Luukkonen's Next Deal & Disappointing Performances Relative to Expectations
Plus, JJ Peterka deserves more ice time.
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In today’s edition, we feature a premium piece on Sabres’ players not meeting pre-season expectations, an article predicting Luukkonen’s next deal, and a piece on why JJ Peterka deserves more opportunity. Please share this free substack with your hockey and Sabres fan friends and family so they can subscribe and enjoy all the latest.
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Let’s get into the good stuff…
Pre-Season Expectations vs. Reality Puts Sabres' Season Into Perspective
March 16, 2024 by JP Gambatese (THW Premium Content)
Despite their end-of-season turnaround in which they find themselves in the wild-card race, the Buffalo Sabres came into this season fully expecting to be a solid playoff team from the get-go considering their promising season last year with an incredibly young core. One of the reasons for this is that many of their players, especially their star players, have performed well below the level that they were expected to perform this season.
Projecting Luukkonen’s Next Deal With the Sabres
March 20, 2024, by Harper Cotie
A new season can make all the difference for an athlete, and that’s been crystal clear with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of the Buffalo Sabres. Since Jan. 1, Luukkonen has been one of the best netminders league-wide and arguably the main reason why the Sabres remain in the playoff hunt with an 18-13-1 record since the start of 2024.
Sabres Need To Make Better Use of JJ Peterka
March 15, 2024 by Jacob D. Strozyk
As the season progresses, the Buffalo Sabres have seen the production and development of JJ Peterka. He has grown from a playmaking forward with some solid scoring touch, to a goal scorer with solid playmaking abilities. The script flipping on how he approaches the game has been exciting to watch and has been one of the best parts of their season. The Sabres have lacked consistent goal-scoring all season, but Peterka has been one of their best despite being moved around the lineup. Instead of shuffling him around, I think it would be better to give him a solidified spot on the top line for the remainder of the season.
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