The Buffalo Sabres’ summer has left them in an awkward spot: good enough on paper to spark optimism, but unsettled enough to keep the questions rolling all the way toward camp.
That’s the view from Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon, who called Buffalo a “tricky” team to evaluate after a 2026 offseason that saw the club part with winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram without landing proven replacements. Dixon understood why both moves happened - neither player was going to sign a long-term extension with the Sabres - but he still said it’s “hard to say” the roster is in a better place for 2026-27 without them.
He settled on a B grade, though he pointed to one possible swing factor that could change the entire mood around the franchise before training camp opens in September.
“The question that will hang over Western New York until there's clear resolution is, can the Sabres swing a deal for Connor Hellebuyck, if the decorated goalie is indeed moved by the Winnipeg Jets?” Dixon wrote Tuesday. “We know Buffalo has thrown its hat in the ring and pulling that one off would make this an offseason to remember.”
That pursuit has cooled in recent weeks, even though Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen had been strongly tied to Hellebuyck ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft in late June. Buffalo also got into the mix for Patrick Kane, the Buffalo native and future Hockey Hall of Fame winger, but Kane chose to return to the Chicago Blackhawks for a second stint.
The Sabres did add Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier on the blue line, though both still fit the label of projects more than finished products. And while losing Byram hurts, the return package was strong: Buffalo landed the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, which it used to select prospect Daxon Rudolph.
That’s why this offseason feels less like a clean verdict and more like a holding pattern. Buffalo is in wait-and-see mode while most of the league has already moved on from the biggest summer decisions, and there’s still a chance Kekalainen isn’t done.
Bleacher Report reached a similar conclusion on Tuesday. Sara Civian labeled each team’s offseason with a single word and chose “pending” for the Sabres, citing the Tuch and Byram departures, the Hellebuyck chatter and the organization’s faith in internal growth.
“Still, it's a bit of a gamble parting ways with two skilled and experienced players,” Civian wrote. “Connor Hellebuyck could change everything, but of course his availability and price are up in the air.”
For now, the odds appear to be tilting toward Buffalo entering camp with the roster it already has. Winnipeg is expected to push hard to keep the three-time Vezina Trophy winner, and the asking price may prove too steep for any team to meet. Unless Hellebuyck forces the issue with a trade demand as camp gets closer, that blockbuster looks less likely by the day.
Even so, the Sabres wouldn’t be starting from scratch. They’d bring back most of last season’s core, get Jiri Kulich back after a blood clot, and lean on younger names like Jack Quinn, Noah Ostlund and Konsta Helenius to help absorb the losses. Buffalo is also banking on Zach Benson and Josh Doan taking another step.
The bigger picture is clear enough: the margin for error is thin in the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division, and the Sabres are betting heavily on internal improvement. If that isn’t enough, the club still has room to maneuver. Kekalainen has $5.1 million in salary-cap space, according to PuckPedia, which could be used to patch a hole now or later, with the 2027 NHL trade deadline in mind.
Buffalo opens the 2026-27 season on Oct. 1 with a road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and between now and then, the Sabres still have room to change the story.
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Sabres Prospect Radim Mrtka Still Faces One Big Question
Radim Mrtkas first year in the Sabres pipeline has been a reminder that development rarely moves in a straight line, even for a first-round pick. Buffalo took the defenseman in 2025 with the hope that his size and upside could eventually make him a top-four blue liner, but so far he has bounced between the AHL and junior hockey without making a major statement at either stop.
The Sabres still see a long runway with Mrtka, which is why his progress matters even when the immediate results are uneven. Buffalo also has another prospect worth watching in Brodie Ziemer, a 2024 third-round pick who returned to the University of Minnesota and took a step forward there, putting himself on the organizations radar as the club looks ahead to trying to bring him into the fold after his college season. [Read more 🡒]
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Sabres Training Camp Could Reshape Three Crucial Lineup Spots
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The center fight carries obvious weight because it helps shape the rest of the lineup, while the defense question could determine who gets a chance to skate with one of the clubs cornerstone pieces. In goal, the backup race may prove just as important for depth and roster planning, since the Sabres need a clear answer behind the starter before the season starts to tighten up the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]