The Buffalo Sabres will open their 2023-24 season on Thursday, Oct. 12, at home against the New York Rangers. The hype for the new season is through the roof in Western New York, and fans will have a number of storylines to keep their focus on. How will Devon Levi fare in his first NHL campaign? Can Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch keep the offense flying high? How will Rasmus Dahlin follow up on his Norris Trophy-caliber performance? Will this be the year that the drought at long last comes to an end?
As one could expect, the spotlight will be fixed on the usual suspects in Buffalo, but there’s plenty more beyond them. The following three players, in particular, haven’t received a ton of attention but will be vital to the team’s fortunes nevertheless.
Dylan Cozens
Buffalo’s top line of Thompson, Tuch and Jeff Skinner was its propulsion throughout last season, and they will look to continue that. But the Sabres also proved they have plenty of supplemental contributors as well, and none turned more heads than Dylan Cozens. After a tough sophomore slump in the 2021-22 campaign in which his play regressed significantly, Cozens shocked fans and the media alike last season with a stunning breakout that saw him net 31 goals and 68 points. It was a major boost from the middle and solidified him as the team’s No. 2 center.
But perhaps more so than his scoring was his terrific two-way play that was arguably the hallmark of his season. As dynamic as the Sabres’ offense was last season, they were plagued by shoddy defense, and it was one of the reasons they finished a point out of a playoff spot. Cozens was one of the only forwards who didn’t struggle in his own zone, and he became a go-to on the penalty kill (though his minus-3 rating didn’t reflect that). His efforts were recognized in February when he signed a seven-year extension.
In addition to his play itself, Cozens may end up taking on more of a leadership role. The Sabres are already one of the youngest teams in the NHL and could get even younger if the likes of Jiri Kulich or Matthew Savoie get added at some point. The workhorse from Whitehorse’s maturity will be needed even more, and he’ll likely be alongside potential call-ups once again after spending the majority of last year paired with rookies Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka. If coach Don Granato wants to make his team more coherent throughout, he’ll need the 22-year-old to continue to be a shining example.
Erik Johnson
Though he was the Buffalo’s top free agent acquisition of the summer, Erik Johnson has become something of an afterthought despite the impact he has the potential to make. He was brought in to help in the area in which the Sabres are most lacking: experience. Their issues on the blue line haunted them all of last season and for one key reason. With an average age of 24, the team’s defensive corps was among the youngest in the league, and it showed on a consistent basis. Their play was wildly uneven throughout and often wreaked havoc on their various goaltenders.
A veteran of 16 seasons and over 900 games, the Sabres will count on Johnson to be a steadying force and a leader to his numerous young contemporaries. A stay-at-home defender with little interest in scoring, his presence will take pressure off of the likes of Dahlin and Owen Power and allow them to continue to grow on both sides of the puck. He also embodies the same playing style as Mattias Samuelsson and gives him something of a blueprint to follow. The 35-year-old is chasing his 1000th career game, and though he’d have to play 80 games, he could potentially reach the mark this year.
With Connor Clifton added to the mix as well, the defense should see improvement, and it couldn’t come at a better time. Devon Levi appears set to begin the season as the top goalie, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen should be his backup. With such a young tandem, the Sabres will need a strong defense more than ever. No goaltender stands much of a chance without help from those in front of him, and they proved that firsthand last season. Johnson is the exact type of player for the job, and fans should gravitate to him quickly.
Casey Mittelstadt
Casey Mittelstadt finally emerged last season and showed what kind of player he’s capable of being, ending a long period of frustration in the process. After being hampered by injuries and inconsistency for much of the two years prior, he stayed healthy for a full 82 games and looked like a new man. A career-high 15 goals, 44 assists and 59 points were good enough for sixth overall on the Sabres and, much akin to Cozens, helped give the team the kind of supplemental scoring that it had badly lacked in recent memory.
What might have impressed fans the most was how brightly he shined when it mattered the most. With the Sabres’ playoff hopes on the line during the final stretch of the schedule, Mittelstadt recorded 12 points in the last eight games to help them stay in the hunt until the very end. It also changed the perception of him in Buffalo, as it seems fans are warming up to him and appreciate what he brings to the fold (from “Sabres fan survey results: Casey Mittelstadt’s future, Devon Levi’s workload and more”, The Athletic, 5/31/23). After the Sabres showed faith by twice re-signing him despite his struggles, the 24-year-old has rewarded them in a big way. But with that said, his future in Buffalo is still uncertain.
The new season will be as pivotal for Mittelstadt as it will be for his team. He’s approaching the end of the three-year, $7.5 million deal he signed in September 2021 and can become a restricted free agent (RFA) next summer. If he builds upon the foundation he set for himself and takes another step forward, it would be hard to imagine that the Sabres wouldn’t want to keep him around. But if he regresses, he could find himself as trade bait or allowed to walk away altogether. He controls his own destiny at this point.
Related: Buffalo Sabres Goalie Devon Levi: The Real Deal
After coming so close last season, the Sabres are ready to compete and have their sights set firmly on returning to the postseason. They have the weapons to make that happen, but much will hinge on their second-tier players as well. Cozens, Johnson and Mittelstadt will all have to play their roles if they want postseason hockey to return to Buffalo for the first time in 13 years. What other names will you be keeping a lookout for this year?
