Inside look at Buffalo Sabres

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Buffalo Sabres.

The Buffalo Sabres are banking on changes behind the bench and on the roster along with bounce-back seasons from core players to end an NHL-record 13-year Stanley Cup Playoff drought.

“We are craving accountability, structure, and our team’s now mentally, in my opinion, ready for that, mature enough to handle that push,” general manager Kevyn Adams said in April.

Lindy Ruff, the last coach to guide the Sabres to the postseason in 2011, was hired April 22 and is now tasked with steering the ship back to the postseason.

“You transform the attitude of any of the club by having each player believe in what their strength is, what they can bring on a nightly basis, the level of compete that they can bring,” Ruff said. “And then at the end of the night, you’ve got to win hockey games, and when you win hockey games, that belief really becomes contagious. You like how you play and you push your teammates to a higher level, and you have to win.”

Buffalo had 84 points last season, seven fewer than in 2022-23 when the Sabres finished one point behind the Florida Panthers for the second wild card from the Eastern Conference. The team struggled to find its footing and any sort of consistency, often falling behind early by multiple goals and unable to string consecutive wins together with regularity.

“I think at times, you could see that we were a great team and other times we were too casual,” forward Tage Thompson said at the end of the season. “I think that's something that has got to be instilled in us. And that kind of goes back to the accountability thing as well, what the consistency is; it's us in here in the room holding each other accountable if there's someone not playing the way they need to.”

Sabres players know it won’t be easy under Ruff, but they’re prepared.

“I think he fits the mold of what we actually talked about as a team and just talking to individual guys of what we need to make it to that next level,” forward Alex Tuch said after Ruff was hired. “And I think he's perfect for it. … We're ready for him and we're ready for the opportunity.”

A revamped bottom six is another change Adams made to help them take that next step.

Ryan McLeod was acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers on July 5 for forward prospect Matthew Savoie, marking the first time Adams has dipped into his deep prospect pool to help his NHL roster. McLeod will likely center the third line and help stabilize Buffalo’s depth down the middle.

He also added speed and physicality in acquiring Beck Malenstyn (via trade from the Washington Capitals on June 29), Sam Lafferty (free agent) and Nicolas Aube-Kubel (free agent), while Jason Zucker (free agent) brings speed, skill, relentlessness and versatility to the lineup.

The roster changes fit the style Ruff has planned for the Sabres – harder to play against, direct, fast, and physical.

And despite last season’s offensive struggles – they ranked 23rd in the NHL in goals scored (244) after finishing third (293) the season before – Buffalo believes in the talent on its roster and is counting on a return to form for each of Thompson, Tuch and Dylan Cozens. Each dropped off offensively last season following career highs in 2022-23.

The Sabres are the youngest team in the NHL, a title they’ve held for the past few seasons. The 32-year-old Zucker is slated to be the oldest skater on the team while goalie James Reimer, if he’s on the roster, will be the oldest player at 36 years old.

But while they have 10 players aged 24 and under on the roster, many of their core pieces have several hundred NHL games under their belts, eliminating the notion of inexperience. That includes 24-year-old Rasmus Dahlin (436) and 23-year-old Cozens (280), while 26-year-old Thompson has played 372 games.

“I know we’re the youngest team in the League,” Adams said. “I understand that and that’s real and that’s part of where I do think the inconsistency and the ups and downs at times have happened. But we have now players that have experience in this League and have been through the League a few times. That no more needs to be talked about.”