# 2022–23 Buffalo Sabres season

The 2022–23 Buffalo Sabres season was the 53rd season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on May 22, 1970. This was the first season since the inaugural season in 1970–71 in which Rick Jeanneret did not call games. With a win against the Detroit Red Wings on April 5, they clinched their first winning season since 2010–11. Despite this, the Sabres missed the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season, finishing one point short of qualifying for a playoff spot as the second wild-card. The Sabres continued the longest playoffs drought in NHL history, as they were eliminated from playoff contention after a loss to the New Jersey Devils on April 11, 2023.

## Standings
### Divisional standings

Atlantic Division :
| Pos | Team v t e | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | p – Boston Bruins | 82 | 65 | 12 | 5 | 54 | 305 | 177 | +128 | 135 |
| 2 | x – Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 50 | 21 | 11 | 42 | 279 | 222 | +57 | 111 |
| 3 | x – Tampa Bay Lightning | 82 | 46 | 30 | 6 | 38 | 283 | 254 | +29 | 98 |
| 4 | x – Florida Panthers | 82 | 42 | 32 | 8 | 36 | 290 | 273 | +17 | 92 |
| 5 | e – Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 42 | 33 | 7 | 30 | 296 | 300 | −4 | 91 |
| 6 | e – Ottawa Senators | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 31 | 261 | 271 | −10 | 86 |
| 7 | e – Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 28 | 240 | 279 | −39 | 80 |
| 8 | e – Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 31 | 45 | 6 | 21 | 232 | 307 | −75 | 68 |

### Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference Wild Card :
| Pos | Div | Team v t e | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | ME | x – New York Islanders | 82 | 42 | 31 | 9 | 36 | 243 | 222 | +21 | 93 |
| 2 | AT | x – Florida Panthers | 82 | 42 | 32 | 8 | 36 | 290 | 273 | +17 | 92 |
| 3 | ME | e – Pittsburgh Penguins | 82 | 40 | 31 | 11 | 31 | 262 | 264 | −2 | 91 |
| 4 | AT | e – Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 42 | 33 | 7 | 30 | 296 | 300 | −4 | 91 |
| 5 | AT | e – Ottawa Senators | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 31 | 261 | 271 | −10 | 86 |
| 6 | AT | e – Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 28 | 240 | 279 | −39 | 80 |
| 7 | ME | e – Washington Capitals | 82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 27 | 255 | 265 | −10 | 80 |
| 8 | ME | e – Philadelphia Flyers | 82 | 31 | 38 | 13 | 26 | 222 | 277 | −55 | 75 |
| 9 | AT | e – Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 31 | 45 | 6 | 21 | 232 | 307 | −75 | 68 |
| 10 | ME | e – Columbus Blue Jackets | 82 | 25 | 48 | 9 | 15 | 214 | 330 | −116 | 59 |

## Schedule and results
### Regular season

The regular season schedule was published on July 6, 2022.
2022–23 game log :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Overtime/shootout loss (1 point) :

## Player statistics
### Skaters

Regular season :
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
| Tage Thompson | 78 | 47 | 47 | 94 | +4 | 39 |
| Jeff Skinner | 79 | 35 | 47 | 82 | +15 | 39 |
| Alex Tuch | 74 | 36 | 43 | 79 | +14 | 20 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | 78 | 15 | 58 | 73 | +12 | 92 |
| Dylan Cozens | 81 | 31 | 37 | 68 | −3 | 41 |
| Casey Mittelstadt | 82 | 15 | 44 | 59 | −8 | 22 |
| Victor Olofsson | 75 | 28 | 12 | 40 | −23 | 4 |
| Jack Quinn | 75 | 14 | 23 | 37 | −7 | 15 |
| Owen Power | 79 | 4 | 31 | 35 | +10 | 24 |
| JJ Peterka | 77 | 12 | 20 | 32 | −15 | 26 |
| Kyle Okposo | 75 | 11 | 17 | 28 | −7 | 34 |
| Peyton Krebs | 74 | 9 | 17 | 26 | −8 | 50 |
| Tyson Jost$^†$ | 59 | 7 | 15 | 22 | −9 | 23 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | 80 | 10 | 8 | 18 | −5 | 14 |
| Ilya Lyubushkin | 68 | 2 | 12 | 14 | −2 | 38 |
| Henri Jokiharju | 60 | 3 | 10 | 13 | −12 | 30 |
| Vinnie Hinostroza | 26 | 2 | 9 | 11 | −1 | 6 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | 55 | 2 | 8 | 10 | +14 | 20 |
| Jacob Bryson | 59 | 1 | 8 | 9 | −24 | 8 |
| Rasmus Asplund$^‡$ | 27 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Greenway$^†$ | 17 | 4 | 0 | 4 | −3 | 0 |
| Kale Clague | 33 | 0 | 4 | 4 | −3 | 24 |
| Lawrence Pilut | 17 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −4 | 0 |
| Riley Stillman$^†$ | 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | +1 | 13 |
| Casey Fitzgerald$^‡$ | 23 | 0 | 3 | 3 | −1 | 4 |
| Lukas Rousek | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 0 |
| Jeremy Davies | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Anders Bjork$^‡$ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Sheahan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 4 |

