3 glaring regrets for the Buffalo Sabres after first quarter of the season

The Buffalo Sabres are a good hockey team with a bad record, and there are three glaring reasons that this is the case.
Oct 19, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA;  Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson (6) celebrates his
Oct 19, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson (6) celebrates his / Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
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2. Not adding another winger

If there was an award for “Unluckiest Team in the NHL,” the Buffalo Sabres would win it. Last season, Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson, and Jeff Skinner were one of the most feared trios in hockey, but this year, it seems as though when one of the three is getting healthy, another sustains an injury and winds up missing at least a week. 

It hasn’t just been the Sabres big three, as Dylan Cozens, Zach Benson, Jordan Greenway, and Zemgus Girgensons have also gone down and missed time with ailments. You can’t see injuries coming, but it still doesn’t mean the Sabres shouldn’t have added another winger before or shortly after the season began.

No, this isn’t to say Buffalo should have tried harder to pursue Patrick Kane, but there are several wingers on the San Jose Sharks, most notably Anthony Duclair, who would have fit well. A trade package including Eric Comrie, defenseman Jacob Bryson, and a pair of mid-tier prospects may have worked wonders here, especially given San Jose’s 0-10-1 start. 

Buffalo ended up trading for winger Eric Robinson last week, but he’s not the answer from a scoring standpoint. Robinson is good for the bottom six and penalty kill, but a winger who could consistently play middle-six minutes is what the Sabres needed since October.