The Buffalo Sabres are still fighting the same old scoring problem, but there’s at least one encouraging sign in net as they head into the week of Nov. 9-15, 2026.
The offense remains maddeningly uneven. Over three games this week, Buffalo put up seven goals, and five of those came in the 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov.
- Josh Norris scored twice in that game, and Josh Doan added one, a much-needed jolt for both players.
The other two outings told a very different story. The Sabres managed just one goal in a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 4 in a big division game, then followed that with another one-goal effort in a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov.
- The pattern has become impossible to ignore.
Buffalo is now 21st in the NHL in goals per game at 2.94. For a roster with this much offensive talent, that kind of inconsistency stands out even more.
The Sabres have scored 50 goals as a team, with Tage Thompson accounting for 10 and Jack Quinn for nine. Take those two away, and the rest of the roster has 31 goals in 17 games.
That’s not enough, and it’s been a recurring issue.
There is, however, a better feeling around Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen lately. His season got off to a rough start, and there was plenty of noise about whether he should remain the Sabres’ starter and whether the team should pursue Connor Hellebuyck before he was dealt to the New Jersey Devils.
Since Hellebuyck was traded on Oct. 24, Luukkonen has settled in.
He’s 2-0-1 over that stretch with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. His last two starts have been especially sharp: a .931 save percentage in the 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings and a .923 mark in the 5-2 win over the Blue Jackets.
He opened the year with a goals saved above expected of negative-4.2, but that number has improved to negative-1. If this keeps up, Lindy Ruff won’t have much of a decision to make in goal.
Buffalo also has several injury situations worth watching. Matt Grzelyck, who has appeared in only the season opener, has not practiced since suffering a “lower-body flare-up” and has been on injured reserve since Oct. 13.
“He’s just kind of in a holding pattern,” Ruff said. “He hasn’t really improved, and we’re just waiting for some results, whether some of the work he’s doing makes him better, or he’s going to have to find another avenue with his injury.”
Konsta Helenius has been sidelined since absorbing a big hit from Jacob Trouba on Oct. 27 and is listed as week-to-week.
Alex Lyon has been out since Sept. 24 and had a setback in mid-October, but he returned to practice on Nov. 2 and is nearing game action, with the team taking a cautious approach.
Justin Danforth, who hasn’t played since Oct. 17, was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 29 and also returned to practice on Nov. 2.
In Other News...
Sabres Have One Clear Trade Path To Fix Their Biggest Problem
Buffalos blue line is in a better place than it has been in years, with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Daxon Rudolph among the defensemen in the organization and under contract. That kind of depth gives the Sabres something most teams would love to have, but it also creates a roster logjam that can be used to address the one spot that still feels glaringly unfinished up front.
The bigger issue is the same one Buffalo has been trying to solve since Jack Eichel left: finding a true No. 1 center. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen has shown interest in adding that kind of top-line pivot, and the most obvious way to make it happen may be to deal from the position where the Sabres are strongest. The question now is whether that surplus on defense can finally be turned into the offensive centerpiece this team has been missing. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres May Have A Real Answer To Their Top-Six Scoring Problem
The Sabres have spent enough time looking for more punch in their top six that any plausible upgrade is going to get attention, and Owen Tippett has emerged as one of the more interesting names to watch. The Flyers winger brings size, speed and a track record that suggests there could be another level in his game, which is exactly the kind of profile Buffalo has been trying to find as it searches for more reliable scoring help up front.
What makes Tippett especially intriguing is that he is still young enough to fit the Sabres' long-term timeline while also carrying enough value that Philadelphia would not move him cheaply. Any real discussion would have to start with Buffalo deciding how aggressively it wants to go after a player like this and what kind of roster piece it is willing to part with, whether that means a center such as Ryan McLeod or another notable asset. For now, it is all speculation, but it is the sort of speculation that makes sense for a team still trying to solve a familiar problem. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Face A Big Konsta Helenius Decision After Rough Start
Konsta Helenius has hit an early snag in his first NHL season, and the Sabres are trying to balance patience with the reality of a 20-year-old forward who has managed just one goal and three points in 11 games. The rough start has been shaped in part by an upper-body injury, but Buffalos view of Helenius has not changed much from the player it watched develop in Finland and in the AHL, where his talent and upside showed up more consistently.
The question now is what gives him the best chance to keep moving forward, because the Sabres are not ready to write him off as a prospect. A trip back to Rochester is on the table if it means more meaningful minutes and a better developmental path, and the organization will weigh that option carefully as it tries to protect both his confidence and his long-term growth. [Read more 🡒]