As fun as it is to ask “what if” about your favorite sports teams, it’s very important to remember that hindsight is always 20/20. It’s very easy to look back on a past scenario with genius intellect because we know things now that weren’t evident then. That being said, it doesn’t make pondering the past any less fascinating, especially for a team like the Buffalo Sabres that has a well-documented history of “almost, not quite.”
In the last two of these that I’ve done, we’ve talked about many of the obvious ones, such as “No Goal” in 1999 or the Draft Lottery in 2015. But what if we wanted to get specific, like really specific? Let’s dive to the very bottom and look at some of the hypotheticals in Sabres history that might not come to mind immediately.
What If: Campbell Hadn’t Smoked Umberger?
Buffalo’s 2005-06 season stands out in team history for many reasons. It was a magical, fairy tale of a ride that produced so many memorable moments, some even legendary. However, that may not have been the case had it not been for one particular play. In the opening round of the playoffs the Sabres faced a familiar foe in the Philadelphia Flyers, whom they had met in four of their previous five appearances. The Flyers were far bigger and more imposing and many expected them to make short work of the series.
But though the Sabres simply couldn’t match up physically, they used their speed and finesse to take it to their towering foe from the outset, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in Game 1 before the Flyers tied it late to force overtime. Halfway through the extra period, Buffalo received a monumental boost from an unlikely source. After the Sabres nearly ended the contest with a shot that rolled just wide, the Flyers attempted to break out of their own zone. Sabres defenseman Brian Campbell pinched off the left point and laid out Philadelphia winger RJ Umberger with a massive, clean check.
At 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, Campbell was not known for physicality and one of the last players one would have expected such a colossal hit from, especially since he was considerably smaller than the 6-foot-2, 214-pound Umberger, who had to be helped off the ice. The hit sent an electric charge through Buffalo’s then-HSBC Arena and the crowd went ballistic as the Flyers chased the undersized blueliner around in the aftermath. The Sabres went on to win the game in double overtime on a goal by Daniel Briere.
Though it may have just seemed like a big hit on the surface, it was much more for the Sabres in hindsight. It was at that moment where they learned that they could stand up to the “Big Bad” Flyers and didn’t have to be intimidated. Buffalo went on to win the series in six games and rode that momentum all the way to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. Had Campbell not rocked Umberger with the hit, perhaps the Sabres wouldn’t have gained the confidence they did and one of their greatest playoff runs of all time would have ended before it started.
What If: Tim Connolly Had Stayed Healthy?
This one might seem a bit out of left field, but when you really think about it, it’s intriguing. His name might not come up much anymore, but there’s no denying that Tim Connolly was one of the most important Sabres players of the 2000s. Hyper-talented but tragically frail, he would have been a superstar in today’s game but the NHL at the time just wasn’t ready for a player like him. There are a number of what-ifs surrounding his career but the biggest is perhaps this: how differently would his years in Buffalo have gone had he been able to steer clear of the injury bug?
All but one of Connolly’s eight seasons in Buffalo were interrupted by injury to one degree or another and it severely limited him. Though he was very productive in spite of that and recorded 320 points in 464 games, fans never saw the impact he was truly capable of. The centerman had the skill set to do just about whatever he wanted and when he was healthy, he was lethal. A fast skater with fantastic puck handling, a blistering shot and a borderline paranormal ability to create plays, he was one of the Sabres’ biggest pieces and an integral part of the team’s post-lockout revival, and he could have been even bigger after those glory days ended.
Connolly was the type of player that teams are built around. And in a universe where he was able to consistently stay healthy, he easily could have become the team’s new centerpiece after the shocking departures of co-captains and top centers Chris Drury and Daniel Briere in the summer of 2007. Alongside a re-signed Thomas Vanek (we’ll get to that), the Sabres could have surrounded their new number-one center with their numerous other young stars at the time and formed a new super team. Though they would have had considerably less depth than the two seasons prior, it’s possible that the team could have continued its winning ways and remained a force to be reckoned with.
There have been a few Sabres over the years whose careers were sabotaged by injuries and Connolly is perhaps the most notable example. Had he been able to avoid them, he would have gone down as one of the best players in team history and might have even been a Hall of Famer. Instead, he was retired by the age of 32 and fans will forever be left asking what might have been (from “What happened to Sabres star Tim Connolly? After 7 years, he’s ready to explain”, The Athletic, 3/12/20).
