The Buffalo Sabres are one of those teams that you just don’t think about much–unless you’re from Buffalo. They are not quite terrible but they are also unlikely to be a playoff contender. That’s not to say this franchise has consistently avoided being terrible. During a three-year stretch from 2012 to 2015, Buffalo recorded 48, 52, and 54 points. The Sabres have not been quite so hopeless since, with point totals of 81, 78, 62, and 76 points. Last season’s squad actually started a hard-to-believe 17-6-2 before collapsing. It lost 15 of 16 games from March 2 through April 2 before wrapping up its 2018-19 campaign with its first two-game winning streak since Dec. 11-13. They surely have not been a top pick in our Free NHL Predictions and that will never change.

During that one main stretch of futility, the Sabres went 19 contests in a row without winning in regulation. Needless to say, the did not make the playoffs (sixth place in the Atlantic Division, 13th in the Eastern Conference). Buffalo has gone eight consecutive seasons without appearing in the playoffs and it has not won a playoff series since 2006-07 (won two series before falling to Ottawa in the East finals).

Despite the best efforts of center Jack Eichel, the Sabres were especially pitiful on offense last season. They scored 226 goals–dead last in the Atlantic Division and second-to-last in the Eastern Conference ahead of only New Jersey. Eichel was far and away the team leader with 82 points, lighting the lamp 28 times to go along with 54 points. Forward Jeff Skinner led the way with 40 goals in addition to his 23 assists.

Center Sam Reinhart ranked second on the squad at 65 points (22 goals, 43 assists). Buffalo was not much better on the defensive end of the ice, as neither Carter Hutton nor Linus Ullmark kept their goals-against average under 3.00. Hutton (3.00 GAA, .908 save percentage) made 50 appearances but missed much of January due to injury. Ullmark (3.11 GAA, .905 SVP) played in 37 games.

At the moment, they are currently hanging with the tod dogs in the Atlantic Division, but how long will that last. History has told the hockey world they will start to slow down late in the year, but can that all change this season?