As the Buffalo Sabres’ season slow start continues on in October, there needs to be some accountability from their top players. Players like Jeff Skinner, Rasmus Dahlin, and Dylan Cozens are off to solid starts, but a couple of their other big players have been in a bad rut. Alex Tuch was a massive catalyst for the Sabres last season, but so far, he has been below average when it comes to finishing his scoring chances. Then there is JJ Peterka, who is seeing his role reduced and does not deserve that treatment.
Between the two of them, the Sabres are losing a significant portion of their offensive power, and without their production, the team will continue to struggle. Peterka has looked better between them, but the overall point production is almost identical, and it isn’t good. Both players need to find their groove, or coach Don Granato needs to find a new line combination to spark them.
Peterka Needs to Be Given a Better Opportunity
It really is that plain and simple. Peterka currently has 14 shots in the first seven games and has managed to score two goals, with both being big plays. He initially was given a good role on the presumed second line with Dylan Cozens but now sees himself on the third line wing with Peyton Krebs and Victor Olofsson or Zach Benson. Having Peterka on the ice for big situations is something that the Sabres would greatly benefit from. He has been great at going to the net this season and has been relentless on the puck every shift he has played. The problem is, for some reason, his ice time is declining, and he does not deserve that treatment.
Seeing Peterka continue to fall in the lineup makes no sense based on the potential combos the Sabres could have in their top-six. He adds a skillset that would mesh beautifully with some of the other top-line players the Sabres have, and it would give them a much better chance of scoring each night. While Peterka is stuck in a third-line role with Krebs and Olofsson, he will be fighting every night to make plays. Olofsson has been a dud all year, and Krebs is not the offensive threat he was projected to be. Peterka needs players who can match his energy, speed, and finishing ability, and he deserves a chance to show that every night.
Tuch Needs to Dial In
Tuch is typically one of the most composed and energy-driven players in the Sabres’ lineup, but all season long, he has looked like he has no direction and much less energy than usual. He has been hasty and tries to make blind passes to open ice, which results in plenty of turnovers. His gameplay has mostly consisted of him skating up ice on the right side, going behind the net and then turning the puck over, or wandering aimlessly in the offensive zone out of position. He has had one good moment overall, and that was the Sabres’ most recent game against the Ottawa Senators when he had a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick. Beyond that game, he has mostly looked lost.
He has been given a new center recently in Casey Mittelstadt and remains alongside Skinner, but while the previously mentioned two players are putting points on the board, Tuch hasn’t been. Right now, he has one goal and two assists and 13 shots. He still is on the Sabres’ top power-play unit, so every chance to produce is there, but he continues to look flat compared to last season. Cutting his ice time is not the solution to the problem, but with a young player like Peterka showing that he deserves top-six minutes, an adjustment could be made if Tuch continues his average play.
Line Adjustments Could Help Both Peterka and Tuch
Generally speaking, Tuch has played well alongside Skinner, and the production they can create as a line is something special. The problem is that this season, there has been too much passing going on, and if nobody but Skinner is going to shoot the puck, scoring will continue to be an issue. Once Granato saw that Tuch needed a boost, there was a slight change to the lines, and now Tuch plays with the aforementioned Mittelstadt and Skinner. On the topic of Peterka, he needs to be given a chance to be a playmaker for some better shooting talents. If I could make the adjustment myself, the new lines would look like this:
If the Sabres adjust to this lineup in their top-six, then they could solve plenty of issues. Putting Peterka with the slow-starting Tage Thompson and Skinner allows a playmaking power forward type to really make some plays and give the other two the space they need. Skinner on the right side is not typical, but he has shown a great ability to score from that spot this season, so he would not miss a beat.
Putting Tuch with Cozens and Mittelstadt allows him to play with competent and reliable forwards who have the ability to get open and make space. Cozens will always be a great catalyst for this offense, and his ability to drive a play, as well as finish one, will only mesh with Tuch’s skillset.
Mittelstadt as a pure playmaker is perfect for Tuch as well. He can make the plays up the middle or along the wall, and all Tuch has to do is find the open space to finish. Doing this will get him going, and eventually, he will be back to his usual play-driving form.
It all starts with a shakeup, and if that doesn’t work, they should shake it up again until a combination is found that makes these star forwards produce like they should. Without Peterka and Tuch, the Sabres do still have plenty of firepower up front. But their winning and playoff chances drastically improve if they begin to produce more sooner than later. A 3-4-0 record in a season that the team is supposed to prove they can win is unacceptable, and that unfortunately lands on the shoulders of these players. It is time for them to step up and be the players they have shown they can be.
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