Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions for 2023-24: Prediction 71

We made it to the final five bold predictions for this 75 In 75 Series. What’s in store for the Buffalo Sabres as we draw closer to Opening Night?

We have high hopes for the Buffalo Sabres this season, and a couple of bad preseason games this past week shouldn’t negate them. Therefore, this projection is going long, because now the Blue and Gold know exactly what they need to do to play better defense this year, and it’s a challenge they will overcome.

Sure, we can expect rust in October, and perhaps even the first part of November as what could be some different lines and pairings meshing as one unit, and that’s okay – as long as they figure it out. So let’s assume for the sake of a bold prediction, they do figure it out as I implied earlier.

And unlike the Sabres of the past, where they start off hot then fizzle down the stretch, this Sabres team will be the opposite if we are to use the preseason as a measuring stick. This equals more consistency between December and April, and it allows the Blue and Gold to end up with a certain number of points…

Buffalo Sabres earn 71 points vs. the Eastern Conference in Bold Prediction #71

Yeah, 71 points is rather bold, but sooner or later, the Sabres will stop being the Same Old Sabres, and they showed signs of breaking past that barrier last season. They would have if it wasn’t for a pair of abysmal stretches that occurred in November 2022 and March 2023, and this year, any potential struggle comes early.

So, they’ll accumulate 71 vs. the East, and against the West, they’ll earn 60% of their 64 possible points (32 games). This equals 38.4 points, so let’s round down to 38, which would give the Sabres 109 total points on the season, and eight higher than my game-by-game predictions ended up with.

If last season serves as an indicator, the bold 109 points would likely give the Buffalo Sabres a third seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But if they land closer to the more realistic 101 points, then I’m expecting a wild card.