The Buffalo Sabres had only two names on ESPN’s 2026-27 Top 100 NHL players list, and that part wasn’t a surprise. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin have been the team’s centerpiece duo for a while now, with Dahlin also wearing the captain’s “C.”
What’s worth arguing about is where they landed.
Dahlin checked in at No. 18, and that feels about right for a player who just backed up his reputation with a huge season. He finished third in Norris Trophy voting behind Columbus Blue Jackets winner Zach Werenski and Colorado Avalanche runner-up Cale Makar after posting a career-best 74 points - 19 goals and 55 assists - in 77 games. At 26, the Swedish defenseman has grown into exactly what Buffalo hoped for when it made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
He’s steady in his own end, dangerous in transition and still looks capable of living in that point-per-game neighborhood for years. He also showed his value when it mattered most.
After Buffalo finally shook off its miserable 14-year playoff drought last season, Dahlin was outstanding in the postseason, finishing with 14 points in 13 games. He’s already a franchise anchor, and there’s a real case that his best years are still ahead as the Sabres keep adding young talent around him.
No wonder a ranking inside the top 20 makes sense, with a top-10 push not sounding far-fetched for next year.
Thompson came in at No. 31, and that placement invites more debate. There’s no denying what makes him special: at 6-foot-6, he’s a rare kind of scorer, the type who can manufacture offense out of thin air. He’s hit 40 goals three times, including a massive 47-goal season in 2022-23.
But his game comes with clear issues, too. He isn’t a major defensive force, scouts have had questions about his compete level, and the faceoff numbers have been a problem - he won just 45.5% last season.
That matters because he’s usually Buffalo’s No. 1 center. Thompson, 28, is still an elite weapon in the offensive zone, but this ranking seems to place him a notch above the “franchise player” label.
If the Sabres could land a true first-line center, that might be the cleanest fix. It would let the Team USA Olympic gold medalist move to the wing, easing the burden in the faceoff circle and taking some pressure off him defensively. Even if his ideal spot on this list is probably closer to the 40-to-50 range, Thompson remains a vital piece for Buffalo.
One other note from the list: a longtime Buffalo trade target, Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, landed at No. 22.
In Other News...
Sabres Win Came With A Wild Injury Scare Fans Will Notice
Nick Folignos night against the Sabres ended early, and not in the way Minnesota wanted to see. The veteran Wild forward left the game with an upper-body injury after a brief appearance, a concerning development for a player in his first full season with the club after being acquired last season and then returning on a one-year deal.
For Buffalo, the win came with an injury scare that stood out even after the overtime finish. Foligno was out of the game after logging only limited ice time, and the Wild never really got him back into the mix before ultimately falling in overtime, leaving Minnesota to wait on a fuller update and Sabres fans with a reminder of how quickly a game can turn. [Read more 🡒]
Zach Metsa Just Gave The Sabres A Toughness Story Fans Noticed
The Sabres got an early-season reminder that their edge can come from unlikely places, and Zach Metsa supplied it in the opener against Columbus. The defenseman ended up in a fight with Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier, a confrontation that immediately drew attention because of the size gap and because it came in a game that already had a tense feel to it.
Metsas willingness to answer the bell did not go unnoticed inside the room. Lindy Ruff and teammates were quick to point out the value of a player standing up for the group, especially in a moment like that, and it added a little toughness to the Sabres opening-night story that fans tend to remember. [Read more 🡒]
Viggo Bjrck Is Giving Jets Fans A Reason To Watch Closely
Week 1 offered an early look at three rookies around the league, and Konsta Helenius gave the Sabres something to file away for later. In a tiny sample, the young center showed the kind of reliability coaches tend to trust quickly, pairing steady puck possession with a composed two-way presence that fit naturally into the flow of the game.
The encouraging part for Buffalo is how much of Heleniuss value came in the details. He was effective in puck battles and on clean exits from the defensive zone, often turning those touches into the first step of a counterattack, and he did enough in limited ice time to keep the organization watching closely as the sample grows. [Read more 🡒]