Josh Norris gets a shot at the team that traded him Wednesday night, and the Buffalo Sabres could use the timing.
Buffalo is chasing a fourth straight win when it faces the Ottawa Senators, but Norris has his own storyline riding along with the game. This will be his third meeting with Ottawa since the trade, and he still hasn’t recorded a point against his former club. Across the first two games, he has just one shot on goal, a minus-1 rating and 10 penalty minutes.
The Sabres brought Norris in right before the trade deadline during the 2024-25 season, betting he could rediscover the form that made him such a promising young scorer in Ottawa. He was a first-team All-Rookie selection after posting 35 points in his rookie year, then followed that with 55 points in his second season.
Buffalo paid for that upside. The deal sent Dylan Cozens, defenseman Dennis Gilbert - who is already back with the Sabres - and a 2026 second-round pick to Ottawa in exchange for Norris and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Decker.
But injuries have kept Norris from building any real momentum over the last four seasons, including the final two years in Ottawa and his first two in Buffalo. In 2024-25, he appeared in only three games before injuries shut him down for the final 18.
Last season, he played in the opener, got hurt late in that game and missed several more. He returned, then missed additional time later in the year, finishing with 44 games played and 34 points.
Now he’s trying to dig out of another slow start. Through 14 games this season, Norris has two goals and one assist, and he has gone without a point in his last five outings.
Buffalo has recently found its footing, and Norris is part of the effort to keep that going. He has been skating with Ryan McLeod and Jason Zucker, and at 5-on-5 that line has created 19 scoring chances while allowing 12 against. The production hasn’t shown up on the scoreboard yet, though, with the group failing to score while on the ice and giving up one goal against.
If the Sabres are going to keep rolling, getting Norris going would be a welcome development. And if it happens against Ottawa, it would give him a little extra satisfaction too.
In Other News...
Alex Tuch Exit Debate Just Reopened A Painful Sabres Question
The Sabres breakup with Alex Tuch is still hanging over the franchise, not just because of what he brought on the ice, but because of how abruptly the relationship ended. Buffalo traded the winger to Washington in a sign-and-trade deal on June 24, and Tuch quickly landed an eight-year extension with his new club, leaving the Sabres to explain how a player they valued so highly was suddenly no longer part of the plan.
Tuch had said he hoped to stay in Buffalo until the trade, which only sharpened the sense that this was a painful exit for a team already trying to replace his impact. The biggest void has shown up on the penalty kill, where his absence has been especially noticeable, and it has reopened a familiar Sabres question about how a core piece got away and whether the club can afford to let that happen again. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Suddenly Have A Real Shot In The Dylan Larkin Sweepstakes
Trade chatter around Dylan Larkin has picked up enough that the Boston Bruins are now being mentioned as a serious player, but they are hardly alone. The Detroit Red Wings have drawn interest from multiple teams, including the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, as clubs try to gauge whether there is any path to pry away one of the leagues more sought-after centers.
For Buffalo, the bigger takeaway is that this is still very much a moving target. Detroit has not accepted any offers, Larkins trade list remains fluid, and conversations have also touched on other pieces such as Simon Edvinsson, with some teams not heavily involved in the talks yet. In a market this crowded, the Sabres are still waiting to see whether the Red Wings ever get to the point where a deal becomes realistic. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Just Hit A Frustrating Wall In Their Search For A Center
The Sabres search for help down the middle has run into another familiar obstacle, and this one comes with a name that would have made plenty of sense on Buffalos wish list. Dylan Larkin has been linked to interest from Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, but the Red Wings center carries trade protections that make any potential pursuit complicated before it even gets serious.
Detroit has reportedly tried to widen the market by asking Larkins camp to add more possible destinations, including teams like Buffalo, but his side has not budged. For a Sabres team still looking to strengthen its center situation, that leaves the front office staring at a target that is at least for now out of reach, and it underscores how much leverage elite players can still hold in a trade conversation. [Read more 🡒]