Brian Gionta on new-look Sabres: '100 percent we'll be a better team'

For the Buffalo Sabres, there's really nowhere to go but up.

Historically bad over the past two seasons, the team appears set to move up in the hockey world, largely due to the work put in by general manager Tim Murray in recent months.

Looking ahead to the 2015-16 season, captain Brian Gionta has no doubt he'll be part of a more competitive squad.

"100 percent we'll be a better team," he told Leo Roth of USA Today.

"Look at the moves (Murray's) been able to make," Gionta continued. "You can say you want a better team, you want to bring in better players, but for him to actually pull that off and make the moves he did, it shows that he means business. That excites guys in the locker room."

Among the new faces to don Buffalo's colors come training camp will be Evander Kane, Ryan O'Reilly, Robin Lehner, and Jack Eichel, not to mention head coach Dan Bylsma.

Add it all up and Gionta must be feeling a whole lot better about the two remaining years on his contract with the Sabres.