The excitement of the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft is the main reason.
By Ryan Wolfe / DieByTheBlade.com
We are deep in the throes of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While Tampa Bay, Vegas, Washington, and Winnipeg battle it out for their individual shot at the Stanley Cup, Buffalo Sabres fans are sitting back and waiting for their turn.
As exciting as these playoffs have been, count me in as one of those anxiously awaiting the next move.
It is hard to look forward and turn the page to next season so quickly but it is happening right before our very eyes. With the Sabres Draft Lottery victory, and likely selection of Rasmus Dahlin, our attention is turned to the 2018 NHL Draft.
With growing rumors of Ryan O’Reilly being shipped out of town, our attention is turned to the start of the offseason when trade talks will likely heat up.
With the talk of John Tavares to Buffalo potentially heating up, our attention is turned to July 1 and the beginning of NHL Free Agency.
We already have a free agent signing to talk about, with the addition of Lawrence Pilut from the Swedish Hockey League and Andrew Oglevie from Notre Dame. It is not even July yet! These signings always keep the wheels greased for the rabid fanbase.
There are so many balls in play for the 2018-19 edition of the Sabres, as the 2017-18 season still finds itself playing out.
I sometimes find it hard to switch gears so quickly, especially after feeling so disconnected from the team for most of the year. Once it became evident that this team was not going to cut it, things started to drift apart a little.
Buffalo has such a dedicated fan base, as each one of you already likely knows. What keeps you coming around though?
Is it the current Sabres like Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart who keep the wheels rolling for you?
Or maybe it is the future Sabres like Brendan Guhle and Linus Ullmark who keep the hype train running at full speed?
What about the NHL Draft and likely number one overall pick Rasmus Dahlin? The thought of adding him to Buffalo’s top-six is an incredible thing to ponder.
Something even more exciting is the silly season. By that, I mean the time between now and July 1 where fans find themselves on CapFriendly on-and-off throughout a week. Take a look over there now and look at the trade proposals, the free agent signings and just the overall roster setups for next season.
Fans are ready for change, clearly.