The Buffalo Sabres are riding a wave right now, and they’re bringing it home with them. After three straight wins and a clean sweep of their California trip, Buffalo sits at 7-4-3 for 17 points, good for fourth in the Atlantic Division by points percentage.
That momentum gets tested tonight when the Sabres open a four-game homestand against the Ottawa Senators, with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Buffalo will also debut its Hometown Remix jerseys in the matchup, after they were unveiled Monday morning.
The opponent makes this one feel even bigger. Ottawa enters at 9-6-1 with 19 points and holds the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Senators also have two games in hand on Buffalo, which gives tonight’s result extra weight in the standings. A regulation win here would be a major early-season swing, especially in a division where every head-to-head meeting matters.
The homestand doesn’t let up after that. The Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
ET, then welcome the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The stretch wraps up with a visit from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 7:00 p.m. ET.
There’s also a Larkin update floating around the league, and Buffalo’s name has come up. Dylan Larkin requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings back in June, but he remains in the organization after playing 10 games before deciding he was done. He is now sitting out until he’s moved and has been suspended without pay.
Detroit interim general manager Shawn Horcoff is holding firm, waiting for the best package he can get for the organization. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and others have reported that Buffalo put together a strong offer for Larkin, but Larkin will not add the Sabres to his trade list.
He also won’t expand that list. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that Larkin and his agent told the Red Wings that 10 teams is enough to get a deal done.
The situation has apparently hit a wall. The Red Wings want Larkin to open up his 10-team list after failing to land a trade, with Montreal, Boston, LA and Buffalo among the teams they’d like to explore. Larkin’s camp, though, pushed back with: “No, we gave you 10 teams, which was more than the three teams we gave you at the beginning.”
For Buffalo, that likely closes the door. Unless something changes in the coming weeks, the Sabres can probably be crossed off the list.
On the injury front, there are signs of help on the way. Conor Timmins and Jiri Kulich are both options for tonight against Ottawa.
Kulich did not join line rushes in Monday or Tuesday’s practice, while Timmins skated on the third pair with Zach Metsa and Louis Crevier. Timmins still has to be activated from injured reserve before he can play.
Helenius was by Jacob Trouba during the team’s 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks last week and is now week-to-week.
Justin Danforth has been on injured reserve since Oct. 29, but he returned to practice on Nov. 2.
Matt Grzelcyk, who was signed just before the season, has been out since Oct. 13 with what head coach Lindy Ruff called a “lower‑body flare‑up.” He’s day-to-day.
Goaltender Alex Lyon, out since Sept. 24, suffered a setback in rehab before he had been set to return on Oct. 13. He rejoined the team at practice on Nov. 2, and Ruff said “he’s probably days away from returning”.
The Sabres are getting healthier, slowly but surely, with the exception of Helenius. If the roster keeps trending that way and players like Tage Thompson, Zach Benson, Jack Quinn, Rasmus Dahlin, and others keep producing, Buffalo can keep building on what has already been a strong season.
In Other News...
Senators Unveil New Alternate Jersey That Already Has Fans Debating
The Senators have added another look to their wardrobe, unveiling a new alternate jersey as part of the NHLs Hometown Remix collection. The design leans into Ottawas identity with a black base and gold accents, along with heritage-inspired touches meant to connect the sweater to the citys history and culture.
Reactions have already split along familiar lines, with some fans praising the nod to local roots and others wishing the team had gone in a bolder or more traditional direction. Ottawa will get its first chance to show it off in game action in mid-November, and by then the debate over the look may be even louder than it is now. [Read more 🡒]
Ottawa Charge Teammates Are About To Become International Rivals
The Ottawa Charge are about to split into international camps, with a sizable group of players heading to the 2026 IIHF Womens World Hockey Championship in Denmark. The tournament will bring together six Charge skaters from four different countries, a reminder of how much talent is spread across the roster and how quickly teammates can turn into opponents once national colors come into play.
Rebecca Leslie and Sarah Wozniewicz are set to suit up for Canada, while Gwyneth Philips will be on the American side of the bracket, giving Ottawa fans a familiar cast to follow from afar. The article also digs into the players backgrounds and recent performances, and Canadas preliminary round schedule adds another layer of intrigue as the Charges international contingent prepares to leave the same locker room and chase different goals. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Prospects Sent Mixed Signals During Bellevilles Tough Five-Game Stretch
Bellevilles latest five-game run gave the Senators organization a little of everything, which is probably why it felt so uneven. A 2-3-0 stretch is hardly disastrous, and the club still sits fourth in the North Division by points percentage, but the results came with enough swings to leave a mixed read on where the group stands right now. There were stretches when the team looked organized and competitive, and others when it let opportunities slip away.
The individual performances told a similar story, with some prospects showing they can help drive play and others still searching for consistency from night to night. For Ottawa, that makes this kind of stretch more informative than the standings alone might suggest, because the Belleville roster is supposed to be a proving ground. The challenge now is sorting out which of those recent flashes are becoming habits and which ones were just short-lived bright spots. [Read more 🡒]