Buffalo Sabres: The top-10 players under 24, part two
By Ed Stein
The Buffalo Sabres are ready to take the next step in their turnaround. They certainly have a skilled group of young players to do it with. Thursday we counted down numbers ten through six, today we continue with the top five.
The Buffalo Sabres have very talented players coming up through their system. Some have even arrived on the scene already. Every player on the Top-10, under 24 list either is now or has the ability to become a solid NHL player. There aren’t any gaping positional holes to fill as there are quality talents across the board.
There is a good mix of offense, two-way hockey, smarts, and future top-tier goaltending on this list. Admittedly its a bit defenseman heavy, but the forwards while few in number are quite skilled. Several members of the top-10 have all-star potential. Additionally, it’s not hard to imagine at least one of these players getting a Hall-of-Fame ring when he hangs up his skates. The future is indeed bright.
Graduating
Sam Reinhart (23), Right Wing, 2014 1st round, 2nd overall – Sam Reinhardt will turn 24 in early November, it feels like including him would be cheating. He’s been a mainstay of the Buffalo Sabres for the past four years. The good news is he’s improved his point output in each, culminating with 65 points in 2018-19.
At this point, Reinhart’s skills are well known to all of Sabres Nation. Some still consider him a disappointment despite his steady improvement. He’s a smart player who seems to have found his place alongside Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner. Even though he was a second overall draft pick, he is one of those players who is better as part of a unit rather than carrying the load himself.