Can the Sabres turn things around amid 11-game losing streak?

The Buffalo Sabres sank to a new low this season after a 6-1 loss on Tuesday to the Montreal Canadiens, their 11th straight game without a regulation win.

With reports of trade talks now surrounding several players, it looks like Buffalo is prepared to make a big move to turn things around. What would it take to change the team's current projection? Let's take a look at some areas of improvement for the Sabres.

Young forwards need to step up

While top veterans Tage Thompson (25 points in 27 games) and Alex Tuch (25 points in 32 games) are certainly pulling their weight, many of Buffalo's young forwards are struggling, save for the 22-year-old JJ Peterka (third on the team with 21 points).

In particular, former first round pick Dylan Cozens, who signed a seven-year, $49,700,000 contract in February of 2023, has been incredibly disappointing this season, with just 14 points in 32 games. 

Second-year player Zach Benson and 23-year-old Peyton Krebs, both expected to play a large role in the Sabres offense, have struggled as well, with just 10 points each this season.

If the Sabres have any hope of getting back into the playoff race, they'll need their young forwards to step up.

Goaltending has struggled

Buffalo came into the season hoping that one of their two prominent young goaltenders, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi, would backstop the team to a playoff spot. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case, as neither Luukkonen, Levi nor veteran James Reimer sports an above .900 save percentage.

Luukkonen has been especially disappointing. He was coming off a 2023-24 season in which he secured the number one role, playing in 54 games with a .910 save percentage. This season he's played in a majority of the team's games (22) but has just a .896 save percentage.

Levi, a top goaltending prospect coming out of Northeastern University in 2023, has not fared well in his limited NHL time, having just an .896 save percentage in 38 career games.

With a 25th-ranked team save percentage, Buffalo will need much better results in net if it wants to break the losing streak.

Special teams' disappointment

In addition to below average forward play and goaltending, special teams have also been poor this season. The power play sits at 30th overall with a 13.8% success rate and their penalty kill ranks 22nd at 77.4%.

In contrast with Buffalo's 5v5 offense, which ranks 12th overall with 2.69 goals per game, the power play has let the team down. Digging deeper, the Sabres have struggled not just to score on the power play, but also to generate chances. Their 5.86 expected goals for per 60 at 5v4 is 25th in the league and their 16.39 high danger scoring chances per 60 on the power play is last overall. 

To improve their fortunes, Buffalo will need help from the special teams, particularly the power play. Improved goaltending may help out the penalty kill, but in order to win games, the Sabres will need some power play goals from their forward group.

Overall, the Sabres still have a long way to go. While they've drafted and developed plenty of talented players, it's clear that this roster has not got the job done so far. It remains to be seen if general manager Kevyn Adams will make a big move to shake things up or focus on improving from within.