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NHL Power Rankings #24: Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have certainly improved their team that off-season. They picked up Ryan O’Reilly and drafted Jack Eichel. That gives them two extremely good centers for at least the next seven years. They also picked up Robin Lehner. Lehner is unproven, but he has a lot of potential.
However, the Sabres still have quite a ways to go before they are ready to contend. Their biggest issue right now is their blueline. Their defensemen are quite lacking in talent. They don’t have any true first pairing caliber defensemen. However, they do have a respectable top four now that they’ve added Cody Franson.
It should be interesting to see how Buffalo’s forward lines turn out. Evander Kane is a very talented forward, albeit one who needs a career revival. Playing alongside O’Reilly or Eichel is a pretty good way to revive your career. Matt Molson can score goals if he’s hot, but he’s quickly becoming a pretty one-dimensional player. That’s not good for an NHL player. Tyler Ennis is a joy to watch at times, but other times, he’s really frustrating.
Lehner has potential, but his issue is that he is very unproven. So far in the NHL, Lehner hasn’t shown that he can be a consistent starter (or even a backup). This all adds up to a team that shouldn’t be a bottom feeder, but likely won’t be a playoff contender either. That said, Buffalo making a playoff run wouldn’t surprise me too much because the Atlantic Divison is weak once you look past Tampa Bay and Montreal.
Next: #23