As I’m currently sitting here watching the Jets and Predators battle it out in Game 7, I’m noticing some similarities from both teams which without a doubt, had a very important role in taking their teams this deep in the playoffs so far. As I compare these similarities to the current Sabres team, it becomes a little easier to gauge how far Buffalo really is from making not only a playoff run, but a deep one at that. The similarities I noticed between the Jets and Preds:

Composition of their Rosters

Both the Jets and Preds have a similar build to their roster, being both strong/physical, but skilled and boasting depth. Also, they have the perfect balance of homegrown talent, talent acquired via trade, and quality free agent signings. The Jets this season have been rolling 4 solid lines, with equal skill, scoring ability, and speed. Not to mention good seasons from their defence and goaltenders. Players like Patrik Laine, Blake Wheeler, Tyler Myers and Connor Hellebuyck have carried the load this season. Much of the same qualities lie in the roster of the Predators, who have the likes of P.K. Subban, Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Pekka Rinne at their disposal.

The Sabres are on their way to building a roster much similar to the Jets/Predators. With the additions of Jack Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly, Rasmus Ristolainen in recent years, and the almost certain addition of Rasmus Dahlin, there is a growing hope the Sabres can soon make some deep runs in the playoffs.

Speed

The Jets and Predators both have an abundance of speed across their roster. Not only in terms of individual player speed, but in terms of how they move the puck as a squad. The Jets have streaky players such as Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor who can chip the puck in and blow by defenders, meanwhile, defenceman like Toby Enstrom and Jacob Trouba can deliver a breakout pass to send their guys in on a two-on-one or three-on-two. Again, much of the same qualities lie in the Predators roster, with players like Kevin Fiala, Viktor Arvidsson, Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm.

The Sabres seriously lack speed up and down their lineup and it showed this past season. The power-play was where it was most noticeable, going from 1st overall a season ago to 20th overall this season. For the Sabres to be competitive and make deep playoff runs, they need to improve the speed of the team.

A Strong Defence

I know this may seem obvious to some, but to make it deep in the postseason, you need a solid backend. The Jets and Predators both roll 3 lines of solid defence, and a good goaltending tandem. Going from Morrissey/Trouba to Enstrom/ Byfuglien to Chiarot/Myers, with Hellebuyck in goal on the Jets side, to Josi/Ellis to Ekholm/Subban, to Irwin/Weber with Rinne in net on the Predators side, certainly eases the tension on the forward corps. Aside from the Jets and Predators, pretty much every team still alive in the playoffs can fall back on solid defensive play and good goaltending.

The Sabres certainly need to improve on team defense, as it was one of several major weaknesses this past season. Injuries played their part, but for the most part it was terrible play. Buffalo’s top guys on defense (Ristolainen, Scandella, etc.) ate large minutes, which led to breakdowns and opposing goals. Goaltending is another glaring issue. Robin Lehner struggled for the majority of the season, and Chad Johnson was abysmal in a more advanced backup role. Both positions need to see new additions, as well as growth from the younger core in order to make a deep playoff run.

In closing, when you look at teams like the Jets and the Predators, and then compare them to the Sabres, there are several aspects that are keeping them from the playoffs. With that being said, a few changes could see this team in contention in the seasons to come.

@paulzuk_81