What If: The United States Won Gold in 2010?
Though the Olympics and the NHL exist in parallel, they’ve intersected from time to time, and the 2010 Vancouver Games might be the best example. It was without question one of the greatest hockey tournaments in the history of the event and culminated with a thriller for the ages. In one of the best games ever played, Canada and the United States locked horns with national pride and the gold medal hanging in the balance. Canada’s presence was of no surprise, but their neighbor’s certainly was, and a Sabre was the biggest reason for it.
Ryan Miller reached his prime in 2010 and was the best goaltender in the NHL at the time of the Vancouver Games. He was named Team USA’s starter and he led the underdog squad on a shocking run to the gold medal game for a rematch with the Canadians, who defeated them in 2002. The contest was an intensely close, back-and-forth affair that saw the US rally from a 2-0 deficit and tie the game with 24 seconds remaining, but it was all for naught. Noted Sabre killer Sidney Crosby caught Miller by surprise in overtime and ended the Americans’ thrilling ride in spectacularly heartbreaking fashion.
The golden goal cemented Crosby as the face of his generation, but it couldn’t take the spotlight off Miller and his gallant performance earned him both MVP honors and the respect of the hockey world, as evidenced by the Sabres’ first game after play resumed. In Pittsburgh to play the Penguins, the crowd gave the visiting Miller a raucous ovation while noticeably booing Crosby. The Michigan native established himself as one of the best netminders in the game and he continued to receive admiration in the fallout, but how much more would he have gotten had the United States triumphed?
Had the Americans won, it would have been their first gold medal in 30 years at that point, against a rival that had dominated them for years no less. It would have been the big national sports story and Miller would have been carried back to the States on a high. The Sabres would have received a plethora of attention by extension and their profile in the sporting world would have been raised considerably, perhaps resulting in hosting the All-Star Game or another Winter Classic, or even high-profile players signing with the team. Fairly inconsequential to the grand scheme of things for the Sabres, but still fun to ponder.
What If: Buffalo Hadn’t Matched Thomas Vanek?
Returning now to the unforgettable dumpster fire that was the summer of 2007 for the Sabres. The unfathomable departures of both Briere and Drury on July 1 of that year was perhaps the biggest blow the Sabres ever dealt their fans, but the agony of the situation was layered. Vanek, whose sophomore season saw his production spike from 48 to 84 points, became a restricted free agent (RFA) and received a jaw-dropping seven-year, $50 million offer sheet from the Edmonton Oilers not long after.
In a phenomenal bit of irony, after playing it cheap with their co-captains, the Sabres were forced to pony up to the 23-year-old or they would have lost their top three scorers that season in one week. At the time, general manager Darcy Regier had no choice or else Buffalonians might have rioted. That’s a shame because, had he been able to take the opposite course, things may have gone in a considerably different direction. Had it not been matched, Vanek would have been Edmonton’s, but the Oilers would have paid an even heftier price. Since the offer was for $7 million annually, Edmonton’s next four first-round draft picks would have become Buffalo’s.
That is a truly absurd amount of capital and the myriad of possibilities it would have opened is dumbfounding, especially considering two of Edmonton’s first-round selections in that span were first overall (assuming Vanek wouldn’t have changed their fortunes). Had the Sabres front office done what it should have and re-signed Drury, Briere or even both, they could have afforded to let Vanek walk and reaped the rewards. The Austrian remained with the Sabres until 2013 and, though he was their top star throughout that time, he was never the same player again after that terrific season and four first-rounders in exchange for him would have been a steal and a half.
Related: Which NHL Playoff Drought Will End This Season?
Losing Vanek would have been a big blow in its own right, make no mistake about it. But Buffalo could have used those extra first-rounders to either cultivate a goldmine of young talent and grow organically or could have packaged them in any number of deals to bring in big names and continue to dominate the league. There’s obviously no telling what actually could have happened since the notoriously conservative Regier was at the helm, but the whole situation serves as something of a cautionary tale. The Sabres forced themselves into a corner in this baffling saga and as a result, missed out on a potential embarrassment of riches. Let’s hope the franchise has learned from its mistakes.
Are there any other Sabres “what-ifs” that you haven’t seen yet that you might want to see on a future list? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
