3 Sabres Who Could Score 40 Goals in 2024-25 – The Hockey Writers – Buffalo Sabres

September is just around the corner, and as the season approaches, Buffalo Sabres player predictions and forecasts will start to come to light. With all the uncertainty surrounding the team heading into the 2024-25 season, taking a look at the players and seeing which ones have the skills and potential to put the puck in the net can be really exciting.

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The Sabres have a lot of young, talented players who have the ability to score, but only one player on their current roster has a 40-goal season under their belt since acquiring Jeff Skinner. As they look to improve on last season’s scoring, they’ll need to see more contributions from several other players, and these three players in particular have the best chance of hitting 40 pucks in the back of the net.

Tage Thompson, center

The low-hanging fruit here is certainly Tage Thompson, as he is the only Sabres player currently with 40 or more goals in a season in his career, having scored 47 in 2022-23. He could easily do it again, as he is still projected as their number one center and will also see time on their top power play unit. He is undoubtedly their most talented scorer and most versatile scoring threat, as he can use both his size and hands to make plays towards the net and score at times, which he seems to prefer. He had a bit of a down season in 2023-24, as he finished with 29 goals, but he fell victim to some poor coaching decisions and a few injury issues during that time, so getting back to the 40-goal mark by at least 2024-25 is an expectation he can certainly meet.

Thompson has one of the league’s most powerful shots, some of the softest hands in the tight end, and can score from virtually anywhere. Using his speed and size to drive up the ice and then crash into the net or get into position for a one-timer to chip the puck past the goalie are just a few of the ways Thompson has shown he can score goals reliably. With new systems being implemented by coach Lindy Ruff, new ways of scoring could be added to his game this season. I have no doubt Thompson can score at least 40 goals this coming season.

Alex Tuch, right-wing

Aside from Thompson, Alex Tuch is the only other Sabres player to approach 40 career goals when he scored 36 in 2022-23. He’s one of their most dynamic players on the ice and another mainstay of their top scoring unit, so he’ll have every chance to reach that milestone for the first time in his career. Using his speed as his primary weapon, Tuch is a threat off the forecheck and can create scoring chances off turnovers in both zones. He’s repeatedly taken the puck off an opponent’s stick and charged up the ice on his side, scoring on the opposing goalie with a nice, easy move or outsmarting an opponent on his own side and simply ripping the puck out of the net with a quick shot.

He doesn’t have a great slap shot or a ton of clever moves to get through a whole bunch of defenders, but his straightforward style of play is where his goal-scoring shines. He had a slow start last season but still finished with a respectable 22 goals. As he gets used to a more physical system and can use his size and speed to his advantage, he’ll find more opportunities to score from the front and from the back, so it’s very possible to see him press and even reach the 40-goal mark.

Jack Quinn, the right-winger

The dark horse of this group, and certainly the most unproven, is Jack Quinn. He has made some significant strides in his career thus far, and despite some injury struggles, he has still shown himself to be an extremely capable goal scorer. A healthy Quinn, in my humble opinion, could be a lethal goal scorer, and given how the Sabres are preparing for the upcoming season, there is every indication that he will score 40 goals. He has one of the most natural-looking shots on this team outside of Thompson, and his release is fluid and quick. He has the vision to be anywhere in the offensive zone and find an opening for the puck, and the variety of ways he can shoot adds to his lethality. He may not be destined to be a starter or top power play unit like the other two on this list, but ice time alone won’t prevent him from scoring 40 goals this season.

Quinn has put in the time and effort to be where he is, and with the highly motivated Dylan Cozens as his linemate, the two of them flying around the ice looking for ways to score together will be something any opponent will fear. Quinn may not be the fastest player on the ice, but he still has more than enough speed to burn defenders and create chances of his own at any moment. His career high in goals to date is 14, and last season he scored nine goals in 27 games on a 16.1% shooting percentage, which would put him on pace for over 30 goals if he played a full season. It stands to reason that he will improve those numbers with better coaching and a better system.

Which of the three will score the most points?

All of them have outstanding goal scoring abilities, and that list doesn’t even include players like JJ Peterka, who scored 28 goals last season, or Dylan Cozens, who has 31 in 2022-23. With so many talented scorers, it will be a race to see which of these players reaches the 40-goal mark first, because each of them is capable of it. The easy answer, however, is that Thompson will top the list by the end of the season, because he has shown that he is capable of breaking the 50-goal mark, then Quinn, because I believe he will reach exactly 40 or slightly above, around 42, and then Tuch right at the 40 mark.

Seeing the puck in the net again will be a breath of fresh air after last season’s struggles, but it will be in the hands of these very capable players. The new coaching staff will have to provide them with the opportunities to succeed, but ultimately it’s up to the players to score. Nothing will stand in their way now, except themselves.