The Buffalo Sabres have spent the better part of the last two decades as one of the NHL’s most forgettable franchises. But here we are, deep into the 2025-26 season, and somehow the Sabres are one of the hottest teams in hockey. A team that looked like it was barreling toward another spring on the golf course has flipped the script - and fast.
Buffalo has rattled off 15 wins in its last 17 games, a stretch that’s not just impressive - it’s historic by Sabres standards. You’d have to go back to the 2005-06 season to find a comparable run, and that team just so happened to be honored recently at KeyBank Center.
The timing? Poetic.
The significance? Huge.
This isn’t just a feel-good story about a long-suffering team catching fire. It’s a legitimate turnaround that has the entire league doing a double take.
The Sabres woke up on December 9th dead last in the Eastern Conference with an 11-14-4 record. Injuries were piling up, the top of the lineup wasn’t producing, and the goaltending situation - a messy three-man rotation - was dragging the team down.
Then, seemingly overnight, something changed.
Buffalo ripped off a 10-game winning streak, vaulting itself out of the basement and into the thick of the playoff race. The timing of the surge coincided with injuries to goalies Colten Ellis and Alex Lyon, which, intentionally or not, forced the team to simplify its crease rotation.
That opened the door for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to take the reins - and he’s run with it. The Sabres finally have some stability in net, and it’s showing up in the win column.
Now, let’s be clear: Buffalo isn’t in the clear just yet. The Eastern Conference wild-card race is a logjam, with nine teams separated by just seven points.
One bad week, and the Sabres could be right back on the outside looking in. But this time feels different - and not just because of the wins.
In past years, Buffalo has had hot stretches that felt more like fool’s gold. The results were there, but the underlying numbers told a different story.
This season? The eye test and the analytics are finally in sync.
The Sabres are playing better hockey - full stop. They’re controlling play more consistently, getting timely goaltending, and showing the kind of resilience that playoff teams are built on.
And while the players deserve credit for the turnaround, the front office subplot is just as intriguing. Jarmo Kekalainen took over as general manager in December, replacing Kevyn Adams. Whether the timing of the hot streak is coincidence or correlation is up for debate, but the fact remains: under new leadership, the Sabres are surging.
Now comes the hard part.
Kekalainen and head coach Lindy Ruff have a couple of big decisions looming. First, there’s the goaltending situation.
Alex Lyon is nearing a return from a lower-body injury, which means the three-goalie puzzle could be back in play. Do the Sabres risk disrupting Luukkonen’s rhythm by reintroducing the rotation?
Or do they commit to a two-man setup and move one of the netminders via trade or waivers? It’s a delicate balance - and one that could impact the team’s playoff push.
Then there’s the trade deadline. March 6 is circled on every GM’s calendar, and for Buffalo, it’s a chance to make a statement.
The roster has shown promise, but it’s clear they could use another high-end forward to support Tage Thompson and lighten the scoring load. The big question: will Kekalainen be aggressive where Adams was often cautious?
The Sabres have the assets. They have the momentum.
What they need now is the boldness to go all-in.
Of course, the NHL’s schedule throws another wrinkle into the mix. The league will pause for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, giving teams a midseason breather - and front offices a window to assess, plan, and potentially pull the trigger on moves.
For Buffalo, this stretch leading into the Olympic break - and immediately after - is going to be pivotal. The pressure’s rising.
The national spotlight is creeping in. And for a franchise that’s been defined by missed chances and false hope, this is the moment to prove it’s for real.
Sabres fans have waited 14 long years for playoff hockey to return to downtown Buffalo. Right now, it’s within reach.
And whether it’s fueled by luck, leadership, or just long-overdue karma, it doesn’t really matter. The Sabres are winning - and for the first time in a long time, they look like they belong.