With the Buffalo Sabres still quiet in the rumor mill, the path into the new season looks increasingly clear: general manager Jarmo Kekalainen may roll with the roster as it stands after the departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram. That approach comes with risk, but it also reflects a belief in the group Buffalo already has - a young core and a strong wave of prospects - as the team tries to secure a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That puts more of the burden on the Sabres’ top names, especially Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, while the rest of the roster settles into new jobs. Thompson, in particular, remains one of the biggest storylines.
Thompson has already made his name as a dangerous scorer, and his production keeps backing that up. He scored 40 goals in 2025-26, his third 40-goal season in the past four years, with a career-best 47 coming in 2022-23.
Still, the rest of his game has room to grow, especially on the defensive side and in the faceoff circle. That likely played a role in NHL Network placing him 19th on its annual ranking of the league’s 20 best centers.
"Thompson helped the Sabres qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011 and led them in the postseason with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 15 games," NHL Media wrote as part of the ranking reveal Sunday night.
Buffalo still hasn’t found a true No. 1 center, and until that changes, the 6-foot-6 Thompson could keep lining up down the middle in 2026-27. The long-term ideal, at least from a roster-building standpoint, would be to give him a chance to move to the wing and let a dedicated top pivot fill that long-open spot - one the Sabres have not replaced since trading Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021. For now, though, Thompson remains a major source of offense in the middle.
Across town, a familiar Sabres face turned up in a different sweater. Ryan Miller, a Buffalo Sabres Hall of Famer, joined the Colorado Avalanche’s alumni game on Sunday night.
Special guest: Ryan Miller 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/NVAbveGzzs
- Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 23, 2026
Miller’s appearance wasn’t fully explained, but retired goalies who are still able - or willing - to get back in the crease are not easy to come by, especially in the summer. The 46-year-old Michigan State product wrapped up his NHL career with a 391-289-88 record, a 2.64 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in 796 games. In the playoffs, he posted a .913 save percentage over 57 appearances.
Miller remains a regular presence around Western New York, including through his annual "Catwalk for Charity" event.
And at the ballpark, the Buffalo Bisons are bringing hockey flavor back to Sahlen Field. The team announced that this year’s "Hockey Night at the Ballpark" will be held Saturday, Sept. 5, when the Bisons host the Worcester Red Sox at 6:05 p.m. ET.
"Our 6th annual Hockey Night at the Ballpark will feature special Sabres activations, including an inflatable hockey shot and prize table, as well as a visit from Sabretooth and much more to be announced! We'll also have postgame Fireworks," the team said in a statement.
The Bisons are also in the middle of a race for the International League’s second-half title. They enter the final weeks of the regular season 3.5 games behind the Indianapolis Indians and Rochester Red Wings, which could make that night at Sahlen Field a meaningful one on more than one front.
In Other News...
3 Overlooked Sabres Could Be Key To Buffalos Playoff Push
A few of Buffalos less-heralded pieces could end up mattering more than their names suggest when the push for a playoff spot gets serious. Jason Zucker was steady last season, finishing with 24 goals and 45 points, while Colten Ellis gave the Sabres useful minutes in goal with 14 starts and an 8-4-2 record, giving the coaching staff another option when the schedule starts tightening up.
Louis Crevier is another player worth watching after arriving from Chicago in the Bowen Byram deal, and Buffalo will be looking for his defensive work to translate into a larger role. For a club trying to climb back into the postseason picture, the margin can be as simple as whether a few overlooked players can hold up in bigger situations when the games start carrying more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Krebs Just Made Buffalos Next Two Seasons More Interesting
Peyton Krebs has turned a steady role into something more meaningful for the Sabres, and his new contract reflects that rise. After posting career highs in goals, assists and points in 2025-26 while averaging nearly 14 minutes of ice time per game, he also carried that production into the playoffs, giving Buffalo another young piece it can trust in bigger moments. The organization has clearly seen enough to believe there is still more to come.
What makes the move more important is the timing, because it gives Buffalo a clearer read on a player whose value has been growing without ever feeling fully capped. Krebs has become the kind of contributor teams need when they are trying to move from promise to consistency, and the Sabres are betting his game can keep climbing from here. The next couple of seasons will say a lot about whether this is the start of a larger step forward or just the point where his development finally settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Prospect Hype Is Back But One Question Still Looms
Prokhor Poltapov has pushed his way back into the Sabres conversation after a strong preseason start with CSKA Moscow, the latest reminder that Buffalos 2021 second-round pick is still very much on the radar. Entering the final season of his KHL contract, the winger has given the organization something to monitor closely as he continues to develop overseas, and Sabres assistant general manager Jerry Forton recently sounded encouraged about the possibility of Poltapov making the jump to North America.
The next step, though, is still the one that matters most for Buffalo. Poltapov has not signed an entry-level deal with the Sabres yet, and his decision on whether to head to North America or stay in the KHL will go a long way toward shaping when, or even if, he arrives in the NHL picture. For a prospect the Sabres clearly still value, the talent is drawing attention again, but the path to Rochester or Buffalo remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]