The Sabres-Senators matchup already has plenty of edge, and this season it’s set to carry even more weight.
Buffalo is coming off a strong 2025-26 campaign, finishing as the best Atlantic Division team in the regular season. The Sabres then beat the Boston Bruins in their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2. With that kind of finish behind them, Sabres fans are expecting at least that level of performance again.
That’s the backdrop for this second-year “Know Your Enemy” series, in which TheHockeyNews.com is breaking down Buffalo’s Eastern Conference opponents one by one. This file turns to the Ottawa Senators, and there’s a lot to unpack there beyond the usual divisional familiarity.
The first meeting between the teams won’t come until the Sabres’ 15th game of the season, giving coach Lindy Ruff time to settle on his forward lines and defense pairings. Under normal circumstances, Buffalo should have the upper hand against Ottawa - not by cruise control, but with real authority.
And normal circumstances haven’t exactly defined this rivalry lately. There’s already bad blood between the two teams, and the trade history only adds fuel. The Josh-Norris-for-Dylan-Cozens blockbuster is still hanging over this matchup, and so far the Senators have come out ahead, since Norris hasn’t stayed healthy enough to show Buffalo what he can really provide.
With an extra game against each other this season, the rivalry figures to feel even hotter. The Sabres and Senators could also be looking at a possible first- or second-round playoff meeting in 2027, which makes every regular-season meeting matter that much more. Both teams want to establish themselves now, because the edge they build in the fall could carry into the spring.
In Other News...
Peyton Krebs Is Suddenly At The Center Of Buffalos Next Big Shift
Peyton Krebs has quietly become one of the more interesting pieces in Buffalos evolving lineup. The Sabres center has taken steady steps forward over the past few seasons, and last year brought career-best production while also reinforcing what the staff has long liked about him: the defensive work, the tenacity and the ability to fit into different roles as the lineup changes.
Since Lindy Ruff returned behind the bench, Krebs has earned more trust and more ice time, which is never a small thing for a player trying to carve out a bigger place on a roster with real expectations. The Sabres have made it clear they want contributors who can help at both ends, and Krebs is starting to look like the kind of player who can push well beyond what was once projected for him, with a chance to become part of a much larger shift in how Buffalo builds its forward group. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Prospects Face A Preseason Fight That Could Change Everything
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Jake Richard, Radim Mrtka and Ryan Johnson are in different stages of that climb, but all three have something to prove before the 2026-27 season arrives. Richards recent play has offered glimpses, Mrtka is still sorting through the demands that come with his development path, and Johnson is trying to show he can handle the next step in a role that could still come into view if Buffalo needs reinforcements. Preseason wont decide everything, but it can make the road to an NHL recall a lot clearer. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Preseason Opener Suddenly Puts Seth Appert In The Spotlight
The Sabres opened their preseason with a different face behind the bench, as Seth Appert stepped into the head coaching role for the night and suddenly found himself in a more visible spot than usual. The temporary shift comes at a time when Buffalo is trying to sort through roster decisions and evaluate players in game action, which gives the preseason opener a little more weight than a typical tune-up.
Apperts task is straightforward in theory and tricky in practice: create the best possible setting for players to show what they can do. With the staff adjusting for the night, the focus in this game shifts toward the younger names and fringe roster hopefuls, while Buffalo waits for its regular bench boss to return and reclaim the seat after the brief interruption. [Read more 🡒]