Rasmus Dahlin isn’t interested in treating last season like a finish line.
After helping carry the Buffalo Sabres through a breakthrough year, the captain made it clear Thursday that the standard has changed - and staying there will be a much tougher job. Dahlin spoke after the first practice of training camp for the 2026-27 season, and his message matched the urgency already coming from the top of the organization.
"Great year last year but it's a new year and if you thought last year was hard, this year's gonna be harder I think," the 26-year-old reigning Norris Trophy finalist told reporters. "We gotta make sure we come prepared. We gotta make sure we have a good camp."
He also made it plain that the outside perception of Buffalo has shifted.
"We have high expectations on ourselves. High expectations around the league. We're not the old Sabres anymore in other teams' eyes."
That lines up with what general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday. Both stressed the need for the Sabres to come out flying after a sluggish start last season, when the team eventually produced one of the best runs in NHL history and surged back near the top of the Eastern Conference before claiming the Atlantic Division title.
Now the reset button is in play. Everyone starts at zero, and Buffalo is staring at a crowded race for the eight playoff spots in the East.
At least 13 teams have real postseason hopes, which means the margin for error is thin from the opening night of the season, set for Oct. 1.
That’s the backdrop for the Sabres’ camp, where the pace has already reflected the message from leadership: no easing in, no waiting to hit form, no room to drift. Dahlin has long been the team’s standard-bearer through effort, but he’s also growing more vocal, and that matters for a group that will spend the next eight or nine months trying to prove last season wasn’t a one-off.
The challenge is obvious enough. Buffalo piled up 109 points last season, the fourth-highest total in the league, but repeating that kind of production is no simple thing. The Atlantic looks stronger, and the Sabres also have to account for the departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram.
HockeyStats.com currently projects Buffalo to finish third in the division with 96 points, which would still be enough to get in. But the numbers show just how tight things could get: the Sabres are tied with the Boston Bruins, two points ahead of the Ottawa Senators, three in front of the Toronto Maple Leafs and four ahead of the Montreal Canadiens. And that’s before the Metropolitan Division even enters the wild-card picture.
The standings will move around, of course. Some teams will climb, others will stumble. Still, the early projection makes the point plainly: every point will matter, and the ones collected in October could matter just as much in April.
Buffalo does have real structure. The roster features plenty of forward depth, an elite blue-line core and three trustworthy goalies, though the Connor Hellebuyck rumors continue to linger even with no sign of movement lately. But the Sabres are also one of the NHL’s youngest teams, and younger players in bigger roles usually come with growing pains.
That’s why the tone at camp has been so direct. Buffalo wants the same thing it found last season, only without the slow start that nearly buried it.
The Sabres were in last place in the East in early December a year ago. They don’t want to flirt with that kind of hole again.
If they can bank points early and keep the pressure on, Dahlin and the Sabres could spend the spring playing meaningful hockey again in Western New York.
In Other News...
Eric Staals New Sabres Role Comes As Injury Questions Build
The Sabres are adding a familiar face to their bench-adjacent mix this season, with former center Eric Staal set to take on an on-ice coaching role while also continuing his special assistant work for GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Staals new responsibilities are expected to include helping centermen and lending a hand on the power play, giving Buffalo another veteran voice as the team tries to get its groups organized early.
The timing matters because the lineup picture already has a few health questions attached to it. Jason Zucker is recovering from offseason sports hernia surgery and could miss the first two weeks, while Louis Crevier is on track to be ready for the opener after shoulder surgery, and Justin Danforth is likely to begin camp with the club as he works back from knee surgery. For a team trying to settle roles before the games start counting, Staals added presence may be one of the quieter but more useful developments. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Blue Line Battle Is Already Tilting Before Camp Begins
With Bowen Byram gone from the Sabres blue line, Buffalo already has a vacancy to sort through before training camp even opens, and the competition is starting to take shape. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said the club will have to account for Louis Creviers offseason shoulder surgery, while also setting up a path for Olen Zellweger, who signed a three-year deal with Buffalo and figures to be in the mix from the start.
Creviers recovery creates a temporary wrinkle, even if the Sabres still expect him back for the regular season, and that leaves the door open for someone else to seize momentum early. Zellweger, meanwhile, should have the benefit of being on the ice for camp and preseason work, which could matter in a battle that may be decided as much by timing and availability as by talent. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Face One Big Hellebuyck Question As Trade Talk Lingers
Connor Hellebuycks name has been circling the league for days, and the Sabres are right there among the teams keeping tabs on the Winnipeg situation. Reports say the Jets have fielded trade inquiries for the goaltender, but the offers have not yet met their price, even as Hellebuyck remains out of camp and interested clubs wait for the asking cost to come down. Buffalo is among the teams linked to the talks, alongside Carolina, San Jose and Edmonton, which is enough to keep the speculation alive without moving it any closer to a conclusion.
For the Sabres, the intrigue is obvious because the search for goaltending help is never far from the front-burner in Buffalo. The front office has at least been mentioned as part of the conversation, but the bigger question is whether the market ever lines up cleanly enough for a real pursuit. For now, the Jets are still shopping for the right return and the Sabres are still waiting like everyone else, hoping the next turn in the standoff makes the path a little clearer. [Read more 🡒]