Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is going through a rough patch early in the Buffalo Sabres' new season, something he's become no stranger to across his tenure as the club's No. 1 goaltender, but he's not the only player not living up to expectations through four games.
In fact, while UPL's numbers are unsightly, including an .782 save percentage, leaning heavily on the streaky netminder was never at the forefront of the Sabres' winning equation. If it was, the front office had a seriously flawed plan from the start.
Buffalo made a significant bet on internal improvement following the offseason departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram. Some players, like Owen Power, Jack Quinn and Noah Ostlund, have stepped up, but others have been virtually invisible early on.
Getting a few more key contributions producing at a high level will take some pressure off UPL and the Sabres' other goalies. Let's examine a few skaters who fall into that must-improve category.
Josh Doan
Head coach Lindy Ruff hinted Josh Doan is playing through an injury. It doesn't come as a surprise because the 24-year-old winger's typically relentless forecheck hasn't been quite as effective so far.
There's always a thin line between toughing out an ailment and negatively impacting your team because you can't help control play. The Arizona State product has yet to record a point, has just five shots on goal and has only secured one takeaway after ranking fourth in the NHL in that category last season.
It's particularly striking in this case because Doan was one of Buffalo's most consistent players in 2025-26, his first campaign with the organization. His play style lent itself to avoiding these type of cold spells, which is another reason to believe he's probably playing hurt.
While there's no reason to believe the 6-foot-1 forward won't eventually bounce back, it may require a short stint out of the lineup to ensure he gets back to full strength.
Ryan McLeod
Ryan McLeod emerged as an ideal third-line center across his first two seasons in Western New York, scoring 107 points (34 goals and 73 assists) in 160 games while posting strong defensive metrics.
His stock began to dip a bit after his lackluster performance in the team's long-awaited return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, however, and now he's off to a slow start in 2026-27. He has just one assist through four outings and he's compiled a team-worst minus-five rating.
It led Ruff to drop the Ontario native to the fourth line for a short time, though he did move back up to the third for Thursday's loss to the Dallas Stars.
Much like Doan, it's surprising to see such a steady player failing to make his presence felt so far, even in a small sample size. The Sabres need him back making a positive two-way impact ASAP.
Josh Norris
The trope around Josh Norris has long been "if he's healthy, he'll be productive." It held true for most of his tenure with the Ottawa Senators, and it was much the same during his first full season with Buffalo last year.
Norris has continued to receive his fair share of minutes in the top six out of the gate, but it just hasn't translated to much offensive involvement. He's tallied a single assist and generated less than one individual expected goal (0.91 ixG), per Natural Stat Trick.
At a time when the Sabres need some playmakers to elevate their games, especially when it comes to boosting the power play, the 2017 first-round pick has been mostly silent.
Ultimately, all three of these players have track records that suggest they'll eventually find their games, but pressure is already starting to build, even though it's only October.
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