The Buffalo Sabres got their 2026-27 training camp underway Thursday morning, and the first look came with a clear message from the top: there isn’t much time to sort this thing out.
With only two weeks between the opening practice and the Oct. 1 opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach Lindy Ruff are pushing urgency from the jump. That matters even more after the offseason exits of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, because a few lineup spots are suddenly very much up for grabs. Fringe players, in particular, don’t have long to make their case for one of the initial 23 roster spots.
One of the biggest storylines entering camp was whether Buffalo would still try to chase Connor Hellebuyck. For now, the answer looks increasingly like no.
The All-Star goalie was suspended by the Winnipeg Jets late Wednesday after failing to report to camp on time, adding another twist to a situation that has been building for weeks after he publicly requested a trade. Buffalo has been tied to Hellebuyck since before the 2026 NHL Draft in late June, but those talks never produced a deal, and the Jets’ asking price has long seemed steep.
So the Sabres opened camp with the same three-goalie setup they used last season: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis. It worked during the regular season, but neither Luukkonen nor Lyon was able to truly lock down the crease in the playoffs.
A Hellebuyck trade would give Buffalo a much clearer hierarchy in net, especially if Luukkonen - who has a five-team no-trade clause - were part of the return headed to Winnipeg. Still, Kekalainen has not been willing to overpay for a 33-year-old coming off the worst season of his decorated career.
At the moment, the Sabres seem prepared to move forward without changing goalies unless Winnipeg lowers its demands.
Another early surprise came up front, where Peyton Krebs was back on the first line. Krebs spent plenty of last season with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, though that felt more like a product of necessity as Buffalo dealt with injuries. His playoff finish didn’t help his case, either, since he went scoreless in seven games during the second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, which ended in a Game 7 overtime loss.
Still, Krebs opened camp alongside Thompson and Doan. Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reported the early groupings this way:
Got a brief glimpse of some lines at Sabres practice
Krebs-Thompson-Doan
McLeod-Norris-Helenius
Benson-Östlund-Quinn
Kulich-Carrick-Malenstyn
Danforth and Kozak mixing in.
Samuelsson-Dahlin
Zellweger-Power
Timmins-Crevier
Gilbert-Metsa
- Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) September 17, 2026
The fit remains hard to ignore. Krebs brings effort and defensive reliability, but his offensive ceiling makes him a questionable match for such a prominent spot next to Thompson and Doan. Even in a season where he played all 82 games and logged plenty of top-six minutes, he finished with just 11.5 expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Buffalo is likely to be patient with Jiri Kulich after he missed most of last season because of a blood clot. The hope is that once the 2022 first-round pick is fully healthy, he can move into that role and push Krebs back down the lineup, where Krebs’ strengths fit much better. That doesn’t take away from why the Sabres gave him a four-year extension over the summer - he’s a smart, dependable, team-first player - but he should usually be operating in the bottom six.
As for players trying to force their way into the picture from outside the main group, the path looks narrow. The Sabres made it clear Wednesday that the compressed schedule makes a major climb unlikely, and Thursday’s first practice backed that up. The group on the ice looked a lot like what you’d expect to see when the season opens, with no real surprises in sight.
If someone is going to shake things up, Conor Sheary may be the best bet. The veteran winger was brought in during free agency, and Jason Zucker being out for a bit with an injury gives Buffalo a little more room for competition on the wing. But with just four preseason games to sort out the final roster, the clock is already ticking.
In Other News...
Eric Staals New Sabres Role Comes As Injury Questions Build
As the Sabres try to sort out their opening-night mix, the offseason has already started to shape the conversation around availability. Jason Zucker is recovering from sports hernia surgery and could miss the first two weeks of the season, while Louis Crevier is expected to be ready for the opener after shoulder surgery. Justin Danforth, meanwhile, is coming back from knee surgery and is likely to begin training camp with the team.
Eric Staal is set to be part of that backdrop in a different way this season. The former Sabres center will add an on-ice coaching role to his special assistant duties to GM Jarmo Kekalainen, giving him a hand in working with centermen and the power play. For a team already monitoring health at a few key spots, that kind of extra bench-side guidance could become a useful layer as camp gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Start Camp With Two Early Absences Fans Will Be Watching
Training camp is opening at LECOM Harborcenter, but the Sabres are already starting with a pair of notable absences that will draw attention from the first skate. Buffalo is set to get going without one of its veteran forwards and a recently acquired defenseman, a small early wrinkle for a team trying to establish rhythm and roles right away.
The club confirmed the two players will not be available when camp opens Thursday, but offered no further details on either absence. For a roster still sorting through lineup questions and early impressions, the missing names are the kind fans will notice immediately, especially with camp serving as the first real checkpoint of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Tage Thompson Decision Could Create A Real Sabres Dilemma
Tage Thompson is headed into training camp with a familiar but still consequential assignment: Lindy Ruff confirmed the Sabres will start him at center, a role that keeps the teams most dangerous offensive threat in the middle of the ice as camp opens. Ruff also made clear Buffalos plans are not fixed, noting Thompson could move around during games as the roster and matchups dictate, which fits a lineup built around more versatility than rigid lines.
The bigger question is what that decision means for the rest of the forward group, especially with Jarmo Kekalainen emphasizing how demanding the center position can be and how much Thompson drives the offense from there. If Thompson stays in the middle, Buffalos alignment up front could ripple into the roles of other key forwards and create a real early-season test for how the Sabres want to distribute their scoring depth. [Read more 🡒]