Eastern Conference off-season preview: Buffalo Sabres

It’s been 84 years since the Buffalo Sabres made the playoffs.

Well, not quite, but their 14-season playoff drought is the longest in the National Hockey League. Even longer is their playoff series win drought, which dates back to the 2006-07 season, or 18 years. That playoff series win drought is old enough to drink in Alberta!

Let’s take a look at how the Sabres’ 2024-25 season went, what they did over the off-season, and how the team stacks up heading into the 2025-26 season.

How the season went

Although the Sabres are mired in this lengthy post-season drought, they once showed signs of breaking it. Their best chance was in 2022-23, when they finished with a 42-33-7 record with 91 points, just two shy of surpassing the Florida Panthers, who went on to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.

They regressed in 2023-25, finishing with a record above .500 (39-37-6), but a significant drop in points, ending up with just 84. The Sabres finished eight points out of a post-season spot. Sadly, the Sabres finished towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference in 2024-25, posting a 36-39-7 record with 79 points, 19 points out of the final playoff spot.

Unlike many consecutive deadlines, the Sabres didn’t quite sell ahead of Mar. 7’s trade deadline. Their big move saw them trade Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert, and a 2026 second-round pick to the Ottawa Senators for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker, a move that saw the two teams exchange a player who needed a change of scenery.

Norris played just three games for the Sabres, but could be a huge factor into their plans moving forward.

Drafted players

With another poor season came another high pick. With the ninth overall pick, the Sabres selected defenceman Radim Mrtka. The 6’6”, 216 lbs defenceman is set to play for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League in 2025-26.

All of their other picks came in the third round or later. With the 71st overall pick, the Sabres selected defenceman David Bedkowski, followed by centre Matouš Jan Kucharčík with the 103rd overall pick. Also in the fourth round, the Sabres selected netminder Samuel Meloche.

Moving on to the later rounds, the Sabres selected defenceman Noah Laberge in the fifth round, centre Ashton Schultz in the sixth round, winger Melvin Novotny, netminder Evgeny Prokhorov, and centre Ryan Rucinski in the seventh round.

Trades

Aside from the Mitch Marner sign-and-trade, the Sabres made the biggest trade of the off-season when they sent J.J. Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for centre Josh Doan and defenceman Michael Kesselring. Peterka finished tied for second in points last season, finishing with 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games.

The Sabres also sent Connor Clifton and a 2025 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau. Nothing better than a Connor-for-Conor trade. Moreover, the Sabres sent Sam Lafferty to the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

Free agent signings

The Sabres’ biggest free agent move was adding not just one, but two goalies on guaranteed contracts. Despite employing Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (the second-best name in hockey, just behind Colorado Avalanche forward Ivan Ivan), the Sabres signed Alexandar Gregoriev and Alex Lyon. Gregoriev, the first Bulgarian-born player in the NHL, signed a one-year deal worth $825,000, while Lyon signed a two-year deal worth $1.5 million annually.

Depth signings include Justin Danforth and Mason Geertsen, as the Sabres mainly focused on re-signing players. One of which, unsurprisingly, was Levi, who agreed to a two-year deal worth $812,500 annually. Timmins signed a two-year deal worth $2.2 million annually, while Bowen Byram signed a two-year deal worth $6.25 million, avoiding an offer sheet.

Another player who avoided an offer sheet was Ryan McLeod, who agreed to a four-year deal worth $5 million, as the former Edmonton Oiler broke out with increased playing time.

Departures

As for who has left, the only notable player to depart through free agency was Bernard-Docker, as he signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Moreover, the Sabres traded away Peterka, Clifton, and Lafferty.

What the team looks like heading into 2025-26

The million-dollar question coming into the 2025-26 season is whether the Sabres will finally make the playoffs. Down the middle, they have Jiri Kulich, Norris, McLeod, and Peyton Krebs, which is okay centre depth. Their wing depth is better, featuring 44-goal scorer Tage Thompson, Zach Benson, Jason Zucker, Alex Tuch, Jordan Greenway, Jack Quinn, Josh Doan, and Beck Malenstyn.

Their defence is more balanced than last season. Rasmus Dahlin is one of the best defencemen in the league, and he could very well play the right side alongside Byram. Newly acquired Kesselring likely plays on the second pairing with Owen Power, while their bottom pairing will feature Timmins and Mattias Samuelsson.

In net is anyone’s best guess, as they have four NHL-calibre netminders (to varying levels of success). Luukkonen likely starts with Lyon backing him up, but Levi and Gregoriev will push for a spot as well.