Why Has the Buffalo Sabres’ Latest Rebuild Failed? – The Hockey Writers Buffalo Sabres Latest News, Analysis & More

The Buffalo Sabres are on the brink of allowing their playoff drought to continue into its 14th season, despite rebuild after rebuild. First, there was the “tank for Connor McDavid”, but they failed at that and ended up with Jack Eichel instead. they failed to rebuild with Eichel, and now this rebuild is failing too.

There are many reasons it hasn’t gone to plan, including not making enough trades and not using up most of the cap space to ice a potential playoff team, among others. Here are a few key reasons why the Sabres have failed in their current rebuild.

Sabres’ Poor Cap Space Usage

The Sabres have holes in their lineup, leading many to ask why management hasn’t spent more money to fix them. Some have speculated that they are saving it for extensions. Maybe they have looked to make a big trade or free agency splash, but they haven’t been able to close the deal. There’s even speculation that owner Terry Pegula has set an internal cap within the organization. Who knows? Either way, management has not taken advantage of their available cap space.

With reports surfacing that the salary cap will rise from $88 million this season to $92.4 million next season, Buffalo will have even more money to work with. They have $5.3 million available this season, and heading into the offseason, they’ll have roughly $35 million with only Jason Zucker, Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn, J.J. Peterka, and Bowen Byram to re-sign.

The Sabres will have plenty of cap space to spend in free agency, but attracting top talent to Buffalo won’t be easy. However, every team has to start somewhere, and the Sabres must focus on filling the gaps in their roster by any means necessary. Beyond free agency, they’ll need to leverage the trade market and the draft to strengthen their lineup. Building a more competitive team will make the organization more appealing to high-level players in the future.

Lack of Veteran Leadership

The Sabres have one of the youngest rosters in the NHL but have struggled to add key veterans who could help guide their young team’s development. In contrast, teams like the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings have successfully blended experienced players with their young cores, leading to improved performance.

General manager Kevyn Adams traded for McLeod and signed Zucker in free agency during the offseason — and both have been vital to the team this season — but the rest of the veterans they acquired have been depth additions who have not produced at all.

The organization also has too much faith in players like Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson, Quinn, and Peterka taking their game to the next level. They have already signed Cozens, Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to long-term deals. There’s nothing wrong with that as those players are part of the Sabres’ core, but with the exception of Dahlin, they haven’t developed as the team would have hoped.

They are young and need time to find their game. In 2022-2023, unfair expectations put a lot of pressure on the team and it hurt the entire roster. Signing veterans to add depth is smart, but the team needed more signings like Zucker and another trade or two like the McLeod deal to add a stronger veteran presence, and it has not happened.

Lack of Accountability

When the Sabres fired head coach Don Granato after last season, the players said there was a “lack of accountability” in the locker room. The team then proceeded to hire Lindy Ruff, and he had the team doing conditioning stints in training camp and it looked like this season would be different. Well, fast-forward 45 games, and there still isn’t accountability in the dressing room.

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Accountability starts with ownership. Before the Sabres’ 6-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 17, Pegula met with the team in Montreal. He told them he had faith in the group, which meant he wasn’t likely to make any moves in the near future.

There’s one problem with that. These players assume that if they don’t play up to expectations, there won’t be any repercussions, like getting traded or waived. Ruff has tried sitting players, scratching them, and limiting their minutes, but nothing has worked, and until ownership starts holding the players accountable, nothing will change.

Adams’ Lack of Midseason Moves

The Sabres went through a 13-game losing streak from American Thanksgiving until Christmas. Adams made no moves. During his tenure, he has not really made any reactionary moves. When the team is struggling, he hasn’t done anything to improve the roster, which ties back to the argument they have too much faith in the players in the locker room.

Most teams would have made a move by now. Whether it’s firing someone, trading for someone, waiving someone – anything to shake things up. The organization has done nothing. The Red Wings fired their head coach Derek Lalonde earlier this season and hired Todd McLellan. They won seven straight games shortly after. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple move, but the Sabres don’t seem to understand that.

Sabres Are Wasting Their Stars

The Sabres have been caught in a frustrating cycle: they acquire one or two-star players but fail to build a competitive team around them. As a result, they end up wasting these stars’ prime years and are eventually forced to trade them for assets to begin yet another rebuild. Hopefully, this pattern won’t repeat with the current core, as such a failure would undoubtedly lead to significant dissatisfaction among both fans and the media.

Reports suggest that teams have already inquired about players like Cozens, Quinn, and Byram. Before long, there could also be interest in Dahlin, Thompson, and Luukkonen. To avoid this scenario, the entire team will need to rise to the occasion and meet expectations.

The Sabres have an opportunity to break this cycle by fully committing to building a well-rounded, competitive roster around their current core. By addressing their weaknesses, developing their young talent, and fostering a winning culture, they can ensure their star players stay long-term. Success won’t come overnight, but consistent progress and a clear vision can solidify the Sabres as a legitimate contender and restore faith among their loyal fans.