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Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson celebrates with center Peyton Krebs and defenseman Bowen Byram after scoring a goal (Blake Dahlin-Imagn Images)

Sabres’ 2025-26 Midseason MVPs

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jacob D. Strozyk | Last updated Jan 11, 2026 9:35 AM ET

This season has been one to remember for the Buffalo Sabres. Changes, win streaks, and a full roller coaster ride of emotions along the way have made for an interesting time for both the organization and the fans.

As they continue to go forward into the 2025-26 season and try to keep up the momentum of their outstanding play as of late, they will need to lean on the backs of their best players, and some (at least this season) have come from odd places. With their current record sitting at 24-15-4, 43 games in, they have a long way to go, but if all three of these players continue to play at an MVP level, they will finally have a shot at their dreams.

Tage Thompson Is Locked In

It has been extremely refreshing to see just how locked in Tage Thompson has been. He is really looking like himself again, as he has been shooting the puck with purpose, using his size to make plays, and being a leader out on the ice.

All of his stellar play recently has not only helped the Sabres with their positive play, but it has also earned him a spot on the United States Olympic Roster. His ability to be a scoring threat from anywhere in the offensive zone, and not just be a one-dimensional scorer, has been a breath of fresh air.

Can he still rip one-timers from the left faceoff dot? Absolutely, he can. Is that the only way he has been scoring this season? Not in the slightest. Thompson has singlehandedly carried the team on his back multiple nights.

The timing of his goalscoring and the way he is playing the game this season are both such stark contrasts to his usual “toe drag and lose the puck” or “sit at the dot and wait for a one-timer” mentality of the last season or so. This has led to him being the team leader in both points (41) and in goals (22). If the Sabres want to continue with their hot streak as of late, he needs to keep it up.

Alex Lyon Is a Beast

Goaltender Alex Lyon has been the definition of a godsend for the Sabres this season. After multiple years of shoddy goaltending and questioning which one would take the net in their odd rotation, Lyon emerged as the clear starter. He has been steady, calm, and most importantly, he has been making saves at all the right times. Need a big save? Lyon is there to make it. Need him to just hold the line and keep pucks out on easy shots? He rarely misses.

Lyon has backstopped the Sabres to a personal 10-6-3 record in 21 games, posted a team-best .906 save percentage (SV%), and is second with his 2.82 goals-against average (GAA). Despite his current injury keeping him out of the lineup, he has easily been their best goaltender by gameplay standards. He has won his last seven straight games and was one of the biggest parts of the Sabres’ 10-game winning streak this season. Without Lyon, there is no way that they would have hit that number.

Mattias Samuelsson… Enough Said

The truest MVP of this season has been the re-imagined Mattias Samuelsson. Gone are the days of him being a passive defender and looking soft. Now are the days of him being a strong two-way defender, who is using every skill he has at his disposal. There have been nights where he has been the Sabres’ best defender, and nights where he has been their all-around best player. He has blossomed into exactly what Sabres fans were hoping to see from him when he is healthy, and he has finally come into his own.

Samuelsson is currently sitting with career highs in every category of the stat sheet. At the halfway point of the season, he has seven goals (previous high was four), 15 assists (previous high being 10), 22 points (previous being 14), a plus-18 (prior high being plus-14), an 11.7% shooting percentage (previous being 7.7%), AND he recently added a shorthanded goal.

With half of a season left, he is on pace to continue shattering his personal bests, and he is deserving of the accolades coming his way if he keeps it up. I would dare to even say that he is deserving of a Norris Trophy nomination.

Thompson and Lyon have been superb. But without question, Samuelsson has been the Sabres’ best player and is easily deserving of the team MVP title.