The Buffalo Sabres have not reached the point where players are lining up to get there, and that remains a real issue.
The NHL has changed. The league that used to pride itself on players sticking with their teams has moved into an era where trade requests are part of the landscape and no-trade lists tend to feature the same familiar contenders. Buffalo still isn’t showing up in that group.
Connor Hellebuyck may have reportedly been open to joining the Sabres, but he never forced his way there. Buffalo could also use a center such as Dylan Larkin, though the club apparently hasn’t made his list either, unless a reported team change ends up helping Sabres fans this week. Nikita Kucherov’s list remains unknown, but Buffalo does not seem like a likely fit there either.
For years, the Sabres have dealt with the same basic problem: players have not been eager to move to Western New York. The location, the weather, the taxes, the lack of star power and the recently ended long playoff drought all made it harder for the organization to sell itself.
The arrival of a strong young core changed the mood, at least for a while. Then last season’s Atlantic Division title made it look like Buffalo might finally be turning into a place players would want to join. The playoff atmosphere at KeyBank Center only added to that feeling.
But the Sabres still have work to do before they can be considered a true destination.
The Hellebuyck rumors suggested the tide might be shifting, yet the players who are now asking out elsewhere have not exactly been racing toward Buffalo. With the Sabres sitting second-last in a loaded Atlantic Division and questions lingering around the goaltending situation, there is a real risk of slipping back down the list of appealing NHL stops.
That’s the standard for becoming a destination: sustained success. The teams that keep showing up on these lists - the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche - all have the kind of track records that matter. They’ve been in Stanley Cup Finals, won championships, and stayed in the mix for Conference Finals and division titles.
Buffalo made a meaningful move in the right direction with last season’s division crown and second-round playoff run. Still, the Sabres are not there yet. Fans should understand that it will take a little more before Buffalo can crack the top 10 of NHL destinations.
The roster also needs at least one or two more important pieces before it can be called a true contender, and where those additions come from is still an open question.
In Other News...
Tage Thompson May Have Solved One Sabres Problem While Exposing Another
Moving Tage Thompson to the wing has given the Sabres a cleaner look in the offensive zone, and the early returns have been hard to ignore. Thompson has been driving Buffalos recent wins with a surge that has him leading the team in goals, while Zach Bensons presence alongside him has helped give that line a more balanced feel and more consistent puck movement.
The tradeoff, of course, is what Buffalo gives up down the middle to make it work. Thompson looks more comfortable on the wing, but the Sabres are still sorting through center depth and trying to keep the lineup from feeling thin in that spot, a reminder that one fix can create another problem just as quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Crease Could Change Fast With One Return Closing In
Alex Lyon is back on the ice with the Sabres and moving closer to clearance after an upper-body injury, a welcome development for a team that has been juggling its crease with a two-goalie rotation. Buffalo would like to get back to a three-goalie setup once Lyon is ready, which would give the staff more flexibility as it sorts through the early-season grind.
The goalie situation is only part of a busy injury picture around the roster. Jiri Kulich has returned from concussion protocol, while Conor Timmins and Justin Danforth have resumed practice, but Zach Bensons status remains uncertain and Konsta Helenius is now week-to-week with an upper-body injury. For a Sabres team trying to stabilize its lineup, Lyons return could come at just the right time, even if the next step is still waiting on final clearance. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Are Finally Showing The Identity Fans Have Waited For
A road trip that started with questions ended with Buffalo looking a lot more like the team its fans have been waiting to see. The Sabres capped a three-game winning streak with a 3-2 win over the Kings at Crypto.com Arena, and the performance had the kind of ingredients that have been missing too often this season: timely scoring, a steadier power play and a goalie who made the necessary stops.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 27 shots for his fourth win, while Tage Thompson supplied two goals and continued to drive the offense when it mattered most. The bigger takeaway for Buffalo is not just the result, but the way it came together away from home, with the special teams showing real progress and the group starting to play with a clearer identity. [Read more 🡒]