The longest playoff drought in the NHL is the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres have been MIA in the Stanley cup playoffs since the 2010-11 season. The Sabres have had many bad teams during that span. The Sabres earned many top draft picks from their poor play. Many younger players the team could not develop or eventually had to trade because they did not have a team around them like Jack Eichel being dealt to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Last season, they needed a goalie and signed Craig Anderson, a guy on the tail end of his hockey career. Anderson would get some playing time for the Sabres as he had 31 starts for Buffalo with a 17-12 record. In your 40’s, you like to get some playing time & not just rot away on the bench. As you know with young teams, your wisdom is important for the players looking at you like their coach or father figure. This year at 41 years old, Anderson still is in the net for the Sabres and suddenly Buffalo is a team that is making some noise in the NHL. Could this young talented Sabres team with some may say a washed-up goalie, break that longest playoff drought in the NHL and make it to the the playoffs?

When Craig Anderson came into the league, he was wearing the Indian Head sweater. Anderson was born in Park Ridge, Illinois and was playing for his childhood team, the Blackhawks. At that time the Blackhawks were not very good as the dynasty of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews were about ten years away. Anderson started his NHL career in the 2002-03 season and could not get a start in net as his playing time came in relief of the starter. In the 2005-06 season, Anderson went on waivers three times moving from Chicago to Boston, then to St. Louis before finally returning to Chicago. Eventually Anderson was sent back to the minor leagues. At that time Anderson knew he had to get better. It was not until the 2007-08 season where Anderson became the back up goalie for the Florida Panthers and finally got some starts in the net. The long journey of trying to stick to an NHL team and being the back up guy came to an end as Anderson got starting job for the Avalanche in the 2009-10 season. Then Anderson became a permanent fixture for almost entire decade as a Senator in Ottawa where he remained as a starter.

Craig Anderson signed with Buffalo & may have not had any better offers. The team desperately needed a goalie and they probably wanted his veteran leadership to help all their young players. Some people don’t like teaching or helping young players. I’m sure Anderson still had gasoline left in the tank and wanted to play as he earned his 300th victory last year in a Sabres uniform. This season, Anderson is 7-5-1. Anderson does have one shut-out this season in net as well as he’s showing off his fountain of youth via his Tom Brady style of play. Anderson laughs at the fact he is the oldest player in the league right now since Joe Thornton and Zdeno Chara retired from the game and hung up their skates for good.The Sabres players and coaches love him. Anderson has been mentoring and basically training his replacement as he understands the journey to stick in the NHL. Passing on any insight to the younger guys to help their game gives them a better chance in the future. The Sabres fans are enjoying watching their guy, Tage Thompson, who is tearing up the league right now with 30 goals already. Last year Thompson had 38 goals. The Sabres have a nice core of younger players that feature Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Dahlin, and Owen Power. In 36 games this season, the Sabres are 19-15-2 and making a climb in the standings. The Sabres are 9-3-1 since early December. Craig Anderson ,whom no one knows if he will return next season, has a career record of 315-269-72 with 43 shutouts. There’s hopes that win total will continue to rise which would be good for the Sabres’ chances of cementing themselves in the playoffs in the next few months. It’s always nice to be around something special when it starts maybe Anderson will hang around long enough to see the finish which in Buffalo winning the Stanley Cup.