### Goaltenders

Regular season :
| Player | GP | GS | TOI | W | L | OT | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 33 | 32 | 1,910:13 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 115 | 3.61 | 1,054 | .892 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Craig Anderson | 26 | 24 | 1,392:52 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 76 | 3.06 | 823 | .908 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Eric Comrie | 19 | 19 | 1,111:59 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 68 | 3.67 | 594 | .886 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Devon Levi | 7 | 7 | 429:01 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 2.94 | 222 | .905 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
$^†$Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Sabres. Stats reflect time with the Sabres only. $^‡$Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Sabres only. Bold/italics denotes franchise record.

## Transactions

The Sabres have been involved in the following transactions during the 2022–23 season.
Key:
† Contract is entry-level.  ‡ Contract initially takes effect in the 2023–24 season.

### Trades

| Date | Details | Details |
| December 15, 2022 (2022-12-15) | To Dallas StarsOskari Laaksonen | To Buffalo SabresJoseph Cecconi |
| February 27, 2023 (2023-02-27) | To Vancouver CanucksJosh Bloom | To Buffalo SabresRiley Stillman |
| March 1, 2023 (2023-03-01) | To Los Angeles KingsErik Portillo | To Buffalo Sabres3rd-round pick in 2023 |
| March 2, 2023 (2023-03-02) | To Chicago BlackhawksAnders Bjork | To Buffalo SabresFuture considerations |
| March 3, 2023 (2023-03-03) | To Anaheim DucksChase Priskie | To Buffalo SabresAustin Strand |
| March 3, 2023 (2023-03-03) | To Minnesota Wild2nd-round pick in 2023 4th-round pick in 2024 | To Buffalo SabresJordan Greenway |
| March 3, 2023 (2023-03-03) | To Nashville PredatorsRasmus Asplund | To Buffalo Sabres7th-round pick in 2025 |

### Players acquired

| Date | Player | Former team | Term | Via |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Kale Clague | Montreal Canadiens | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Eric Comrie | Winnipeg Jets | 2-year | Free agency |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Jeremy Davies | Nashville Predators | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Ilya Lyubushkin | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2-year | Free agency |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Chase Priskie | Florida Panthers | 1-year | Free agency |
| August 10, 2022 (2022-08-10) | Riley Sheahan | Seattle Kraken | 1-year | Free agency |
| November 19, 2022 (2022-11-19) | Tyson Jost | Minnesota Wild | | Waivers |

### Players lost

| Date | Player | New team | Term | Via |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Drake Caggiula | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Aaron Dell | San Jose Sharks | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Colin Miller | Dallas Stars | 2-year | Free agency |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Ethan Prow | Rochester Americans (AHL) | 2-year | Free agency |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Dustin Tokarski | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 14, 2022 (2022-07-14) | Mark Jankowski | Nashville Predators | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 14, 2022 (2022-07-14) | Mark Pysyk | Detroit Red Wings | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 15, 2022 (2022-07-15) | John Hayden | Seattle Kraken | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 15, 2022 (2022-07-15) | Michael Houser | Rochester Americans (AHL) | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 22, 2022 (2022-07-22) | Will Butcher | Dallas Stars | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 22, 2022 (2022-07-22) | Arttu Ruotsalainen | EHC Kloten (NL) | 1-year | Free agency |
| August 30, 2022 (2022-08-30) | Brandon Davidson | Kunlun Red Star (KHL) | 2-year | Free agency |
| September 16, 2022 (2022-09-16) | Ryan MacInnis | Amur Khabarovsk (KHL) | 1-year | Free agency |
| September 22, 2022 (2022-09-22) | Jimmy Schuldt | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) | 1-year | Free agency |
| October 14, 2022 (2022-10-14) | Cody Eakin | SCL Tigers (NL) | 1-year | Free agency |
| November 28, 2022 (2022-11-28) | Riley Sheahan | | | Contract termination |
| December 1, 2022 (2022-12-01) | Riley Sheahan | EHC Biel-Bienne (NL) | 1-year | Free agency |
| January 11, 2023 (2023-01-11) | Casey Fitzgerald | Florida Panthers | | Waivers |
| June 6, 2023 (2023-06-06) | Lawrence Pilut | Lausanne HC (NL) | 2-year‡ | Free agency |

