The Buffalo Sabres are notorious for starting a new season hot but then quickly fizzling, particularly when the calendar flips to November, which makes the beginning of the 2023-24 season puzzling. Thus far, neither of those things has happened. The Sabres have turned in a few impressive performances but have been quite lousy at times as well. They currently sit at 7-8-1 with 15 points, good enough for 13th in the Eastern Conference as of Nov. 16.
While not an ideal start given that they’re expected to make the playoffs this year, it hasn’t been catastrophic either and the Sabres can easily turn things around if they can find some consistency. Now that the season is thoroughly underway, let’s look at a few things that currently stand out in Buffalo.
Thompson Injury Spells Obvious Trouble
Tuesday’s (Nov. 14) game against the Boston Bruins was the unquestioned low point of the season for the Sabres so far. They were practically lifeless and the Bruins skated away with an effortless 5-2 victory that spoiled captain Kyle Okposo’s 1,000th game celebration. To make matters even worse, it was announced afterward that number-one center Tage Thompson would be out for an extended period after taking a shot off his left wrist. Coach Don Granato is optimistic that he’ll be back sooner than anticipated, but the team will have to find a way to make up for his absence either way.
Thompson had recently begun taking on more defensive responsibilities and found success on the penalty kill, making him even tougher to replace. Luckily for the Sabres, they have plenty of prospects that now have a chance to emerge and they may get that immediately. Zach Benson is expected to return to the lineup as soon as Friday after being out since Nov. 1. He can be used for three more games before the first year of his entry-level contract is activated and it’s still difficult to tell if the Sabres will retain him or send him back to the Wenatchee Wild of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Rumors of a Patrick Kane homecoming continue to persist as well. Though fans seem to be bipolar at the prospect of such, it’s tough to deny that the superstar would provide a major boost and would be a great fit to fill the void should it last longer than expected. Regardless of the solution, the Sabres will be without their top star for at least the foreseeable future and others will have to step up in that time.
A Questionable Goaltending Decision
There’s no denying that Granato has been great for the Sabres. He’s now the longest-tenured coach they’ve had under owner Terry Pegula and he’s been as crucial to the team’s turnaround as any player on the ice. However, if there’s one area in which he shows weakness, it’s the handling of his netminders.
The aforementioned blowout at the hands of the Bruins saw rookie goaltender Devon Levi torched for five goals on 18 shots, including three in the first period. He received very little help from the team in front of him, but the 21-year-old clearly just didn’t have it. Despite this, Granato didn’t see fit to pull him until after he was beaten for a fifth time midway through the second. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was a perfect 14 for 14 in relief and the Sabres pieced together an attempted rally, but by then it was too little too late.
It’s the second time in recent memory that the bench boss hung one of his goaltenders out to dry. He was criticized last season when Eric Comrie was left to endure a 10-goal barrage by the Dallas Stars on March 9. Though this case isn’t quite as egregious, it’s still less than encouraging. It’s true that Levi will have to battle adversity as he grows, but the Sabres have to be very careful and can’t afford missteps that will hurt his progression. While his hype is through the roof, he has to be given a fair chance to live up to it and his confidence being damaged in such a way is the last thing they need.
Luukkonen Steals The Spotlight
As expected, all eyes have been on Levi as he begins his first full year in the NHL. The most-hyped goaltending prospect the Sabres have had in years and expected to become their next franchise netminder, the 21-year-old has been the center of attention since he debuted at the tail end of last season. But though he entered the new campaign as the number one, he’s been largely upstaged by his compatriot. Luukkonen’s struggles to find consistency have become a source of frustration over the past two seasons, and, coupled with Levi’s arrival, has caused him to fall out of favor with many fans.
Related: Sabres News & Rumors: Thompson, Levi, Luukkonen & Olofsson
But though fans who prefer Levi might have a hard time stomaching this, the man dubbed “UPL” has been Buffalo’s best goaltender so far. The 24-year-old had to bide his time and didn’t see any action until the seventh game of the year. But after both Levi and Comrie fell to injury in late October, he made the most of the opportunity suddenly presented to him. He posted his first career shutout in an impressive 23-save performance against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 29 and followed it up with an even more remarkable showing on Nov. 1, making 40 saves against the Philadelphia Flyers.
He’s still a bit inconsistent at times, but the Finn stepped up big when his team needed him to. His 3-3-1 record isn’t the most impressive, but his 2.92 goals-against average and .909 save percentage are already a marked improvement over last season and show that he’s finding his footing. He still has plenty to learn in his own right, but the Sabres need someone to take the heat off Levi and prevent him from being overwhelmed. If Luukkonen can continue his strong play, he’s the man for the job.
Sabres Are In Better Standing Than It Seems
Though they’ve been on and off to this point, the Sabres are in a fine position going forward and are just two points out of a playoff spot as of Thursday. They’ve battled quite a few injuries already but are coming together in spite of that and will receive a boost with Alex Tuch and others poised to return to the lineup in the coming days. The loss of Thompson does admittedly throw a bit of a monkey wrench into things, but Buffalo has yet to play its best hockey and good things appear to be coming. A bit of patience is all that’s needed.