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5 NHL teams with the brightest futures ahead of them ft. Buffalo Sabres
The future in the NHL is always uncertain, and while some teams choose to rebuild and focus on acquiring draft picks and prospects, success is not always guaranteed.
However, there are five NHL teams that stand out for their promising future for various reasons. These teams have been making significant strides and are poised for success in the coming years.
5. Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are sort of entering their time as a contender but still have plenty of young players.
On Detroit's projected opening night roster, only four players are above 30 years old and one of them is James Reimer who is their backup. The Red Wings also have Sebastian Cossa in the pipeline who is one of the best goaltending prospects in the NHL.
The Red Wings have a core group of Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, and Mo Seider, and all three are under 30 and are under contract for the next few years - outside of Seider but he is an RFA.
4. Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators, like the Detroit Red Wings, could very well be entering their time as a contender now.
The knock on Ottawa is they didn't have a goalie but they signed Jonas Koprisalo to a five-year deal which will be massive for their future. As well, the Sens have their core players of Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Tim Stutzle, Jakob Chychurn, Thomas Chabot, and others all under contract for multiple years and all are in their 20s.
3. Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks would be higher up on this list if goaltender John Gibson hasn't reportedly asked for a trade.
Gibson is 30 but is still one of the best goalies in the world. Up front, Anaheim has a solid core around Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, and Mason McTavish while also having Jamie Drysdale on defense.
The Ducks are likely a few years away from truly competing, but they have the right pieces locked under contract and enter the 2024 NHL Draft with 10 draft picks to only add to their future.
2. Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks decided to rebuild for the first time in quite some time and it ended up landing the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
With the first overall pick, Chicago was able to draft Connor Bedard who has been compared to McDavid and Crosby. Having Bedard on their team immediately make Chicago's future bright while they also have plenty of prospects and draft picks to build around.
1. Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres could very well be the team to beat in a few years.
The Sabres are led by Devon Levi who looks like a future NHL superstar in goal while also having Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn, Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, and Victor Olofsson under contract, and all are under their 20s. On defense, Buffalo has Rasmus Dahlin who's only 23 and one of the best defensemen in the league.
Ultimately, Buffalo has built this team through drafting, and in a year or two, the Sabres look like they could be Cup contenders.
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