The Buffalo Sabres return home after a lopsided 7-3 loss in Detroit to face the Vegas Golden Knights in a Saturday afternoon matinee. The Pacific Division leader is among four or five clubs that could come out of the Western Conference this spring, and a central figure in their playoff aspirations is former Sabres captain Jack Eichel.
The 2015 second overall pick has thrived in Vegas since being traded in November 2021 for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round pick (Noah Ostlund), and a second-rounder used to trade for Jordan Greenway, winning a Stanley Cup in 2022, but has continued to be dogged by injuries. Although fully recovered from the neck injury that led to his departure from Buffalo, the 28-year-old center has not played a full season with the Golden Knights but has missed only one game in 2024-25.
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Eichel is one in a long line of ex-Sabres who encountered pitfalls in Buffalo and have magically found success elsewhere. Ryan O’Reilly won a Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy with St. Louis in 2019 and has been an effective two-way center in Toronto and Nashville. Brandon Montour went to Florida after being dealt for a draft pick and won a Cup in 2024 with the Panthers and signed a big free-agent deal with Seattle. Sam Reinhart was dealt to Florida with one year left on his contract with Buffalo, signed an extension with the Panthers, and scored 52 goals last season.
Linus Ullmark won a Vezina Trophy with Boston in 2023 and may be leading the Ottawa Senators to their first playoff berth since 2017, with the help of Dylan Cozens, who has four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in four games since being traded to Ottawa for Josh Norris last week.
With every example of a player going somewhere else and having more success or realizing their potential, the question is why they did not achieve that in Buffalo. Are there aspects of the club that are ancillary to the core group assembled? Is the construction of the part of GM Kevyn Adams poor? Is it a lack of willingness to spend to the cap to add one or two players who could make a difference?
Whatever the reasons, these players decided that the best course for their future was not with a dysfunctional Sabres organization, and it is tough to argue against that based on Buffalo missing the playoffs for the 14th straight season.
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