The Buffalo Sabres, who opened training camp on Thursday, were one of seven teams not to make the Stanley Cup Qualifiers last season, finishing with a .493 points percentage (30-31-8). They have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2010-11.
But there’s reason for the Sabres to be optimistic about this season. New general manager Kevyn Adams, hired on June 16, has been busy this offseason, signing forward Taylor Hall to a one-year, $8 million contract — which Eichel called “an exciting moment for our franchise, for the city” — and forward Cody Eakin to a two-year, $4.5 million contract, and trading forward Marcus Johansson to the Minnesota Wild for forward Eric Staal on Sept. 17.
And as much as Eichel said he believes in the newly acquired players, the center said he believes as much in those at the top of the organization, in a potentially new way of doing things, and what that might mean for a franchise that has seen more than its fair share of new faces.
nhl.com article