Lindy Ruff enters the 2026-27 season with a Sabres roster that still has plenty of punch, but the margin for error is thinner now that Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch are gone. Buffalo is coming off a tremendous 2025-26 campaign, and the talent is still there to hang in the Atlantic Division race. The question is whether Ruff can sort through a few key issues before they become problems.
The first challenge is getting the top six right. Jiri Kulich could be back in the mix, which would give Buffalo a top-six center option again.
The bigger hole is Tuch’s spot, and there isn’t an obvious instant fix for it. Noah Ostlund looks like the cleanest in-house answer.
The 22-year-old put together a strong season and playoffs before an injury cut him down, and if he’s fully healthy, he could help round out the top six. Beyond that, the offense still runs through Tage Thompson, who has to keep doing what he does best at the top of the lineup.
Then comes the youth movement, and Ruff’s willingness to ride with it. Konsta Helenius is one of the most interesting names on the roster.
At 20, he’s projected by some to take over as the third-line center, which would even push Ryan McLeod down to the fourth line. But that only happens if Helenius proves he can handle the job.
If he doesn’t, McLeod moves back up.
Kulich faces a similar test. He’s clearly talented and should be a top-six forward, but there’s still no way to know how much patience Ruff will show if the missed time affects his game. Josh Norris could also factor into that equation if he proves healthy enough to stay in the lineup, which could change where Kulich fits.
On defense, Olen Zellweger is another player who has to make a case. The 22-year-old is trying to establish himself as a real NHL defenseman, and he and Louis Crevier are both in the mix for meaningful roles. Zellweger appears unlikely to be sent to the AHL anytime soon, but if he can’t hold a spot, the Sabres would at least have to consider moving on from him in the lineup.
The last major decision may be the most straightforward one: what Ruff does in goal. Unless Buffalo lands Connor Hellebuyck before the season, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the starter.
That leaves Ruff with a short leash. If Luukkonen plays well, the issue solves itself.
If he doesn’t, Alex Lyon is next in line. Lyon has shown he can handle a workload, but not one that stretches to 50 games.
Colten Ellis is still unproven, which means the Sabres may need to look elsewhere if Luukkonen doesn’t get off to a strong start.
Ruff doesn’t have endless time to sort it out. If Luukkonen stumbles, Lyon could be in the net well before the first month is over. And if Buffalo still wants another answer, GM Jarmo Kekalainen may have to keep digging through the goalie market during the season.
In Other News...
Sabres Just Raised A Bigger Goalie Question Than Fans Expected
The Sabres goaltending picture changed quickly when they added Colten Ellis off waivers from St. Louis and sent Devon Levi to the AHL for the 2025-26 season. Ellis, a 2019 fifth-round pick, had just established himself as a full-time AHL starter in 2024-25 and also saw NHL time with the Blues, making 16 appearances and putting together an 8-4-2 record.
Buffalos net has been a moving target for a while because of injuries and roster needs, and this move points right back to that reality. The expectation around the team is that it will again carry three goalies, which means Ellis could be more than a simple depth addition and may wind up in position for more NHL work as a backup if the Sabres need it. [Read more 🡒]
Jiri Kulich Could Decide Buffalos Biggest Camp Battle
Jiri Kulichs status is becoming one of the more important subplots as Sabres training camp approaches, and for good reason. The young center missed most of last season because of a blood clot, but coach Lindy Ruff offered an encouraging update, saying Kulich is in town, has been skating and looks good. For Buffalo, that matters beyond just the health check. Kulich had flashed real upside before the setback, and his play alongside Tage Thompson and Zach Benson gave the Sabres a look at a different kind of lineup balance when he was on.
Now the bigger question is whether Kulich can put himself back in the mix for the top center job, where Buffalo has options and no clear answer yet. Josh Norris is part of that conversation, along with other candidates, which turns camp into more than a routine reset. If Kulich looks like the player the Sabres saw before the injury, he could force the issue quickly and make the competition much more interesting than it already is. [Read more 🡒]
Rasmus Dahlin Just Gave Sabres Fans A Reason To Dream Bigger
Rasmus Dahlins rise has become the kind of development Buffalo has waited years to see from its franchise cornerstone. As the Sabres captain, he backed up the leadership label with a career-high 74 points and helped push the club into the playoffs for the first time since 2011, a season that also brought recognition beyond the box score with nominations for both the Bill Masterton and Norris trophies.
The respect around the league is starting to match what Sabres fans have watched on the ice, and The Athletics annual player rankings reflected that by putting Dahlin among the NHLs elite while other Buffalo names showed up across different tiers. For a team trying to move from promising to dangerous, the bigger question now is whether this is the start of a sustained climb or just the first taste of what Dahlin can make possible. [Read more 🡒]