Buffalo Sabres' Early Season Grade

The Buffalo Sabres are an absolute train wreck, as they have one of the worst records in hockey and are showing absolutely few signs of improvement any time soon. Sans a few wins over some of the team’s elite it has been a nightmare of a season as an absolute firesale of veteran players is in the making, as the team looks to get anything of value in return for veteran players. As bad as it sounds, this is exactly what the Sabres wanted this season; without officially saying it, they’re in full on tank mode.

Buffalo has been in a four year rebuild, and in so many ways this season is the culmination, because there are two potentially franchise altering centers in Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel available in the 2015 NHL Draft. The Sabres being this bad is a gamble that they’ll win the newly reformatted lottery and draft one of these young stars who will then in turn make them a better squad and contender down the line. You really can’t fault their logic, as they have a bevy of talented prospects in the organization, and adding Eichel or McDavid could make them contenders sooner rather than later.

For what it’s worth, the team is getting nice contributions from younger players such as Nikita Zadorov and Zemgus Girgensons, who look to be big time players in the future. Factoring in 2014 No. 2 overall pick Sam Reinhart, who was (smartly) returned to junior hockey, it’s not hard to see the framework of a competitive team being created. With veterans such as Drew Stafford, Tyler Myers and Chris Stewart all but assuredly on their way out of town via trade, the team will surely get even more young assets to aid in their rebuild. It’s always darkest right before sunlight, and as bad as this team is, there is light at the end of the tunnel and better days are surely ahead for long-suffering Sabres fans.

Grade: A*

* If we’re going by the actual product, it’s an F, but looking at the team’s plans and how they’re executing them is a different story. The team simply isn’t good and having a mediocre record would hurt their chances of  having a top-3 pick in the draft. Being awful is the best thing for a non-playoff team, and if that was their plan all along, which it looks like it was, they’re surely doing a “great” job.