Sabres Analysis
Top 3 Candidates to Replace Skinner on Sabres Powerplay
The Buffalo Sabres will have a new-look powerplay in the 2024-2025 season, without bumper forward Jeff Skinner and under new coaching from head coach Lindy Ruff and assistant Seth Appert. The makeover will be welcomed, as the Sabres finished 29th overall in powerplay percentage last season. Buffalo hopes the combination of a new approach and new personnel will vault them back into the top 10, where they finished in 2022-2023.
Three pieces of Buffalo’s top powerplay unit from last season are locks to remain in their roles, Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Alex Tuch. Thompson is the biggest scoring threat from the left flank. Dahlin will continue as the team’s quarterback from the point. Tuch was the net-front presence for the Sabres and will likely stay as a screener who pops out occasionally to the goalline.
The right flank was assumed by JJ Peterka by the season’s end, and he is the top candidate to fill the role in 2024-2025. He remains Buffalo’s best left-shot offensive threat, which is the ideal trait in working from the right half-wall. Peterka is penciled in on the first unit without a major threat to replace him.
Sabres Bumper Role on Powerplay
Then there’s Jeff Skinner’s vacant bumper position – a role he filled for six seasons. Skinner fell victim to a buyout in late June, leading to a search to fill his spot. Since the Sabres have yet to add a true top-six forward with the money they opened up from the buyout, they’ll have to turn to internal solutions.
Here are the top three candidates to play the bumper position next season:
3. Zach Benson
Zach Benson’s rookie season was impressive for an 18-year-old. He showed a defensive maturity beyond his years, contributing to the Sabres every night even when he was producing offensively.
Benson received a little run on the powerplay, mostly assigned to the second unit when called upon. The Sabres used their top unit for about 65% of their powerplay time, leaving about 42 seconds per powerplay for the others like Benson to try to produce.
It’s tough to score in such a short time, especially with most of that time spent getting the puck into the offensive zone and set up. The entire second unit struggled as a group last season. This was evidenced by the unit’s quarterback, Owen Power, ranking 23rd of the 27 Sabres to appear with the man advantage.
Benson has some qualities to suggest he could take a leap offensively in his sophomore season. His short, stout stature could allow him to get lost and not be pushed around in the high slot. His workhorse mentality could be big for puck retrievals.
He also has the offensive awareness and puck skills to complement the talent around him but not demand the puck on his stick. It’s that mentality that suggests the bumper role is where Benson is best suited, regardless of which unit he ends up playing on.
Related:Â Can Zach Benson Take a Leap in Sophomore Season for Sabres
2. Jack Quinn
Jack Quinn was another casualty of the poor synergy of Buffalo’s second powerplay unit last season. He only appeared in 27 games and averaged 1.8 minutes of powerplay time per game. That’s about 40 seconds of ice time per powerplay, which requires some quick work to produce.
Quinn still managed three points, outpacing his previous season’s total of six. Outside of Peterka, Thompson, and Tuch, he’s Buffalo’s biggest offensive threat. A healthy season could even see him jump to the same even-strength production levels and reach the top powerplay.
The most encouraging sign of Quinn’s ability in the bumper role is his production in AHL Rochester under Appert. He had two goals in 15 games in his first season, followed by a whopping 10 in 45 regular season games in his second year as an Amerk.
Quinn played mostly on the flanks in Rochester, which could help the rotation and fluidity of the powerplay. He also has shown elite shooting ability in his first couple of seasons in the NHL, with a quick release made for the bumper position.
There is some downside, however. The puck is mostly on Dahlin and Thompson’s stick, meaning that the play is mostly coming from up top or the left. This makes it difficult for a right-shot like Quinn to open up for a one-timer or quick wrister.
Still, talent usually wins out, and Quinn is the best talent the Sabres currently have at their disposal to add to the powerplay.
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1. Dylan Cozens
Dylan Cozens was the original occupant of Peterka’s role as the right flank on the top powerplay. He’s a natural playmaker and willing shooter, making him a good contributor in the role. The Sabres were searching for something better, however, and switching from a right shot on his strong side to left-shot Peterka was the obvious choice.
Cozens will likely get the first crack at the vacancy at the bumper position. He has the best underlying metrics and the most experience on the powerplay of all of Buffalo’s candidates. He had ten points with the man advantage last season and 18 the year prior. His goals above replacement rates graded out ahead of every Sabres forward set to return from last season who is not already locked into the first unit.
His upside is on the same level as Quinn and Benson, although some of the shine may have worn off after four seasons in Buffalo. Just because there are newer toys doesn’t mean that they are the better options right now though. The Sabres would be smart to give Cozens the first audition. He’s the likeliest candidate to fit a new role on Buffalo’s new top powerplay unit.