Konsta Helenius has given the Sabres plenty to think about early in camp, and the biggest clue might be where Buffalo is using him. The 20-year-old Finland native was on the club’s No. 2 power-play unit on Friday, a strong signal that he’s not just in the mix for a roster spot - he may have the inside track to open the season in Buffalo.
Power-play deployment can reveal a lot this time of year, especially when coaches are trying to keep the rest of the league guessing. In Helenius’ case, it lines up with the way the Sabres are already viewing him: as a player who belongs in the conversation for an NHL job right away.
That picture got clearer when Buffalo announced veteran winger Jason Zucker is likely to miss the start of the 2026-27 season following sports hernia surgery. The Sabres were expected to carry 10 or 11 forwards fighting for a top-nine role, but Zucker’s absence opens the door a little wider for Helenius.
The 2024 first-round pick has done enough to make that door look pretty open on his own. Last season, Helenius put up 63 points - 21 goals and 42 assists - in 63 games for the Rochester Americans.
He also scored two goals in four playoff games with the Sabres after they brought him into the lineup against the Montreal Canadiens in the second round. Then he finished the hockey year in style, helping Finland win gold at the 2026 IIHF World Championship.
KONSTA HELENIUS GOLDEN GOAL IN OT‼️🇫🇮 #MensWorlds #IIHF pic.twitter.com/4HlCIFFZ8d
- IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 31, 2026
Through those high-pressure moments, the 5-foot-11 forward - who can line up at center or wing - never looked overwhelmed. If anything, he kept finding ways to make himself dangerous.
That matters now because Buffalo is trying to make up for the offense it lost when Alex Tuch was sent to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade deal over the offseason. The Sabres are leaning heavily on internal growth to help fill that gap, and Helenius is a major part of that bet.
All of that points toward him being in Lindy Ruff’s opening-night lineup when the Sabres visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 1.
Ruff and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen have both made it clear that with so little time before the regular season starts, they want players settling into their likely roles quickly. There’s not much room for extended trial and error.
That has worked in Helenius’ favor so far. He has spent the early days of camp in the middle six, and Friday’s power-play assignment only strengthened his case.
An early look at Buffalo’s forward setup would leave Justin Danforth as the 13th forward. Most of the alignment matches what the Sabres have already shown in camp, with one notable change: Jiri Kulich, back after missing most of last season with a blood clot, moves onto the top line while Peyton Krebs drops to the bottom group.
Krebs did fine alongside Tuch and Tage Thompson on the first line last season, but his offensive production still points more toward a bottom-six role. Kulich, meanwhile, may need some easing in after his return, since he hasn’t yet built the kind of defensive reputation needed for a matchup-heavy assignment.
That arrangement could hold early just to manage Kulich’s minutes while he gets back up to speed, but it’s tough to see it staying frozen over the course of an 84-game season.
There’s also room for more shuffling between Ryan McLeod and Noah Ostlund, particularly if McLeod gets back on track in the faceoff circle. For now, though, the overall structure shows how much flexibility Ruff has as he tries to sort out his forward group.
And once Zucker is healthy, Buffalo may need to adjust again. But that’s part of the NHL calendar - injuries and absences eventually force teams to keep moving pieces around.
In Other News...
Sabres' Goalie Search Just Got More Interesting Than Fans Realized
The Sabres offseason search for help in net apparently had a bigger name attached to it than most fans realized. On the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman said Buffalo and the Florida Panthers both checked in on Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, with the Jets seeking a goalie back and signaling they were not interested in dealing him for future assets. Buffalos interest was part of a broader push that also saw offers built around draft picks and players, but nothing got across the line before training camp.
For the Sabres, its another reminder of how aggressive the front office has been trying to be at a position that can define a season. The conversation around Winnipeg did not stop with Buffalo and Florida, either, since Carolina has also been linked to a possible move involving Alexander Nikishin, though questions linger there as well. For now, the Hellebuyck thread is the one that stands out, because it suggests Buffalo at least explored a swing for a proven starter if the price and terms had lined up just right. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Goalie Picture Gets Tense As Luukkonen Addresses Trade Chatter
Trade talk always follows a goalie when a team starts sniffing around the market, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has found himself in that familiar spot with Buffalo this summer. His name has been pulled into speculation tied to the Sabres pursuit of Connor Hellebuyck, but Luukkonen said he is simply turning his attention toward the coming season and the role he has in front of him.
The wrinkle for Buffalo is that the crease already looks crowded. The Sabres are expected to carry three goalies, with Luukkonen and Alex Lyon likely splitting the bulk of the work while Colten Ellis remains in the mix. Even with the chatter surrounding his future, Luukkonens situation appears more about managing a tense depth chart than waiting on an imminent move. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Just Got A Familiar Rival That Much Tougher
The Sabres handled the Rangers well enough last season, winning two of the three meetings, but the backdrop around that rivalry is about to look different. New York is heading into 2026-27 with a roster that should be sturdier and harder to play against, especially on the back end, which matters for a Buffalo team that has to navigate the division grind and keep pace in a tighter race.
For the Sabres, the familiar edge of facing a familiar opponent is still there, but the matchup itself may not be as comfortable. Buffalo is still projected to come out ahead in the season series, yet the expectation is that it will take more work than it did a year ago, with the Rangers bringing more depth and more answers than they had before. [Read more 🡒]