By: Fazil Dawoodani
After 15 years of waiting, Buffalo Sabres fans finally experienced something they had been missing for so long: playoff hockey. Now, with the 2026-27 NHL season approaching, the question is no longer whether the Sabres can make the postseason, but whether they can take another step towards becoming a true Stanley Cup contender. Buffalo began its preseason on September 21 in Pittsburgh, they will open the regular season in Columbus on October 1, and the home opener is against Chicago on October 3.
The Sabres ended the longest playoff drought in NHL history last season with a 50-23-9 record and 109 points (it’s only the 4th time in franchise history that 50 wins in a season has been achieved), which was also good for the Atlantic Division title, their first division win since 2010. What makes this turnaround even more remarkable is the fact that the Sabres started the season 11-13-4, sitting dead last in the Eastern Conference in early December. However, through winter and spring, Buffalo went on a historic run to climb the standings and secure its first playoff berth since 2011.
Their subsequent playoff run proved that the drought-breaking season was more than just an accomplishment on paper. The Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins 4-2 in the first round, winning their first playoff series since 2007. In the conference semifinals, Buffalo then pushed the Montréal Canadiens to the brink, forcing a seventh game at home, before falling 3-2 in overtime, just one goal shy of their first conference finals appearance since 2007.
“We definitely took a step in the right direction,” captain Rasmus Dahlin said following the season. Dahlin added that the team had grown “as an organization, as a team, and as individuals.” However, the offseason brought significant changes. Defenseman Bowen Byram was packaged with 4th-line forward Jordan Greenway and sent to the Chicago Blackhawks in a blockbuster trade that saw the Sabres acquire the 4th and 45th overall picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, as well as defenseman Louis Crevier. Veteran forward Alex Tuch was sent to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade deal after agreeing to an 8 year, $84 million contract. Meanwhile, Buffalo traded for defenseman Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks. The two young defensemen, Crevier and Zellweger, have been tasked with replacing Byram and will also be adding some much needed depth to the blue line.
These changes have not lowered the expectations surrounding the team. General manager Jarmo Kekäläinen, who was hired in the 2025-26 offseason as an advisor to the general manager before being promoted to the position in December, said that “pretty good’s not good enough,” emphasizing that the Sabres cannot become complacent after finally ending their playoff drought.
Now, Buffalo enters the season with a different kind of pressure. Last year was all about proving that Buffalo was capable of winning in the regular season. This year is about proving that the team can not only win there, but also in the postseason and advance further.
With much of last year’s core returning, including Dahlin and superstar forward Tage Thompson, who helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Sabres have an opportunity to build on the foundation that they established last season. However, replacing 108 combined regular season points from Byram and Tuch will be a significant challenge.
The Blue & Gold have already climbed out of the drought, but in the fall they will start finding out whether they can climb even higher.