Sabres' Stewart: 'There's no doubt in my mind that we're a playoff-bound team'
Absurdly optimistic statements are an inevitable part of any offseason, but Buffalo Sabres forward Chris Stewart took things to another level by suggesting the Sabres are a playoff team.
Buffalo won 21 games last season, finishing with 52 points - 14 fewer than the Florida Panthers, who leapfrogged the Sabres to select first overall at the 2014 NHL entry draft. Buffalo's leading scorer, Cody Hodgson, recorded 44 points and was one of two Sabres players to reach the 20-goal plateau.
Those results should not inspire confidence in even the most hopeful of Sabres fans, but don't say that to Stewart.
"I think on paper right now there's no doubt in my mind that we're a playoff-bound team," Stewart told NHL.com. "We have some good players who are ready to take a step in the right direction and start leading. I think July 1st we took a big leap in the right direction and I think we'll be a team that definitely surprises some teams next year."
Buffalo added Josh Gorges in a trade and signed free agents Brian Gionta, Matt Moulson and Andrej Meszaros to bolster its roster, but those are closer to depth signings that don't address Buffalo's myriad of issues. Perhaps more importantly, the acquisition of Gorges and Meszaros is offset by the loss of Christian Ehrhoff, who led the team in ice-time.
The Sabres' most glaring issue lies in net, where the team plans on starting the season with Michal Neuvirth and Jhonas Enroth - not exactly a playoff-ready goaltending tandem. Considering how little Buffalo was able to accomplish with Ryan Miller in the crease, Neuvirth and Enroth could be in for a very long season.
Still, Stewart sees the playoffs as "a very, very realistic goal" for the Sabres, and no one seems to have the heart to tell him Buffalo is a 50/1 long-shot to win the Eastern Conference, according to VegasInsider.com.
Stewart also believes this upcoming season could be the best of his career, provided he stays healthy and overcomes the inconsistencies that have plagued his offensive contributions since he entered the league.
I definitely have a chip on my shoulder. I wasn't happy with my year last year, either. I feel like I have a lot to prove and it's just going out and doing it. I'm going to come in and I'm going to be consistent. I think that's been a knock on me. I've been able to put together good stretches and then go cold, but I think we have a coach like (Sabres coach) Ted Nolan who believes in you. I think it's going to be hard not to have the best season of my career so far. I've never ended the season on an injury before, so it's been a long offseason for me. I'm definitely ready to play some hockey.
Stewart, 26, recorded 26 points in 63 games last season.