Josh Doan’s slow start is putting Buffalo’s winger situation under the microscope.
The Sabres brought Doan in as part of the June 2025 blockbuster that sent JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth, with Buffalo also landing defenseman Michael Kesselring. Kesselring was later moved during the offseason, leaving Doan as the key piece still in the picture for the Sabres. He’s now in the first season of a seven-year, $48.65 million deal, and so far the production hasn’t matched the price tag.
Through seven games this season, Doan has only one point. That’s a sharp contrast to Peterka, who has five points on the year for the Bruins.
For Buffalo, that gap matters. The Sabres need more than flashes out on the wings, especially if they want to look stable this early in the season.
Last year, the trade made sense in the short term because Buffalo got good results from Doan, who finished with over 50 points. But this season has raised a different question: do the Sabres have enough offensive punch on the wing to sustain themselves?
That concern lands squarely on Lindy Ruff and his staff. Buffalo is deep at center, but the club still hasn’t found a winger to replace the kind of production it has lost since Alex Tuch left. Jack Quinn leads the team’s wingers with four points, while Doan’s early output hasn’t come close to what Buffalo needs from a player tied to a major long-term contract.
Tage Thompson remains the roster’s most aggressive offensive threat, but leaning too heavily on him can only take Buffalo so far. If defenses can key in on him, the Sabres risk becoming too easy to read and too streaky from game to game.
That’s why Doan’s start matters so much. Fans are already wondering whether Buffalo has stripped away too much winger production over the last few seasons. If Doan doesn’t turn it around, the Sabres may eventually be forced to look for help through a trade or the free-agent market.
For now, the pressure is simple. Doan has to show the Sabres that the Peterka deal and the contract that followed were worth it.
Last season helped make the case. This year, he still has to prove it.
In Other News...
Sabres Open Road Trip With A Dahlin Problem Ruff Must Solve
Buffalos road trip opens with a lineup wrinkle that lands squarely on the blue line. Rasmus Dahlin is day-to-day, and the Sabres are heading out without their top defenseman as the trip begins, leaving Lindy Ruff with an early personnel decision to sort through before the games start to stack up.
For a team already trying to settle into the rhythm of life away from home, Dahlins absence changes the look and feel of the defense group right away. Ruff has to manage the opening leg without one of his most important players traveling with the team, and the next update on Dahlin will shape how Buffalo handles the rest of the trip. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Nearly Stole A Point Despite A Growing Problem
Even with Rasmus Dahlin out injured and Matt Grzelcyk on injured reserve, the Sabres found a way to push Montreal all the way to a shootout. Olen Zellweger gave Buffalo a jolt with two goals, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 35 shots, and a game that could have slipped away turned into a night where the Sabres were close enough to steal a point.
The bigger concern, though, is how often Buffalo is having to patch together its blue line just to stay afloat. The Canadiens took control in the second period before the Sabres battled back to force overtime, but the defensive absences have become hard to ignore, especially with another roster move needed to cover the gap and keep the group functional. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Injury Uncertainty Is Starting To Put Real Pressure On Buffalo
The Sabres early-season juggling act got a little more complicated this week, with head coach Lindy Ruff offering no significant update on Rasmus Dahlin after the defensemans upper-body injury. Buffalo has already had to lean on lineup changes throughout its 3-3-1 start, and the absence of one of its most important blue-line pieces only adds to the uncertainty around a team still trying to settle in.
The injury list is not easing up, either. Goalie Alex Lyon has hit a slight setback and will be off the ice for a few days, while Tyson Kozak has been sent back to Buffalo for further evaluation, leaving the Sabres to keep adjusting on the fly as the schedule moves on. For a club that has been trying to build some rhythm, the constant shuffling is starting to feel like more than just a short-term inconvenience. [Read more 🡒]