Buffalo Sabres 2024 Stanley Cup Odds
The Buffalo Sabres showed marked improvement in 2022-23 but were not good enough to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, the Sabres continue to have big problems on their blue line, which likely doesn’t change much with their two free-agent additions. Erik Johnson offers veteran experience in a third-pair role, but on the ice, he doesn’t bring much of an upgrade to what was already there. Connor Clifton has potential as a puck-mover, though he’s not a bona fide top-four defenseman.
2024 Stanley Cup Betting Odds
Buffalo Sabres NHL Betting Lines
In 2022-23, the Buffalo Sabres were 42-33-7 straight up and 45-32 over/under the total. Buffalo finished 5th in the Atlantic Division standings. Buffalo was 44 points behind the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division race. Buffalo had NHL rankings of 3rd for goals scored and 9th for power play efficiency. In comparison on defense, the Sabres had NHL rankings of 26th for goals against and 28th for penalty killing.
First among Buffalo scorers was Tage Thompson with 47 goals, 47 assists, 94 points, and a +4. While goaltender Ukko Pekka Luukkonen had a .939 save percentage and 3.61 goals against average. His record was 17-11-4 with 0 shutouts.
Head coach Don Granato pushes the right buttons in Buffalo. Since joining the Sabres in 2019, he's helped a young team grow and evolve more than maybe anyone would have expected over that stretch. Granato had Buffalo in the playoff hunt late last season, and even if the Sabres didn't push their way into the mix, it was an invaluable experience for the club's core to go through and learn from. Granato has provided it on the coaching front for a franchise that's been searching for stability.
The Sabres needed to bolster their blueline, and GM Kevyn Adams took care of that, adding Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson in free agency. And Adams shouldn't stop there when it comes to retooling Buffalo's roster. The Sabres could also use an infusion of forward depth, and there is cap room available to make that happen -- although most of the best options are off the market by now. That doesn't mean Adams won't still be busy in the coming weeks.
Can Buffalo be comfortable goaltending-wise, with Eric Comrie and Devon Levi potentially working in tandem? And will Victor Olofsson end up being a potential trade chip? The Sabres have had a sound offseason. A few more moves could take them over the top.
Getting Zach Benson at 13th, a player who was a consensus top-10 pick for most of the year, was a coup for the Sabres, who already have an overflowing offensive prospect pool.
Their next three picks, Anton Wahlberg, Michael Strbak, and Gavin McCarthy, were all solid, with each player having legitimate NHL upside. Strbak and McCarthy added another wave of defensive help a few years out to join Buffalo’s young stars at the position.
Beyond this group, Ethan Miedema and goalie Scott Ratzlaff are sneaky-good selections.
Season-by-Season Record (Last 5)
| SEASON |
GAMES |
WINS |
LOSSES |
FINISH |
PLAYOFFS |
| 2022–23 |
82 |
42 |
33 |
5th, Atlantic |
Did not qualify |
| 2021–22 |
82 |
32 |
39 |
5th, Atlantic |
Did not qualify |
| 2020–21 |
56 |
15 |
34 |
8th, East |
Did not qualify |
| 2019–20 |
69 |
30 |
31 |
6th, Atlantic |
Did not qualify |
| 2018–19 |
82 |
33 |
39 |
6th, Atlantic |
Did not qualify |
Buffalo Sabres History
Founded in 1970 as part of the NHL’s Great Expansion Era, the Sabres have never won the Stanley Cup. Their Glory years were in the mid to late 1970s, led by the famed “French Connection” line of Gilbert Perrault, Rene Robert, and Rick Martin. That team lost the 1975 Stanley Cup Final to the Philadelphia Flyers. That era saw sellout crowds, and that team remains the most iconic in franchise history. Perrault is considered the greatest Sabre ever. The French Connection has a retired banner that hangs in the rafters and a statue outside the KeyBank Center in its honor.
Goaltender Dominik Hasek backstopped the Sabres to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final, which they lost to the Dallas Stars.
Owner Terry Pegula bought the team in 2010 and was celebrated as the local boy that made good and would save the franchise from its losing ways. Pegula promised to spend whatever was necessary and that the entire purpose of the Sabres was to win the Stanley Cup championships. Instead, the Sabres have not made the playoffs since Pegula’s rookie season as owner. Although Pegula has not operated on the cheap, the harder he tries, the worse the team does.
The 2022-23 season marked the first one since 1970-71 that legendary fan-favorite Rick Jeanneret will not be on the air as a play-by-play announcer.
NHL Teams
Eastern Conference - Atlantic
Eastern Conference - Metropolitan
Western Conference - Central
Western Conference - Pacific
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