Devils, Sabres seek start of revival in Prague

The 2023-24 season was one of disappointment for both the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres.

However, after an offseason with notable change for each, the two teams look to kick off the 2024-25 campaign in a positive manner when they face off Friday in Prague, Czech Republic, for the first of two games in the 2024 NHL Global Series Czechia.

The Devils finished 23rd in the NHL last season with 81 points, a stark drop-off after logging 112 points and finishing third in the league in 2022-23. That season, they got off to a 16-3-0 start, including a 13-game winning streak, and made the playoffs for only the second time in 11 years.

"A good start for us is imperative," New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald told NHL.com regarding the upcoming season. "... Those 13 games helped soften the blow for the losing stretch (in December, 1-7-1) because you're still playing with house money."

Fitzgerald worked this summer to get his team back on track. He acquired goalie Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames and added free agent defensemen Brett Pesce, one of the top blueliners on the market, and Brenden Dillon.

Sheldon Keefe was hired to replace interim head coach Travis Green, who stepped in after Lindy Ruff was fired on March 4.

"We know what to do," Devils captain Nico Hischier said. "We know how to get into the rhythm fast. Just need to be professional and do it. There's no excuses there."

Ruff, meanwhile, is now behind the bench for the Sabres. He is charged with guiding the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2011, when he was the last Buffalo coach to do so.

After years of seemingly endless rebuilds, hope sprang when Buffalo finished one point behind the Florida Panthers for the second Eastern Conference wild card in 2022-23. However, an inconsistent 2023-24 campaign resulted in a seven-point drop, extending the team's postseason drought to an NHL-record 13 seasons.

General manager Kevyn Adams hired Ruff six days after firing Don Granato. Adams and the players talked about the need and desire for accountability, which is part of what Ruff brings along with structure.

The Sabres bought out the last three years of Jeff Skinner's contract and revamped their bottom six forwards to add depth and make the team tougher to play against. Adams acquired Ryan McLeod from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for highly touted prospect Matt Savoie. He traded for Beck Malenstyn and signed Jason Zucker, Sam Lafferty and Nicolas Aube-Kubel.

The Sabres players have quickly bought into Ruff's system.

"Just watching the group and how we played the preseason games, the mentality we had going into all these games, I think it's been phenomenal," Buffalo forward Alex Tuch said. "We're playing the way we need to play to win some games."

They will be looking for bounce-back seasons from Tuch, Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens after each dropped off on offense last season. Buffalo also hopes for continued growth from forwards JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn, defenseman Owen Power and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Last season, Luukkonen ascended to the No. 1 role, and he signed a five-year extension in the offseason.

And they will do all this under new captain Rasmus Dahlin, named to the role on Sept. 26.

"Just his presence and the way guys feed off his energy ... honestly, it's a joy to watch," Lafferty said.

--Field Level Media