As October creeps closer, another NHL season creeps with it.
In the sixth of a series of team-by-team summer reviews and season previews, here's a glimpse at the ...
Buffalo Sabres
Evander Kane upped his numbers for the third straight season and nearly hit 30 goals, Jack Eichel did the same en route to talks of a big-money contract extension this summer and the Sabres found themselves far more competitive, at least on paper, than the lowest tier of non-playoff teams in 2016-17. Still, their 33-37-12 record, including an abysmal 13-22-6 mark on the road, ensured a sixth straight year of no postseason play.
Coming up short (again) proved to be the final failure for the Sabres management, as both general manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma, just three years removed from a playoff trip and four years removed from a conference finals appearance with the Penguins, were axed. Now, with a familiar face in Phil Housley in the fold behind the bench and ex-Pens associate GM Jason Botterill running the show in the front office, Buffalo is convinced it has what it takes to set the foundation for a surprise contender in the near future.
The moves
Key additions: D Marco Scandella (trade with Wild), F Jason Pominville (trade with Wild), F Benoit Pouliot (Oilers), G Chad Johnson (Coyotes), D Nathan Beaulieu (trade with Canadiens)
Key losses: F Tyler Ennis (trade with Wild), F Marcus Foligno (trade with Wild), G Anders Nilsson (Canucks), D Dmitri Kulikov (Jets)
It's hard to say how much the Sabres upgraded this offseason, specifically in regards to their big post-Housley hire trade for Pominville and Scandella, but it's not a stretch to say Buffalo looks like it took a step forward. From a financial standpoint, the team didn't break the bank for anyone, and yet it still welcomed some quality pieces, whether it be a potential gem in Pouliot or an old friend in Johnson. The Minnesota shipment of Ennis and Foligno is offset by Botterill's offensive additions, and Scandella brings some name recognition to a Sabres blue line that surrendered more than 230 goals in 2016-17.
What could define the team's summer activity even more than the top additions and losses is the resolution of contract discussions with Eichel, who was once a rumored advocate for coaching changes but is now talking up Buffalo as he works to land a long-term extension for reportedly as much as $10 million per season.
The verdict
Of the NHL's worst teams last season -- and the Sabres qualify, considering they finished in the Atlantic cellar for the third time in four years -- Buffalo has maybe the most promising "it" factor. Combine Eichel's potential as a top-tier center with more production from Kane and a couple of fresh faces for depth on a better stocked defense, and add Housley's blue-line instruction from the Nashville Predators and Botterill's get-it-done approach from an organization like the Penguins, and you have a team that sounds a whole lot like it is on the rise.
"Sounds," of course, is the key word there. And common sense says it'll take more than Year One of the Housley regime to get Buffalo back in the mix of Eastern Conference contenders. But the Sabres aren't necessarily lacking for young talent (see: Eichel, Kane, first-round pick Casey Mittelstadt) and figure to be just a few pieces -- or player developments -- away from being competitive once again. If their aggressive approach to righting the ship this summer was any indication, too, their return to the spotlight could ultimately come sooner rather than later.
