Former Sabres made their presence felt all over NHL Opening Night, with four ex-Buffalo players finding the net to kick off the 2026-27 season.
That’s a notable twist for a Sabres organization that’s taken heat for not replacing winger Alex Tuch, which has left questions about where the offense is supposed to come from. On Tuesday night, a few familiar faces from Buffalo did the scoring elsewhere.
Jordan Greenway delivered the first surprise of the bunch. In his Blackhawks debut, he scored Chicago’s first goal of the season in the second period of a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Greenway had just 18 goals in 158 games with the Sabres, including one in 40 games last season, so the early burst stood out. Chicago acquired him in June as part of the blockbuster Bowen Byram trade, a move that effectively helped Buffalo clear salary-cap space.
The 6-foot-6 power forward never became a steady offensive threat in Buffalo, but his penalty-killing value will be missed.
JJ Peterka also got on the board in a new uniform. After Buffalo traded him to the Utah Mammoth last offseason for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring, Utah flipped him to the Bruins in June for a pair of first-round picks.
Peterka scored one of Boston’s three third-period goals in a shutout win over the New York Rangers, and it was the kind of finish that fits his reputation as a pure scorer. The 24-year-old German, who the Sabres drafted in the second round in 2020, put up 55 goals over his final two seasons in Buffalo.
The frustration in his game was never the shot - it was the other end of the rink, where his effort could come and go. Boston will be hoping he sharpens that part without dulling the offense.
Jack Eichel wasted no time reminding everyone he’s still a problem. The former Sabres captain posted three points for Vegas in its win over the Hawks, including a second-period goal.
Since leaving Buffalo in 2021, he has piled up 346 points - 128 goals and 218 assists - in 316 games for the Golden Knights. The split with Buffalo had become unavoidable, but the club’s failure to lock down a true No. 1 center since then remains a sore spot.
Tage Thompson would be on the wing in a perfect world, and Eichel still gets booed every time he returns to KeyBank Center.
Victor Olofsson rounded out the night for the ex-Sabres crowd, and his goal came in classic fashion: on the power play. The three-time 20-goal scorer in Buffalo opened his second stint with Vegas by scoring midway through the first period with the man advantage.
Since leaving Western New York, he’s bounced from the Golden Knights to the Colorado Avalanche, then the Calgary Flames, and now back to Vegas, with 29 goals in 135 games over that stretch. His five-on-five production has not held up the same way, but the shot has always been there, and Opening Night gave him another chance to show it.
In Other News...
Sabres Already Face An Opening Night Blue Line Problem
The Sabres are heading into the season with an early blue line question before they even get through opening night. Buffalos defense was already under a spotlight, and now the team has to start the year without Olen Zellweger, who is dealing with concussion protocol at the worst possible time for a group trying to find its footing right away.
There is at least some hope the absence does not stretch long. Zellweger could be back in time for Saturdays home opener against Chicago, which would give Buffalo a quick boost if he clears in time. Until then, the Sabres will have to manage the opener shorthanded on defense while other teams in the division are already dealing with their own injury news, including the Islanders waiting on Mathew Barzal and the Blackhawks being without Andrew Mangiapane. [Read more 🡒]
Jessica Pegula Just Opened A New Buffalo Sports Conversation
Jessica Pegula spent part of a CNBC Sport interview looking past the baseline and into the next chapter, and for Buffalo fans it was hard not to hear the bigger implication. The tennis star, who has long been tied to one of the citys most prominent sports families, made it clear she has an eye on staying in the sporting world once her playing days are done.
What made the comment resonate locally is where that future could lead, even if nothing is imminent. Pegula said she may help her family run the Bills after her tennis career ends, a thought that naturally invites fresh conversation about how deeply the Pegula familys influence could continue to shape Buffalo sports, and in what role she might eventually fit. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Quinn Already Has Major Stakes In Buffalos Fast Start
Buffalos fast start has only sharpened the attention on Jack Quinn, who enters the season with more than just another step in his development at stake. The Sabres have plenty of young skill up front, but Quinn sits in a particularly important spot because his current deal expires after the season, making every productive night part of a larger conversation about where he fits in the teams long-term plans.
Quinn showed last season that he can handle a bigger role, and the Sabres are clearly counting on him to keep building from there. Elsewhere on the roster picture, Mattias Samuelsson is still working his way back and has not been ruled out for the opener, while Olen Zellweger remains in concussion protocol. The organization also added some veteran depth on the blue line, with AHL affiliate Rochester bringing in Zack Hayes on a professional tryout. [Read more 🡒]