> **What key additions/subtractions have there been from the roster this offseason?**
*Fairburn: The Sabres made their blue line a priority this offseason, adding Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson as free agents. Johnson is now 35 and nearing the end of his career but should be a valuable leader for Buffalo’s young defensemen. Clifton has been a third-pairing player for most of his career in Boston, but he’ll have an opportunity to earn a spot in the Sabres’ top four. Other than those two, the Sabres have kept a similar group to the one they had a year ago. Kyle Okposo, Zemgus Girgensons and Tyson Jost all re-signed. Goalie Craig Anderson retired, but Devon Levi looks ready to step into the NHL. The most significant loss the Sabres are dealing with is Jack Quinn, who will miss the first few months of the season with an Achilles injury. Buffalo may be looking to one of its talented prospects like Jiri Kulich, Matthew Savoie or Lukas Rousek to fill that spot.*
> **What are the realistic expectations from the fans for the upcoming season?**
*Fairburn: In our reader survey early this offseason, 97 percent of respondents expected the Sabres to make the playoffs next season. This fan base has endured the longest active playoff drought in professional sports and has seen enough growth the last two seasons to think this is the year that streak ends. The Eastern Conference will not provide an easy road for the Sabres, but they missed out on the playoffs by only a point last season and will have a stronger, more experienced roster this season.*
> **What is the job security like for the head coach and GM coming into this season?**
*Fairburn: Don Granato is entering his third full season as Sabres coach after taking over as the interim coach in the spring of 2021, while this is Year 4 for Kevyn Adams as general manager. They’ll have more pressure and expectations on them this season than at any other point during their respective tenures, but both feel secure after getting contract extensions prior to last season. Ownership is committed to Adams and his patient approach. He and Granato have gotten enough results to justify giving them more runway. As long as progress continues, both will remain in good standing.*
> **What is the salary cap situation — and are there any roster spots that still need to be filled?**
*Fairburn: The Sabres have about $6 million in cap space and have a full roster. They actually have a surplus of defensemen who played in the NHL last season, so there’s a strong chance of a trade before opening night. They can now also sign Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power to contract extensions, and Adams has repeatedly made it clear he’s ready to commit to both players as part of Buffalo’s core.*
>**What’s the biggest strength of the team heading into this new season?**
*Fairburn: After finishing last season third in the NHL in goals scored, offense is the clear strength of the Sabres. This is a team that wants to play a fast, high-scoring style of hockey and they have the talent to do it. Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner are a strong top line, while the team should continue to get more secondary scoring from Dylan Cozens, JJ Peterka and other developing scorers. *
>**What’s the biggest weakness of the team heading into this season?**
*Fairburn: Team defense was a problem last year, and it’s the biggest question Buffalo has to answer in 2023-24. They added Clifton and Johnson, but Buffalo’s issues in defending weren’t about just one or two players. The penalty kill was among the worst in the league. The defensive play from the forwards wasn’t good enough, and the goaltending was inconsistent. Clifton and Johnson will definitely help, as will a season’s worth of experience for young players all across the lineup. Whether the goaltending trio of Levi, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie can produce a reliable enough tandem is a significant variable entering the season.*
>**Which player is under the most pressure to perform this year?**
*Fairburn: It feels like Devon Levi will end up under the most pressure this season. That’s not because this season will determine his standing in the organization, but because Levi, as a 21-year-old rookie, could end up being the deciding factor in whether the Sabres get to the playoffs. He’s going to get every chance to step into a big NHL role. In the seven games he played last season, Levi looked ready for the NHL. But sustaining that over the course of a season with the type of heightened expectations the Sabres will have is a different type of pressure.*
>**Which team from the Atlantic Division — Boston, Toronto, Tampa or Florida — do you think is most susceptible to falling out of a playoff spot for this season?**
*Fairburn: Looking at this list and the rest of the Eastern Conference is a reminder of how tough it will be for the Sabres and the other non-playoff teams to crack into the top eight. The Panthers feel the most susceptible to falling out of a playoff spot because of the injuries they’ll be dealing with to start the season. *
>**Finish this sentence: In order for this team to make the playoffs this season….**
*Fairburn: The Sabres will need to be closer to league average at preventing goals. The offense can only carry them so far. Even assuming a repeat scoring effort, the defense and goaltending will need to be more consistent if the playoff drought is going to end. Of course, they’ll also need a bit of help. The Eastern Conference looks like it could be a gauntlet again next season, so the Sabres need a team or two to take an unexpected step back.*
