Revisiting Sabres' Moves, Drafts, and Careers
Plus, takeaways from their victory over the Sharks.
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Buffalo Sabres newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Sabres writers.
In today’s edition, we look at the Sabres’ first-round picks since Pegula took over, the career of Tyler Ennis, whether the Jack Eichel trade was worth it, and the Sabres’ recent victory over the Sharks. It would be great if you’d share the THW Substack with your friends and family so that they can subscribe and enjoy all the latest.
Grading Buffalo Sabres’ First-Round Picks in the Pegula Era
January 20, 2024 by Matthew Morris
The Buffalo Sabres have made 18 first-round NHL Entry Draft selections since Terry Pegula purchased the franchise midway through the 2011 season. One would think the team used these to stockpile young talent for the future and turn itself into a perennial postseason contender, right?
Wrong. The Sabres have spent a majority of Pegula’s tenure in a perpetual rebuild and have gone through three general managers since it began. Despite drafting several players who seemed to possess the talent and ability to turn a team’s fortunes around, Buffalo’s consistent organizational incompetence and upheaval prevented that from happening. And though the team finally has seemed to find the right formula and returned to playoff contention this past season, their draft picks that have turned out to be failures still stand out.
Tyler Ennis Calls it Quits: Remembering His Underrated Career
January 18, 2024 by Matthew Morris
Former longtime Buffalo Sabre Tyler Ennis announced his retirement from professional hockey on Wednesday. The 34-year-old had spent the last two years playing in Europe after 14 seasons in the NHL.
Having spent the majority of his playing days in Buffalo, Ennis was always one of the most integral pieces of the Sabres and would probably stand out more had he played at any other time in their history. Nevertheless, he deserves more credit than he’s received and had a solid career after he departed in 2017.
Revisiting Sabres’ Jack Eichel Trade
January 16, 2024 by Michael Golden
It feels like just yesterday that the Buffalo Sabres traded Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights, but Jan. 13, 2024, marked the 800-day anniversary of the blockbuster deal that shook the hockey world to its core.
Now three seasons removed from Eichel’s last full campaign in Buffalo, the Sabres are struggling to find offense. They rank 23rd in the NHL in goals per game, while the Golden Knights are coming off a Stanley Cup victory, with Eichel playing a pivotal role. One team has been able to score and win consistently since the trade, and the other has not. But do the teams’ respective results tell the real story of how the trade shook out? Did losing Eichel leave the Sabres worse off?
Sabres Bounce Back and Blank The Sharks 3-0
January 15, 2024 by Jacob D. Strozyk
The Buffalo Sabres beat not only the cold windy weather, but they bested the San Jose Sharks as they shut them out 3-0. While the game had a slow start, they found their way out of the funk and got enough pucks past Kaapo Kahkonen to secure the win. While it would have been much nicer to see a more dominant game against a bottom-feeding opponent, a win is a win, and it comes with the hope of turning into the start of a hot streak.