. 

They they went on an 9-1-1 run over the next 11 games.

Later in the year, they had another run where they lost 8 out of 9.

IN the NHL, teams have pretty big swings. Streaks where good teams can look like the worst team in the league, and the other way around. We need more time. 2 bad games in the NHL i like having a bad first half in your first game in the NFL. You CAN recover.

   I get it, a few examples of someone else doing it doesn't mean the Sabres will, but it can (and does) happen after early season slow starts.  I want to get to game 10 before even making an initial judgement on this Sabres team.

Edited October 7 by mjd1001