Buffalo Sabres: 2 Biggest Surprises Of The Season So Far

The majority of NHL teams have already played 20 games this season, so we are starting to get a better understanding of what to expect from them moving forward. There have been certain players who have been big surprises thus far and it feels fair to shine a light on them. In this series, we will be looking at two from each team who certainly can be classified as that.

In this piece, we will be discussing the Buffalo Sabres. Heading into the season, they were expected to be in the basement of the NHL, as they traded players like Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. Yet, they have had some good moments, as they sport an 8-13-3 record and are sixth in the Atlantic Division. They obviously aren't outstanding, but they also aren't the worst team in the league right now. These two players have been huge surprises for them this season and truly deserve praise after the type of years they had as of late.

Kyle Okposo: Every single hockey fan should be happy for Kyle Okposo right now. The 33-year-old winger is having a major bounce back season so far after struggling for multiple years. At this time, he has six goals and a team-leading 17 points in 24 games. He already passed the 13 points he had last season in 35 games, too. Here's to hoping the veteran can keep this kind of production up.

Jeff Skinner: NHL fans have been immensely critical of forward Jeff Skinner these last few years. Immediately after signing an eight-year, $72 million extension with the Sabres, his offensive totals fell off dramatically. After a 23-point campaign in 59 games in 2019-20, he had just seven goals and 14 points in 53 games the following year. However, he's surprisingly regrouping very well this season, as he has eight goals and 16 points in 24 games.

Honorable Mention: Tage Thompson, a 2016 first-round pick, finally seems to taking a huge leap in his development this season. In 24 games, he has a whopping 10 goals and 16 points.

Check out our last article on the Vegas Golden Knights here.