Buffalo Sabres Who Could Thrive Under Lindy Ruff & Bowen Byram's Report Card
Also, an evaluation of Zach Benson's rookie season.
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3 Buffalo Sabres Who Could Thrive Under Lindy Ruff
April 25, 2024 by Harper Cotie
During his introductory presser, Ruff went out of his way to mention the Sabres’ goaltending and a defence that starts with Rasmus Dahlin (73 points in 2022-23). That same season, Ruff’s New Jersey Devils won 52 games, and a playoff round thanks (in large part) to Dougie Hamilton (who also had a 70-point campaign). Now back with the Sabres, Ruff will get to coach another elite defender; the question, though is if can he get the 2018 first-overall pick to another level.
Buffalo Sabres 2023-24 Player Report Cards: Bowen Byram
May 7, 2024 by Jacob D. Strozyk
It is never an easy time being traded to a new team, and it is even less easy being moved from a championship-caliber roster, to a playoff bubble team. On March 6, 2024, the Buffalo Sabres made a pure hockey trade and swapped Casey Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram with the Colorado Avalanche, and they finally weaponized some of their forward depth to address their defensive depth. With Mittelstadt being one of their leading scorers for the regular season, the timing was ripe for general manager Kevyn Adams to score himself a solid young, two-way defender with some fantastic potential, and Byram was easily the best trade deadline acquisition for the Sabres. Once Byram was on the roster, the sample size was small, but the results ended up being mixed by the time the season ended.
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Buffalo Sabres 2023-24 Player Report Card: Zach Benson
April 30, 2024 by Jacob D. Strozyk
With the regular season well over, the time to reflect back and look at the performances of the players has come. When the 2023-24 campaign started, the Buffalo Sabres had a surprise rookie stun them and make the roster out of training camp as he impressed them throughout the preseason. Zach Benson was a scoring machine during that time, and displayed a work ethic that played him into a roster spot. As the season progressed, he did nothing but improve his overall game and even though his production for the regular season wasn’t spectacular, his play was something noticeable. From his defensive ability to his hard nose peskiness in the offensive zone, Benson was one of the most exciting players the Sabres had on their roster all season long.