SABRES IN A WORLD OF TROUBLE

BY: GAVIN HOWARD

If you were asked to describe the Buffalo Sabres in a word, which would you choose? Snakebit? Cursed?

We’re six games into the season and both seem like appropriate choices.

The goal this season for many was to return to the playoffs. The roster is loaded with talent and looked poised for a run. And in the blink of an eye, it was all over.

It all started with Jack Eichel going down in practice. He’s sidelined with a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss anywhere between 6-8 weeks. To some, a sprain may not sound like much, but this is the same injury that cost Robin Lehner 61 games last year. And if the recovery process isn’t managed properly, the injury can easily be re-aggravated and can linger for months.

Fast forward to the season opener. By the time the final horn had sounded, Evander Kane was undergoing x-rays after crashing into the boards. He sustained three cracked ribs and will miss “weeks.”

With two of the top scorers sidelined for extended periods of time, the offensive numbers are going to suffer, and to win games you have to score goals. To put things into perspective, last season, the Sabres finished 26th in goal scoring, managing just 201 goals. 44 of those, came from these two.

Many fans are clinging to the return of Tyler Ennis. When healthy, he’s a legitimate offensive threat, having posted three 20-goal seasons in his young career. The key word there is ‘when,’ as Ennis has only managed to play all 82 games once in his career. He is also much smaller in stature than Kane and Eichel. Ennis alone isn’t enough to have the sort of impact people are hoping for.

To even grab the 7th or 8th spot, the Sabres need everyone healthy and on the same page, both of which won’t be happening any time soon. They simply don’t have the offensive firepower to compete and aren’t deep enough to climb out of the hole they’ll undoubtedly find themselves in.

In the first few weeks, the Sabres have blown a three goal lead and have simply not shown up in multiple games.

The future looks dark, and the only thing they’ll be in contention for by April is a top five draft pick.