Noah Ostlund is only in the early stretch of his second NHL season, but Lindy Ruff is already talking about him like a player every coach wants in the room.
Ruff didn’t hold back when discussing the Buffalo Sabres forward, calling him “a coach's dream.” That kind of praise carries weight, especially this early in a player’s career. Ostlund played 60 games as a rookie last season and finished with 27 points, enough for the Sabres to lock him up on an eight-year extension shortly before this season began.
The reasons Ruff likes him are pretty clear. “He can be involved in both sides of the special teams, power play and penalty killing,” Ruff said.
“His five-on-five is right at the top of any of our forwards. He sees the ice great, and I think he is just feeling more and more comfortable with every game.”
Ruff went even further in explaining what makes Ostlund stand out. “He’s a coach's dream when you have a guy that can defend as well as he defends.
His awareness of where the puck is going and the next play is almost always spot on. Some guys can defend physically, and some guys can defend positionally really well.
I think his reads and positional defending is right up there at the top.”
That trust shows up in the numbers, too. According to Natural Stat Trick, Ostlund has the second-best CF% among Sabres skaters in 5v5 situations at 57.54% and the fourth-best xGF% at 56.34%.
He’s also been part of the recent boost on the power play. Ostlund is one of three Sabres forwards with multiple power-play goals this season, joining Jack Quinn and Tage Thompson, with each player at two.
While Thompson, Quinn and Zach Benson have drawn plenty of attention early on, Ostlund has carved out a major piece of the puzzle for Buffalo. His value comes from doing damage at both ends, and that matters for a team trying to find someone who can help replace what Alex Tuch provided in past seasons.
Tuch’s defensive game was a big part of why he mattered so much, and Ostlund looks capable of filling that kind of role for the Sabres.
For now, Ostlund is handling the center spot on the second line next to Jack Quinn. Zach Benson originally skated on the other side, but Ruff adjusted the lines to create more balance after the team wasn’t getting enough from the other units and needed to move Benson up with Tage Thompson.
Lately, Josh Doan has taken that spot on the second line, and Ruff is likely hoping Ostlund and Quinn can help him shake off a slow start. Whether that clicks remains to be seen, but the bigger point is already obvious: Ruff trusts Ostlund, and the young forward has earned a meaningful role in Buffalo.
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 🡒]