The Buffalo Sabres failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for an NHL-record 14th consecutive season.
The Sabres (35-36-6) were eliminated from contention when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Tuesday. They haven't qualified since 2010-11 after reaching the playoffs in four of six seasons.
Here's a look at what happened in the 2024-25 season for the Sabres and why things could be better next season.
The skinny
Potential unrestricted free agents: Kale Clague, D; James Reimer, G; Felix Sandstrom, G
Potential restricted free agents: Ryan McLeod, F; Jack Quinn, F; JJ Peterka, F; Tyson Kozak, F; Bowen Byram, D; Jacob Bernard-Docker, D; Erik Brannstrom, D; Devon Levi, G.
Potential 2025 Draft picks: 10
What went wrong
Unlucky 13: On Nov. 26, the Sabres were 11-9-1 and fourth in the Atlantic Division, five points behind the division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs. The following day, Buffalo lost 1-0 to the Minnesota Wild at KeyBank Center, the start of an 0-10-3 skid that would essentially leave them out of Stanley Cup Playoff contention before Christmas. The Sabres were outscored 53-28 and were tied with the Chicago Blackhawks for last in the NHL on Dec. 22. It simply was too much of a deficit to recover, even with more than half a season remaining.
Net pains: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen signed a five-year, $23.75 million contract ($4.75 million average annual value) July 24 and the Sabres were confident they had their No. 1 goalie for the present and the future. Luukkonen is 24-23-4 with a 3.23 goals-against average, .885 save percentage and two shutouts after going 27-22-4 with a 2.57 GAA, .910 save percentage and five shutouts in an NHL career-high 54 games (51 starts) last season. Buffalo is 29th in GAA (3.43) and 31st in save percentage (.880).
Not-so-special teams: The Sabres are 26th on the power play (18.2 percent) and 23rd on the penalty kill (76.6 percent). Their special teams have not been stable enough to translate into winning consistently.
Reasons for optimism
Tage's time: Tage Thompson has returned to being a point-per-game player with 71 points (44 goals, 27 assists) after his production fell by 38 points last season (56 points; 29 goals, 27 assists) from 2022-23 (94 points; 47 goals, 47 assists). The forward is 27 years old and entering the prime of his career.
Offense from defense: The Sabres have three defensemen ranked in the top 31 in scoring at the position: Rasmus Dahlin (sixth, 62 points), Owen Power (tied for 22nd, 40 points) and Bowen Byram (tied for 28th, 37 points). Dahlin is 24 years old, Power is 22 and Byram, a potential restricted free agent, is 23. These three easily form the present and future strength of the Sabres.
Developing Devon: Devon Levi is 17-17-2 with a 3.29 GAA and .894 save percentage in 39 NHL games (36 starts). The Sabres deserve credit for allowing him to develop with Rochester of the American Hockey League for much of this season, which has allowed him to regain his confidence. The 23-year-old is 24-10-4 with a 2.17 GAA, .920 save percentage and an AHL-high seven shutouts. Given Luukkonen's struggles, Levi looks like he's getting ready to become a staple at the NHL level.
