Sabres Extend NHL-Leading Playoff Drought

The Buffalo Sabres will miss the postseason for the 14th straight season, extending their NHL-leading playoff drought. Despite winning over the Carolina Hurricanes, a Montreal Canadiens victory mathematically eliminated the Sabres from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Sabres entered the 2024-2025 season optimistically. With the Atlantic Division up for grabs, they hoped to make a push up the standings, finally. However, the Sabres continued their run of mediocrity in the Eastern Conference.

The one saving grace of the season was forward Tage Thompson's continued scoring prowess. The 27-year-old sniper posted his second this year, reaching the mark in 69 games. This is the third 30-goal campaign in the last four years and the fourth straight campaign he's recorded 29 goals or higher. He's been a model of scoring consistency for a team starved for offense.

Looking ahead, this offseason will be interesting for the Sabres. They will likely earn a top-5 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, and hitting a homerun with that pick is crucial.

They also have a handful of pending restricted free agents to decide on. Forwards JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn, and Ryan McLeod, as well as defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Bowen Byram, all need new deals. If a contract cannot be finalized before the summer, they could be potential offer sheet candidates around the league. The possibility of more offer sheets is already on the radar of NHL GMs, and there are five intriguing options to monitor in Buffalo.

The organization also has unanswered questions at the goaltending position. Their starter, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, is under contract through the 2027-2028 campaign at a reasonable $4.75 million salary cap hit. They also have youngster Devon Levi in the AHL on the fringe. He's struggled to take full control of the starting net in previous opportunities, but the talent remains undeniable. Veteran James Reimer has been the go-to starter at the NHL level to close out the season, further complicating the goalie position in Buffalo.