The Buffalo Sabres are back in the conversation after winning the Atlantic Division last season, but repeating is going to be a much tougher climb this time around.
Buffalo finished with 109 points and held off a serious late push from both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens, who each ended the year at 106. That title also carried some real weight for the Sabres: it was their first division championship since the 2009-10 season, when they were still playing in the Northeast Division.
Now the challenge is defending it in a division that looks stronger on paper. Last season, the Sabres caught a break because the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers were knocked off track by injuries and never really got going.
That likely won’t be the case this year. Florida added Brady Tkachuk and expects Aleksander Barkov back from injury, while Toronto was busy bringing in Sergei Bobrovsky, Darren Raddysh, and first-overall pick Gavin McKenna to support a returning Auston Matthews.
And the Sabres still have to deal with Tampa Bay, which remains a threat, and Montreal, which knocked them out in the second round of the playoffs.
If Buffalo pulls it off again, it would be a rare feat. The Atlantic Division hasn’t had a repeat winner since the Tampa Bay Lightning did it in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
There’s also a different feel around the Sabres heading into the season. They lost Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram in the offseason and didn’t make a major splash to replace them, which leaves a lot riding on younger players taking a step forward. Jarmo Kekalainen could still look to add during the season if Konsta Helenius and Noah Ostlund aren’t ready for bigger roles.
So even with the defending champs label, Buffalo doesn’t look like the clear favorite. At the moment, there are probably five teams with a real shot at the division: the Sabres, Lightning, Canadiens, Panthers, and Maple Leafs, with the Bruins not quite in that top group but still close enough to matter.
If the Sabres can win it again, it would be a major achievement in a division that looks loaded from top to bottom.
In Other News...
Sabres Stay In The Middle Of A Goalie Debate Fans Feel Strongly About
As the 2026-27 season starts to come into view, the trade market is already beginning to stir, and the Sabres are in the middle of one of the more familiar debates in their own building. Buffalo has long been linked to the idea of upgrading in goal, and the latest chatter keeps them attached to a name that would instantly change the conversation in net. Even with other fronts across the league drawing attention, from Detroit's potential reshuffle to Montreal's search for a forward, the Sabres' interest in a high-end goalie remains a storyline worth tracking.
Connor Hellebuyck is still the big swing Buffalo is thought to be watching, a reminder of how much the position can shape the team's outlook if the right opportunity ever opens. The Sabres also missed out on Patrick Kane, another sign that these kinds of headline-chasing moves do not always break their way. For a fan base that has spent years debating whether the answer is already in place or still out there somewhere, the next stretch of trade talk could keep the goalie question front and center. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Fans Have A New Center Prospect Worth Tracking
Ashton Schultz gives the Sabres another name to file away in their center pipeline, and he arrives with a profile that should appeal to fans who like their prospects to do a little of everything. The 19-year-old split time between two USHL clubs and drew notice in scouting reports for his playmaking touch and defensive responsibility, traits that tend to travel well as young forwards move up the ladder.
For Buffalo, the appeal is less about immediate impact and more about what Schultz could become with another season of development in a strong college environment. He is heading to North Dakota this fall, and that makes him part of the longer-view conversation the Sabres are trying to build around their system, where patience often matters as much as raw upside. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Linked To Veteran Scoring Help With One Catch
The Sabres are still scanning the market for ways to patch up the offense after losing production with the departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, and the search has led them to a familiar type of target: a proven veteran winger who could help right away. One name in the mix is a player coming off a quieter scoring season because of injury, but who still fits the profile of a short-term boost for a team that does not want to waste time waiting for internal answers.
Anaheim is also a factor in the equation, since the Ducks are looking to clear salary and could be open to moving veteran money if the return makes sense. For Buffalo, the intrigue is not just about whether the player can still score, but whether the contract structure makes him attainable without forcing the Sabres to overpay in assets or cap space. [Read more 🡒]