### Signings

| Date | Player | Term |
| July 8, 2022 (2022-07-08) | Brandon Biro | 2-year |
| July 10, 2022 (2022-07-10) | Jacob Bryson | 2-year |
| July 12, 2022 (2022-07-12) | Vinnie Hinostroza | 2-year |
| July 12, 2022 (2022-07-12) | Malcolm Subban | 1-year |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Victor Olofsson | 2-year |
| July 15, 2022 (2022-07-15) | Jiri Kulich | 3-year† |
| July 15, 2022 (2022-07-15) | Noah Ostlund | 3-year† |
| July 15, 2022 (2022-07-15) | Lawrence Pilut | 1-year |
| July 15, 2022 (2022-07-15) | Matthew Savoie | 3-year† |
| July 18, 2022 (2022-07-18) | Brett Murray | 1-year |
| August 19, 2022 (2022-08-19) | Tyson Kozak | 3-year† |
| August 30, 2022 (2022-08-30) | Tage Thompson | 7-year‡ |
| August 31, 2022 (2022-08-31) | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 2-year |
| October 12, 2022 (2022-10-12) | Mattias Samuelsson | 7-year‡ |
| February 7, 2023 (2023-02-07) | Dylan Cozens | 7-year‡ |
| March 17, 2023 (2023-03-17) | Devon Levi | 3-year†‡ |
| May 2, 2023 (2023-05-02) | Viktor Neuchev | 3-year†‡ |
| May 19, 2023 (2023-05-19) | Nikita Novikov | 3-year†‡ |
| May 24, 2023 (2023-05-24) | Kyle Okposo | 1-year‡ |
| May 25, 2023 (2023-05-25) | Vsevolod Komarov | 3-year†‡ |
| May 27, 2023 (2023-05-27) | Ryan Johnson | 2-year†‡ |
| June 20, 2023 (2023-06-20) | Zemgus Girgensons | 1-year‡ |
| June 20, 2023 (2023-06-20) | Lukas Rousek | 2-year‡ |
| June 23, 2023 (2023-06-23) | Joseph Cecconi | 1-year‡ |
| June 26, 2023 (2023-06-26) | Jeremy Davies | 1-year‡ |

## Draft Picks

Below are the Buffalo Sabres' selections at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, which was held on July 7 to 8, 2022, at Bell Centre in Montreal.
| Round | # | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team (League) |
| 1 | 9 | Matthew Savoie | C | Canada | Winnipeg Ice (WHL) |
| 1 | 16 | Noah Ostlund | C | Sweden | Djurgårdens IF (J20 Nationell) |
| 1 | 28 | Jiri Kulich | C | Czech Republic | HC Energie Karlovy Vary (ELH) |
| 2 | 41 | Topias Leinonen | G | Finland | JYP (U20 SM-sarja) |
| 3 | 74 | Viktor Neuchev | LW | Russia | Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL) |
| 4 | 106 | Mats Lindgren | D | Canada | Kamloops Blazers (WHL) |
| 5 | 134 | Vsevolod Komarov | D | Russia | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) |
| 6 | 170 | Jake Richard | RW | USA | Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) |
| 6 | 187 | Gustav Karlsson | C | Sweden | Örebro HK (J20 Nationell) |
| 7 | 202 | Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson | RW | Sweden | Frölunda HC (J20 Nationell) |
| 7 | 211 | Linus Sjodin | C | Sweden | Rögle BK (SHL) |