It’s getting to that time....again.
Which means of course we now need to start looking at the competition that surrounds this team, starting with the teams that, at least in my opinion, will be gunning for a shot at the wildcard or even for the third spot in the Atlantic. I wouldn’t call this a ringing endorsement of these teams going to the playoffs, but these are the teams in my estimation that will require actively keeping tabs on if they go on an early hot streak.
Key Signings: Matthew Savoie (draft), Ilya Lyubushkin, Eric Comrie, re-signed Victor Olofsson, Vinnie Hinestroza, and Jacob Bryson
Key Strengths: Lineup looks fairly balanced in the top six, didn’t panic and try to fix everything in free agency, cap flexibility for later in the season,
Key Weaknesses: Goaltending, Consistency
The Sabres didn’t exactly light the offseason on fire, preferring to instead fill roster spots and assume that their young talent will progress to the point that they can get back to the playoffs.