The Buffalo Sabres already know what kind of test the Carolina Hurricanes can be.
Last season, Carolina handled Buffalo with relative ease, and that’s part of why the Hurricanes sit at the center of this look at how the Eastern Conference stacks up against the Sabres. The Canes are also the defending Stanley Cup champions, which makes the matchup even tougher for a Buffalo team trying to keep building on a strong 2025-26 run.
That run was no small thing. The Sabres won the Atlantic Division, then knocked off the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2. Even so, Buffalo’s progress was obvious: the days of being a laughingstock are over.
The head-to-head numbers from last season tilt Carolina’s way, with the Sabres going 1-2-0 and the Hurricanes finishing 2-1-0. And the schedule won’t give Buffalo much breathing room this time around. The teams are set to meet on January 9 in Buffalo, then February 13 in Carolina, and again February 18 in Buffalo.
That cluster of games could tell Buffalo a lot. Facing Carolina three times in about five weeks should give the Sabres a clear read on where they stand and what kind of additions they might need by next year’s trade deadline if they want a better shot at getting past the Hurricanes.
There are reasons the challenge is so steep. Carolina is fast, skilled and, as the source material makes clear, doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. The Hurricanes did lose some pieces, including goalie Frederik Andersen, but the expectation is still that they’ll remain dangerous and likely improve at some point this season.
Buffalo, meanwhile, also plays a swift, skilled game, but it lost major pieces this summer. That’s a big part of why the skepticism lingers about whether the Sabres can outlast Carolina in next year’s postseason.
For now, though, the matchup carries plenty of intrigue. Carolina leans into the old formula of keeping a good thing going, while its young players should keep the team in the mix for years. When these two teams finally meet in the new calendar year, it should be high-quality hockey - and another chance for Buffalo to see exactly how it measures up.
In Other News...
Zach Benson Just Gave Sabres Fans A New Draft Debate
Zach Benson has already given Sabres fans plenty to think about, and the latest draft conversation only adds to it. A comparison with Flyers winger Matvei Michkov puts Buffalos 2023 first-rounder in a different kind of spotlight, one centered less on pure scoring and more on the sort of all-around game that can help a team win when the games tighten up in the spring. Bensons strong two-way play and track record in playoff settings have become part of the case for him, even if Michkovs offensive ceiling remains the louder calling card.
For Buffalo, the debate matters because it speaks to the broader shape of the rebuild and the kinds of prospects that could move the organization forward. The Sabres already have other young names drawing notice, including Rasmus Helenius after a strong recent run and David Kulich, whose return status has become part of the conversation after a difficult season. Benson sits at the center of it all now, and the real question for Sabres fans is whether his value ends up looking even better than the more explosive option taken after him. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Turn September Into A Full Fan Kickoff Before Hockey Returns
The Sabres are giving fans a full September runway into the 2026-27 season, starting with Hockey Day at the Ballpark on Sept. 5 and rolling into Hockeyfest at KeyBank Center on Sept. 12. From there, the calendar keeps building toward the preseason home opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 22, with the team turning the month into a string of chances for fans to reconnect before the games start to count.
Sabretooths Preseason Bash on Sept. 26 is another marker that hockey is almost back, and the club says more details on Training Camp and other fan opportunities will come as the season gets closer. For a fan base that tends to treat the return of the Sabres like its own offseason holiday, the setup is clear enough. The bigger question is how much more the team will add to that slate before puck drop arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Rasmus Dahlins Norris Case May Depend On One New Sabres Role
Rasmus Dahlin is already in the thick of the Norris Trophy conversation after finishing third last season, and the next step in his case may not come through his point totals so much as the way the Sabres use him. Buffalo has some lineup turnover to navigate this fall, and one of the quieter questions around the team is how much more responsibility Dahlin will shoulder without changing the look of his game too much.
The penalty kill could be the most interesting part of that equation. If Lindy Ruff leans on Dahlin for more shorthanded work, it would give the defenseman another stage to show his value in every situation, especially in the kind of tight games where late defensive assignments matter most. For a player already viewed as one of the leagues premier blueliners, that extra layer could end up carrying real weight when the award race comes back around. [Read more 🡒]