The Buffalo Sabres had a chance to swing big for Connor Hellebuyck, and they let it slip away.
With the star goalie dealt to New Jersey, the question hanging over Buffalo is simple: why couldn’t the Sabres top what the Devils put on the table? For a player with a Hart Trophy and three Vezina Trophies on his resume, the return the Jets accepted looked light enough to make the whole thing sting even more.
Winnipeg landed Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command, a couple of draft picks, and Nick Bjugstad, who may not even suit up for Buffalo. That package only sharpened the criticism aimed at Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen, especially given that Buffalo does have trade assets to work with. What it does not have, though, is a superstar goaltender with Hellebuyck’s track record.
The real frustration for Sabres fans is the fit. Hellebuyck is not just a name; he is a workhorse, and he comes with a contract that still has four seasons left after this one at $8 million per year. In a cap world where that number could look better with every passing year, missing on a player like that feels like a major miss.
Kekalainen addressed Buffalo’s goaltending situation earlier this week, and it came off almost like he was getting ahead of the backlash. But fans are not interested in explanations when a rare chance at a difference-maker disappears. They want proof that the Sabres can land a true star through trade, not more of the same waiting and wondering.
That’s why this one is going to linger. Hellebuyck would have changed the mood in the room and given the Sabres a real jolt. Instead, Buffalo is left with the familiar “coulda, woulda, shoulda” feeling, and another missed opportunity to land a name-brand player that fans could rally around.
It’s the kind of deal that makes supporters ask what exactly the Sabres were waiting for. A top-tier goalie does not come available every day, and the Devils found a way to get him.
Buffalo didn’t. And for a fan base that has been through enough disappointment, that’s the part that will hurt most.
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Sabres Slow Start Is Putting Uncomfortable Pressure On Key Names
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The uncomfortable part for the Sabres is that a sharper version of those three would go a long way toward easing some of the pressure on a roster that already has broader issues to sort through. Dahlins influence matters at both ends, Doan needs to provide more of the energy and production that made him useful, and Norris is still searching for the kind of impact the club expected when it brought him in. None of that solves everything on its own, but it does help explain why the slow start has turned into a more pointed conversation about who needs to drive the correction. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Let A Winnable Game Slip In Another Painful Overtime Loss
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The edge did not hold, though, and the night ended the way too many recent ones have for Buffalo, with another overtime loss in a game it had every chance to finish. Tuch was central to the turnaround, and the Sabres were left looking at a 4-3 defeat after letting a winnable matchup slip away. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Teammate Just Put Buffalos Real Problem In The Spotlight
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been left in an unenviable spot to start the season, and the numbers around him have only sharpened the scrutiny. In every start so far, he has given up at least three goals, but the latest setback came with more of a team-wide sting than a single goalie story, as Buffalo dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Washington Capitals.
Josh Doans postgame remarks pushed the conversation beyond the crease and toward the Sabres larger issues. The club has struggled on both special teams, with a penalty kill and power play that have contributed to an uneven start, and Doan suggested the group has not done enough to support its goaltender. For Buffalo, the frustration is no longer just about what Luukkonen is giving up, but about how many problems are piling up around him. [Read more 🡒]