In the annals of the NHL, let alone Buffalo Sabres history, a 13-year playoff drought is unheard of. Having so many errors means missing out on the postseason for so long. Making more mistakes has prevented the Sabres and their supporters from seeing the best NHL hockey. Rather, the Sabres have yet to discover a formula for success, so the desire for a superior product on the ice persists.
In the annals of the NHL, let alone Buffalo Sabres history, a 13-year playoff drought is unheard of. Having so many errors means missing out on the postseason for so long. Making more mistakes has prevented the Sabres and their supporters from seeing the best NHL hockey. Rather, the Sabres have yet to discover a formula for success, so the desire for a superior product on the ice persists.
We looked at how the organization was harmed by the trades of Ryan Miller, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, and Derek Roy last week. Even if it was the catalyst for the drought, the several setbacks along the route kept the flames alive.
There are too many failures from the four Sabres general managers during the postseason wait to name entirely, so let’s focus on the ones that dug the greatest craters. These five incidents—poor drafting, free agent acquisitions, and internal asset management—stand out as the crucial parts of an unwelcome puzzle.
Just after the Sabres’ final playoff game, in the winter, came one of the most iconic blunders of the drought. Longtime general manager Darcy Regier received financial support from then-new team owner Terry Pegula, which allowed the executive to join the Sabres with more freedom in free agency.
The Sabres nearly immediately regretted signing the $27 million, six-year contract because they were trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. At first, Leino had to play center, and after being moved back to the wing, he was never able to find his position. The Finnish forward was purchased out by the Sabres after three seasons, having played in 58 games with zero goals between 2013–2004.
In the two subsequent drafts following their previous postseason bid, the Sabres selected Mikhail Grigorenko, Zemgus Girgensons, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Nikita Zadorov in the first round, demonstrating their poor drafting performance over the preceding 13 seasons. Alex Nylander in 2016 was the biggest of all the draft picks that went unclaimed at that time.Nylander played in just 19 games for the Sabres before being acquired in exchange for defenseman Henri Jokiharju. The ninth overall pick, whose brother is doing well in Toronto and whose father played 15 seasons in the NHL, was a major disappointment.
Nylander recently signed an AHL deal, so his chances of making the NHL in the future appear slim. He will have finished his career with 25 goals and 49 points in 121 games if he never plays in the NHL again.
Not signing Brandon Hagel to an entry-level contract after choosing him in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL draft would rank as the biggest mistake of the drought. That may have been the easiest error to avoid, which supports the ranking. Before the 2017–18 season, Hagel had some injury worries that were enough to turn away previous general manager Jason Botterill.
Botterill’s association with the hard-nosed forward was severed as he was not the general manager who chose Hagel. It turns out that Hagel’s general manager, Tim Murray, was right. To the dismay of the Buffalo organization, the former Sabres pick was eventually signed by the Chicago Blackhawks.
In 82 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023–2024, Hagel scored 75 points. Compared to Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin, who led the Sabres in scoring the previous season, that is 14 points more.
As the team’s best defenseman, Rasmus Ristolainen was a regular starter for the Sabres coaches. It continued to cause more harm than good year after year. The once-promising defenseman was the subject of several alleged offers, including a one-for-one arrangement for either a young Nikolaj Ehlers or Taylor Hall in his peak.
Buffalo, on the other hand, decided to hang onto the defenseman in the hopes that a better atmosphere would help him perform better. After it was discovered that this was a misread, Ristolainen was subsequently sent to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Robert Hagg, a 2023 second-round pick, and the 14th overall pick in the 2021 draft. The Sabres selected Anton Wahlberg in the second round and selected Isak Rosen with the 14th overall pick.
Although holding onto Ristolainen and misdeploying him cost the Sabres valuable points in the standings during the Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart period, the move can still be profitable.
Speaking of Eichel, the Sabres’ treatment of their superstar was the ultimate mistake of the drought. Eichel was the most valuable asset in the organization as the Sabres gathered up top draft picks and futures in anticipation of a total dismantling and reconstruction.
Eichel’s career-long losing streak had taken a toll on him and the team, and general manager Kevyn Adams found himself in a difficult situation when there was disagreement over possible neck surgery to treat the star center’s bulging disc. Before Eichel was traded in early November of the 2021–2022 season, the disagreement persisted throughout the 2021 summer.
In return for Eichel and a 2023 third-round pick, the Vegas Golden Knights sent the Sabres Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, a 2022 first-round draft pick, and a 2023 second-round pick. With their first-round pick, Buffalo selected Noah Ostlund, and then traded a second-round pick to get Jordan Greenway. Vegas selected forward Mathieu Cataford with their third-round pick.
Naturally, Eichel was the team’s top scorer the next season when the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup. The former captain’s output surely could have helped the Sabres overcome their one-point playoff deficit that season.
The conversation about Eichel becomes more nuanced when it comes to leadership issues and locker room dynamics, but it’s safe to say the Sabres organization didn’t help him. Despite having no skill, he was prematurely thrown into the limelight. If they had corrected a few more errors along the route, we may be discussing Eichel’s playoff experiences with the Sabres rather than his significance during the drought.