The Sabres are attempting to leave their cellar-dweller status in the rear-view mirror.
The Buffalo Sabres' current 14-year playoff drought means they'll have to earn respect from around the NHL. It'll never be given freely. They're an also-ran until proven otherwise, and a modest batch of offseason moves surely wasn't enough to satisfy the critics.
Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet released his latest offseason NHL power rankings on Monday.