When the Buffalo Sabres opened training camp this September – before the team was hit with injuries to Jack Eichel and Evander Kane – there was a general feeling of optimism surrounding this team.
That’s to be expected – this team did show a 27 point improvement from 2014-15 to 2015-16, and managed to pick up the second-most coveted free agent in this summer’s pool in Kyle Okposo. Mix all of that goodness with the solid rookie efforts of Eichel (56 pts.) and Sam Reinhart (42), and it’s not surprising that so many fans (and some so-called “experts”) thought that the Sabres might compete for a playoff spot in 2016-17.