Know Your Enemy, Sabres' Metropolitan Edition: Is Buffalo Anywhere Near The Same Level As Elite Carolina Hurricanes?
We're starting this new leg of the series in alphabetical order, with the Carolina Hurricanes as the main topic of discussion. Let's get right to it.
NEW HURRICANES PLAYERS: Nikolaj Ehlers, LW; K'Andre Miller, D; Mike Reilly, D
2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 2-1-0, Hurricanes 1-2-0
2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: November 8 at Carolina; November 23 at Buffalo; January 19 at Carolina
CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? The Sabres bookended their season series against the Hurricanes with wins in Buffalo, but that didn't get them into the Stanley Cup playoffs. But the 'Canes have retooled this year, with much of their defense corps leaving -- including stars Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov -- and one major addition up front in winger Ehlers. As well, Carolina GM Eric Tulsky acquired former New York Rangers D-man Miller, and depth defenseman Reilly came into the organization as a free agent.
All things considered, the Hurricanes are surely going to be one of the teams picked to finish at or near the top of the Metropolitan Division, and many will also make them the sexy pick to win a Cup next season. But for this writer, the Hurricanes don't feel like a completed unit just yet -- and with $10.6 million in salary cap space still available for the 'Canes, Tulsky can afford to be patient and use it to address needs that become apparent once the regular-season begins.
Still, the Sabres should feel good about taking on the Hurricanes next season. Buffalo fared well enough against this 'Canes group this past year, and the changes the Sabres have made in theory make them slightly better. So in the three games Carolina and Buffalo play against one another -- even if two of them will be road games for the Sabres -- Buffalo should be competitive enough to be at least as successful against the Hurricanes as they were last season.
Know Your Enemy, Sabres Edition: Will Marner-Less Maple Leafs Continue Dominating Buffalo? The Buffalo Sabres will have many important games to play next season, but their most important games could prove to be against their rivals in the Atlantic Division.
The Sabres also still have some cap space to use to improve during the year -- $5.19-million, approximately -- but unless they have injuries to deal with on defense, the area Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is likely to spend his cap space on will be at forward. And whether Adams spends it on pure rental players, or on younger players who can be part of the long-term solution in Buffalo, there's little question there will be pressure on Sabres brass to spend right to the upper ceiling of the cap.
Regardless of who eventually gets added to Buffalo's lineup, to keep up with the Hurricanes, the Sabres will need to add speed and skill at some point and regularly crash Carolina's net to adversely impact veteran goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov. And they'll need a tight defensive attack to turn back 'Canes star forwards Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Ehlers and Seth Jarvis.
Know Your Enemy, Sabres Edition: Can Buffalo Jump Past Tampa Bay Into Third Place In Atlantic Division? The Buffalo Sabres are facing massive pressure to at least qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 15 years. But there's intense competition for each and every standings point teams can generate, and the Sabres' don't benefit by playing in the Atlantic Division -- the most competitive division, in our estimation, in the league. And Buffalo is going to have to get a leg up on more than a few Atlantic rival teams, Tampa Bay included if they really intend to claim a Cup anytime soon.
At the end of the day, the Hurricanes are going to present a high competitive bar for the Sabres to try to clear. Carolina still needs a good deal of playoff success if they're going to reward Tulsky for investing in them, but if things go right for both Buffalo and the Hurricanes, they're eventually going to clash in the post-season once each of the two teams makes it our of their respective divisional showdowns.
And if it does get to that point this year and all of Buffalo's ducks line up just right, the Sabres should have a decent chance at surprising the 'Canes and embarking on a true Cinderella-level playoff run.
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