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Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Sabres’ 2024-25 Season MVPs For Each Position

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jacob D. Strozyk | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 9:30 AM ET

The Buffalo Sabres have had a long and trying season in 2024-25, and along the way there have been some players that have stood out as horrible and those that have stood out as spectacular. The MVPs of this team have stuck through the hard times and continued to perform, regardless of how bad the team was. Whether it was through consistency, hard work, or sheer will, these players found ways to do something on the most regular basis to contribute to the team.

Sabres’ Goaltending MVP

This one is a bit tough because the Sabres’ goaltending has not been particularly good all season long. Both James Reimer and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have had spurts of good play and bad play, but between the two of them, only one has had a sequence of great play. So the Goaltending MVP should belong to Reimer. His play and personal win streak at the end of the season was a great display of his abilities, and was also a great example of what this team could have looked like if they had just gotten some timely saves in a few more games. It almost makes one wonder what could have been if Reimer had started more games than he did.

His 9-8-2 record, along with his single shutout, is nothing incredible, but the pace alone would have the Sabres in a much better position if he had continued the trend of that record. His 2.99 goals-against average (GAA) and .900 save percentage (SV%) also were the best of the two goaltenders, and rarely did Reimer have a night where he looked out of place. The 37-year-old goalie stood tall for the Sabres on plenty of nights that he likely was not expected to, and his presence was a calm and steady one for the entire team.

Sabres’ Defensive MVP

This choice is probably the easiest one, as the Sabres’ number one defender and captain has been one of their top players all season long. Rasmus Dahlin may have started the season a bit slow, but ever since he came back from his injury issues, he began to light things up, and was playing with a passion that just could not be snuffed out. He was the difference maker for them on the defensive end, being a steady presence in his own end, and a physical one too. There was always some reason to notice him on the ice, whether it was something he was doing in his own end, or the opponent’s. Dahlin stood above all of the other Sabres defenders in every way across the board all season.

With only one game remaining, his season stats currently are 17 goals and 68 points in 72 games. He nearly hit the 20-goal mark for the second consecutive season, and had he not missed the nine games, he most likely would have done it. Not to mention, he did so without a steady defensive partner all season long. He was shuffled around between nearly every single option on the Sabres defensive roster, and he still managed to stay consistent with his scoring and defensive abilities. There were times he was challenged a bit by Bowen Byram, but in the long run, Dahlin stayed at the top and remains the MVP of the defenders for the 2024-25 season.

Sabres’ Forward MVP

This one is a little bit trickier. An argument could be made for a few different ones for a few different reasons. Tage Thompson has been a scoring machine and has gotten back to his 40-goal scoring form this season. Alex Tuch evolved into arguably one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL (I would argue he even deserves some Selke Trophy nominations) while also returning to his offensive 30-goal scoring form. Then there is veteran forward Jason Zucker, who carried this team on his back many nights and decided that he enjoyed doing it so much that he signed an extension to stay in Buffalo. There are a number of great choices to pick from, but at the end of the day, one of them truly had the most noticeable season of the three.

Tuch really came into his own this season and took another big step forward as a player. His ability to play in every situation has always been one of his best assets that he brought to this team, but this season, he was extremely productive in every scenario. He led the entire NHL with six shorthanded goals, which was double his three that he had on the power play. He was second amongst NHL forwards in takeaways with 46, which was only nine behind Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner for the top spot, and he did all of this while scoring 30-plus goals and putting up 60-plus points. His offensive and defensive play made a huge difference for them night in and night out, and he was easily their best forward for half their games or more. Being their forward MVP and the impact player he is, the Sabres should really consider getting him locked up long-term.

Sabres’ Overall MVP

Choosing between Tuch or Dahlin for overall MVP is definitely where the decision gets even tougher. Both of them are fairly close in points, and they both excel at both ends of the ice. Neither was one-dimensional this season, and they both played key leadership roles for the young players in the room. However, when push comes to shove, between the two of them, impact-wise, one does stand a little higher than the other.

The overall team MVP belongs to the captain. Dahlin is the difference maker for the Sabres more nights than any other player on this roster, and when he is not in the lineup, there is not a single other player that can replace him, or do anything even close to what he does. Between his skills, unwavering leadership, and ability to impact a hockey game, Dahlin was the brightest spot for the Sabres all season long and will continue to be as they grow into next season.