Buffalo Sabres 2024-25 Player Report Card: Jack Quinn

The fall-off was unfathomable. When he got hurt again – remember, he missed most of the 2023-24 season with a prior knee injury – Quinn had nine goals and 19 points in 27 games (0.70 points per game). He passed the eye test, too, showing flashes of potential as a lethal scorer.

For Quinn to have such a drastic regression over his first 23 games was a shock to everyone, most of all Quinn. It’s one thing not to have numbers but to show signs of life. Quinn just didn’t look like he wanted to be out there, and it showed.

Signs of Encouragement Down the Stretch

If anything, 2024-25 was a tale of two seasons. Eventually, Quinn started becoming noticeable in a good way. He was showing the ability to find open creases again. He was putting good shots on net again. Most importantly, he just looked “alive” in a way he hadn’t over the first two months of the season.

Over the final 51 games of his season, Quinn scored 14 goals and registered 34 points. That’s not earth-shattering, but it is a lot closer in terms of points per game (0.66) to what he was doing in 2023-24 (0.70). One factor to consider is his Achilles.

It takes anywhere from 6-12 months to fully recover from an Achilles injury, which would have put Quinn right around the start of the season to be a year removed from the injury. It no doubt takes time for a high-level athlete to find consistency and comfort in their game again. The million-dollar question is, “Was Quinn just finding himself in the wake of the Achilles injury?” How Quinn starts the 2025-26 season may be our answer.

Grading Quinn

An important note: In previous report cards, leadership was one of the criteria for grading. It is a bit difficult to really gauge how effective a leader a player is without being in the dressing room, so that has been nixed in fairness to other players.

If you split the 2024-25 season in half, Quinn’s report card would look drastically different. His first 23 games would be a clean sweep, featuring nothing but F’s. The other two-thirds of his season fell more in line with what he was doing prior to his Achilles injury. Let’s check out the grades for 2024-25:

This grade feels generous given Quinn’s start. His complete absence from the scoresheet was no doubt a contributing factor to missing the playoffs. Coming to life and at least showing some of that previously-seen ability leaves hope for the future.

2025-26 and Beyond

The Sabres have a lot of needs to address, one of them being to re-sign Quinn. The restricted free agent is a puzzle because he is young and has shown tremendous potential. Some even believe that he can still be a foundational piece of the lineup even if he doesn’t become as impactful as someone like Rasmus Dahlin. That said, he is coming off his worst season as a pro and has a troubling injury history.

More likely than not, the two sides will agree to a bridge deal of some kind. Quinn has a lot to prove, and the Sabres are likely to still believe that he can be a 30-goal kind of player. Quinn will be 24 years old when the season begins, and this may be the “prove it” season that makes or breaks his career.