The Buffalo Sabres are heading into a new season with a different kind of pressure now. Last spring’s playoff appearance ended a 15-year drought, and after that breakthrough, the next question is obvious: can they keep it going?
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen addressed that challenge Wednesday before training camp, and he didn’t sugarcoat the danger waiting for his team.
"Complacency is the biggest pitfall right now for our team," Kekalainen told reporters. "Thinking we were pretty good last year. Pretty good's not good enough.
"Last season was last season and now we move forward. If we for one second think that we can exhale now, there's no more bad streak that we didn't make the playoffs hanging over our heads, that's not good. We need to focus on doing the right things right from Day 1."
That message comes after a wild 2025-26 ride. Buffalo stumbled out of the gate and was sitting in the Eastern Conference basement in early December with an 11-14-4 record. Then the Sabres caught fire and produced one of the best runs in NHL history, racing up the standings and all the way to the Atlantic Division title.
Kekalainen made it clear that kind of surge can’t be the expectation every year. What matters now, he said, is building habits that hold up over the full 84-game grind and beyond.
"I think there's a lot of good things from last year that should be part of our plan right now, and part of our daily standard and routine every day," he said. "And there should also be a quick reminder of some of the bad habits that led to no success.
So, I think that's what the coaching staff is doing now and they're gonna get everybody ready to understand what the winning recipe is. But again, it has to start right now."
Training camp practices begin Thursday for Buffalo, and the preseason starts Monday with a road game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a four-game exhibition schedule. The Sabres then open the regular season Oct. 1 on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The other major storyline around camp is the goalie situation, specifically whether Buffalo is still pursuing Connor Hellebuyck in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets. Kekalainen wasn’t about to hand out details on talks with another team, but he also didn’t shut the door on the idea.
"I have never told anybody in the media about any of the talks with other general managers," the veteran GM said. "So, I don't understand it comes from.
That's the world we live in. There's gonna be rumors."
He added: "I've been told about the rumors. I've seen some of the rumors. I'll just say my same boring answer: Any time we have an opportunity to try to make our team better we're gonna look at it, make phone calls and consider, have internal meetings about it and see if it goes anywhere."
Hellebuyck recently made his trade request public as camp approached without a resolution. The 33-year-old American brings a long resume: four All-Star Game selections, three Vezina Trophies, one Hart Trophy and an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Games.
Even after a down year by his standards - a .895 save percentage in 57 games - his résumé would still make him a major upgrade over Buffalo’s current mix of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis.
For now, the sense is that Kekalainen has a number in mind, and if Winnipeg’s asking price stays too high - some of the rumored demands earlier in the offseason were described as borderline outrageous - Buffalo will likely roll into the season with the group it has.
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 🡒]