Jack Quinn’s hot start is giving the Sabres exactly what they hoped for - and maybe a little more to think about, too.
The 25-year-old winger has scored in both of Buffalo’s first two games, a road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets and a home win over the Chicago Blackhawks, while piling up a team-high nine shots on goal. That production has matched what stood out in training camp, where his compete level looked far more consistent and he was winning more of the one-on-one battles that can swing shifts.
Before Tuesday night’s matchup with the Minnesota Wild, Lindy Ruff made it clear he sees the difference.
"I think he's got a lot of confidence in his game right now. In reality, he probably should have three or four [goals] with the number of chances he's created.
He's skating well. He's a stronger player than he was a couple years ago, and I think that's showing on the ice.
He's a better skater than he was a couple years ago and I think he's getting rewarded for that. Night in, night out, he's creating some of his own chances, which that escapability is a sign of an elite player that can score on his own at times, or he gets himself in the right place.
We know that usually when he gets himself in a great scoring position he's got a good shot, so I think he's a guy that could really take off for us."
Buffalo has been waiting a long time for Quinn to become the player it drafted him to be. The Sabres selected him No. 8 overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, and for years the expectation was that he could grow into a 30-goal scorer. Injuries and uneven effort slowed that path, but 2025-26 finally looked like the breakthrough year: Quinn played all 82 games, set career highs with 51 points and 20 goals, added 31 assists, and helped Buffalo reach its first playoff berth since 2011.
Now the question is whether he can build on that surge. Early signs point in the right direction.
That’s good news for a Sabres team trying to keep up in a crowded Eastern Conference, but it also brings a financial wrinkle. Quinn is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, and if this level of play holds, his next contract could climb well above his current $3.375 million salary. Buffalo’s front office, led by general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, has already shown it won’t always chase the highest number, as the Alex Tuch situation made clear.
That leaves two possible paths this season: an early agreement that gives the Sabres cost certainty, or Quinn betting on himself and playing out the year before cashing in next summer. Either way, Buffalo will be watching closely as it tries to chase a second straight Atlantic Division title.
Quinn is one of three important restricted free agents the Sabres are tracking for 2027, along with Jiri Kulich and Colten Ellis. Kulich is still getting back up to speed after missing most of the 2025-26 season with a blood clot, but the 22-year-old forward has already shown some encouraging signs, including the game-winning goal in Saturday’s win over the Blackhawks.
Ellis is in line to start against the Wild after back-to-back shaky outings from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Alex Lyon, Buffalo’s third goalie in the rotation, is out with an upper-body injury.
The former St. Louis Blues prospect posted a .903 save percentage in 16 games, 14 of them starts, last season and was Buffalo’s most impressive goaltender in the preseason.
There’s also a real opening for Ellis to grab a bigger share of the starts in 2026-27, and by the end of the year, he could even push his way into the No. 1 job.
As things stand, Buffalo is projected to have about $24.3 million in salary-cap space for the 2027 offseason, according to PuckPedia. Keeping Quinn, Kulich and Ellis won’t take all of it, but it would still eat up a significant portion if Quinn keeps climbing.
The Sabres have one of the NHL’s most promising young groups, and holding onto as much of that core as possible is going to matter.
In Other News...
Sabres Win Came With A Wild Injury Scare Fans Will Notice
Nick Folignos night against the Sabres ended early, and not in the way Minnesota wanted to see. The veteran Wild forward left the game with an upper-body injury after a brief appearance, a concerning development for a player in his first full season with the club after being acquired last season and then returning on a one-year deal.
For Buffalo, the win came with an injury scare that stood out even after the overtime finish. Foligno was out of the game after logging only limited ice time, and the Wild never really got him back into the mix before ultimately falling in overtime, leaving Minnesota to wait on a fuller update and Sabres fans with a reminder of how quickly a game can turn. [Read more 🡒]
Zach Metsa Just Gave The Sabres A Toughness Story Fans Noticed
The Sabres got an early-season reminder that their edge can come from unlikely places, and Zach Metsa supplied it in the opener against Columbus. The defenseman ended up in a fight with Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier, a confrontation that immediately drew attention because of the size gap and because it came in a game that already had a tense feel to it.
Metsas willingness to answer the bell did not go unnoticed inside the room. Lindy Ruff and teammates were quick to point out the value of a player standing up for the group, especially in a moment like that, and it added a little toughness to the Sabres opening-night story that fans tend to remember. [Read more 🡒]
Viggo Bjrck Is Giving Jets Fans A Reason To Watch Closely
Week 1 offered an early look at three rookies around the league, and Konsta Helenius gave the Sabres something to file away for later. In a tiny sample, the young center showed the kind of reliability coaches tend to trust quickly, pairing steady puck possession with a composed two-way presence that fit naturally into the flow of the game.
The encouraging part for Buffalo is how much of Heleniuss value came in the details. He was effective in puck battles and on clean exits from the defensive zone, often turning those touches into the first step of a counterattack, and he did enough in limited ice time to keep the organization watching closely as the sample grows. [Read more 🡒]