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Will the Buffalo Sabres make the playoffs?

January 16, 2019, 11:50 AM ET [20 Comments]
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​The Buffalo Sabres came roaring out of the gate and, for a while, sat comfortably in a playoff spot. The rug has since been pulled from beneath them and they find themselves just outside of the playoff picture.

In this edition of the hotstove, we share our thoughts on whether the Sabres​ will find their footing and reclaim a spot, or if they'll once again fail to make the dance.

Todd Cordell

I'd love to see the Sabres in the playoffs – they have some really fun players and the fanbase deserves something positive – but I don't think it's going to happen.

The Sabres just aren't that good. They're a one line team. Beyond Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner and Sam Reinhart, they don't have anyone capable of producing offense on a consistent basis. That's a big problem.

At 5v5, they routinely get out-chanced. They've controlled just 46.92% of the scoring chances in that game state, which ranks them 26th – ahead of only Detroit, Ottawa, New York (R), Anaheim, and Vancouver.

A lesser chance share wouldn't be as pressing of an issue if they were a team like Washington with numerous stars to make the most of the ones they do get. That's obviously not the case.

While I don't think the Sabres are as bad as their record over the last month or two would suggest, it's certainly fair to say the hot start they got off to was deceiving. Though they might hang around until the end, I don't them getting into the playoffs.

Peter Tessier

While a 7-2 loss to the Oilers could be the death of most team's psyche I think the Sabres can bounce back and get into the top 8 and finish there. They are only 4 points out right now and they have 2 games in hand on Montreal.

The Sabres have 3 first round picks this year and while the Blue's is conditional this year or next and it appears the Sharks pick will be in 2020 they have assets to spend to shore up their roster. They will also have cap space to add a player for next year should they choose to trade for one with term on their contract.

Now, will Botterill do that to make the playoffs at any cost or if he feels confident the team can make the playoffs? They have roughly 45 days to right the ship and get back in but they might not get much higher than wildcard if another team does not fall off and even then it might be a first round visit with Tampa Bay. Is that reality worth risking what could be a bounty in draft picks?

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