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> **What key additions/subtractions have there been from the roster this offseason?**
*Fairburn: The Sabres made their blue line a priority this offseason, adding Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson as free agents. Johnson is now 35 and nearing the end of his career but should be a valuable leader for Buffalo’s young defensemen. Clifton has been a third-pairing player for most of his career in Boston, but he’ll have an opportunity to earn a spot in the Sabres’ top four. Other than those two, the Sabres have kept a similar group to the one they had a year ago. Kyle Okposo, Zemgus Girgensons and Tyson Jost all re-signed. Goalie Craig Anderson retired, but Devon Levi looks ready to step into the NHL. The most significant loss the Sabres are dealing with is Jack Quinn, who will miss the first few months of the season with an Achilles injury. Buffalo may be looking to one of its talented prospects like Jiri Kulich, Matthew Savoie or Lukas Rousek to fill that spot.*
> **What are the realistic expectations from the fans for the upcoming season?**
*Fairburn: In our reader survey early this offseason, 97 percent of respondents expected the Sabres to make the playoffs next season. This fan base has endured the longest active playoff drought in professional sports and has seen enough growth the last two seasons to think this is the year that streak ends. The Eastern Conference will not provide an easy road for the Sabres, but they missed out on the playoffs by only a point last season and will have a stronger, more experienced roster this season.*
> **What is the job security like for the head coach and GM coming into this season?**
*Fairburn: Don Granato is entering his third full season as Sabres coach after taking over as the interim coach in the spring of 2021, while this is Year 4 for Kevyn Adams as general manager. They’ll have more pressure and expectations on them this season than at any other point during their respective tenures, but both feel secure after getting contract extensions prior to last season. Ownership is committed to Adams and his patient approach. He and Granato have gotten enough results to justify giving them more runway. As long as progress continues, both will remain in good standing.*
> **What is the salary cap situation — and are there any roster spots that still need to be filled?**
*Fairburn: The Sabres have about $6 million in cap space and have a full roster. They actually have a surplus of defensemen who played in the NHL last season, so there’s a strong chance of a trade before opening night. They can now also sign Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power to contract extensions, and Adams has repeatedly made it clear he’s ready to commit to both players as part of Buffalo’s core.*
>**What’s the biggest strength of the team heading into this new season?**
*Fairburn: After finishing last season third in the NHL in goals scored, offense is the clear strength of the Sabres. This is a team that wants to play a fast, high-scoring style of hockey and they have the talent to do it. Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner are a strong top line, while the team should continue to get more secondary scoring from Dylan Cozens, JJ Peterka and other developing scorers. *
>**What’s the biggest weakness of the team heading into this season?**
*Fairburn: Team defense was a problem last year, and it’s the biggest question Buffalo has to answer in 2023-24. They added Clifton and Johnson, but Buffalo’s issues in defending weren’t about just one or two players. The penalty kill was among the worst in the league. The defensive play from the forwards wasn’t good enough, and the goaltending was inconsistent. Clifton and Johnson will definitely help, as will a season’s worth of experience for young players all across the lineup. Whether the goaltending trio of Levi, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie can produce a reliable enough tandem is a significant variable entering the season.*
>**Which player is under the most pressure to perform this year?**
*Fairburn: It feels like Devon Levi will end up under the most pressure this season. That’s not because this season will determine his standing in the organization, but because Levi, as a 21-year-old rookie, could end up being the deciding factor in whether the Sabres get to the playoffs. He’s going to get every chance to step into a big NHL role. In the seven games he played last season, Levi looked ready for the NHL. But sustaining that over the course of a season with the type of heightened expectations the Sabres will have is a different type of pressure.*
>**Which team from the Atlantic Division — Boston, Toronto, Tampa or Florida — do you think is most susceptible to falling out of a playoff spot for this season?**
*Fairburn: Looking at this list and the rest of the Eastern Conference is a reminder of how tough it will be for the Sabres and the other non-playoff teams to crack into the top eight. The Panthers feel the most susceptible to falling out of a playoff spot because of the injuries they’ll be dealing with to start the season. *
>**Finish this sentence: In order for this team to make the playoffs this season….**
*Fairburn: The Sabres will need to be closer to league average at preventing goals. The offense can only carry them so far. Even assuming a repeat scoring effort, the defense and goaltending will need to be more consistent if the playoff drought is going to end. Of course, they’ll also need a bit of help. The Eastern Conference looks like it could be a gauntlet again next season, so the Sabres need a team or two to take an unexpected step back.*