Are they actually going to end the drought

Team: 2023-24 Buffalo Sabres

Initial Creation Date: Mar. 15, 2024

Published: Mar. 15, 2024

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Detroit is free falling and the Islanders do not have an easy schedule coming up. If Buffalo makes the playoffs, UPL should be considered for Vezina. Thompson, Tuch, Skinner, and Cozens have had "down" years offensively, yet UPL is the reason why they are still in the playoff chase. Byram has been a grade addition and when Samuelsson comes back next season, they will have a Top 4 consisting of Dahlin, Byram, Power, and Samuelsson that are all 24 and under. Plus Jokiharju (a pending RFA) will be 25 by the start of next season. They have a matinee game tmrw in Detroit and they have to win. They just destroyed Detroit 7-3 and Detroit still should not have Larkin. Then they have the West Canada + Seattle swing. Seattle and Calgary are beatable, and Vancouver has Casey DeSmith in net (DeSmith has had some rough games in his past few starts). To wrap up March, they go back home to play Ottawa which will be tough, but they should win considering the situation. Then btbs against Jersey and Toronto. Buffalo always seems to play well against Toronto and that Jersey game will be tough considering Jersey will be chasing for a playoff spot. They have 2 home games against Washington and another game against Detroit in April. Their final 2 games are tough as they will be in Florida and Tampa. They probably have to clinch before those 2 games considering Detroit's last 2 games are against Montreal and I do believe Detroit will at the very least start winning some games when Larkin comes back and be in the mix until the very end. If they barely miss the playoffs, I can already imagine the same story from this season happening again next season where they are hyped up before the season, are a .500 team at best by the end of January, spend the rest of the season chasing for a WC spot, and barely missinig.