The Buffalo Sabres forwards are going to look a little different this season with the departure of Alex Tuch. With a lack of options in free agency or on the trade market, the Sabres are going into this season with the hope that their younger players are ready to take that next step.
While it is a risk, the Sabres still have their best forward in Tage Thompson, who has had 40 or more goals in three of the past four seasons. When looking ahead to the upcoming season and the need to take on an expanded role, he leads this list of bold predictions for the forward group.
Tage Thompson has 50+ goals
The Buffalo Sabres have not had a 50 goal scorer since the early 1990s when Alexander Mogilny and Pat LaFontaine broke that milestone in the same season. However, Thompson has a great chance to end that drought and deliver a 50-goal season for the Sabres.
As noted, Thompson has had 40 or more goals in three of the past four seasons and has a career-high of 47, which he set in 2022-23. One of the reasons he got so close was that he had 20 power-play goals that season.
The power play has been a point of emphasis for the Sabres, and if it is an improved unit and Thompson can get close to 15 while maintaining his even-strength goal production of around 35, then 50 goals is not out of the question.
Jack Quinn is second on the team in goals
Alex Tuch was second on the team in goals with 33 last season, and the Sabres are going to need someone to step up to help Tage Thompson. While there are popular names like Zach Benson, Josh Doan, or even Konsta Helenius, the player who looks to continue to ascend is Jack Quinn.
Last season, Quinn had a breakout season with his first career 20-goal season after a total of 38 goals in the prior three seasons. One of the reasons that Quinn set a career best in this category was because he had the chance to shoot more, as he had 191 shots, which was 65 more than his previous career high.
While the volume increased, Quinn wasn't nearly as efficient as he saw his shooting percentage dip to a career-worst 10.5%. An improvement in his shooting percentage while keeping the shot volume means a 30-goal season isn't out of the question for Quinn.
Buffalo Sabres have four forwards with 60+ points
While the Sabres may not have that superstar to pair with Tage Thompson, they certainly have the depth to make it tough on opposing teams regularly. That depth has a chance to be on display this upcoming season, and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that they have four players finish with 60 or more points.
Two of those players have already been mentioned by Thompson and Quinn, and they should be joined by Josh Doan and Zach Benson, who had 52 and 43 points, respectively, last season. Both players are expected to see more ice time, and that means more opportunity to set a new career-high in points.
However, these aren't the only two players who could break 60 points, as Ryan McLeod had 54 points last season, and the Sabres have players like Noah Ostlund and Josh Norris (if he can stay healthy), who might be a surprise this season.
The fact that the Sabres have as many players listed here as possible candidates to break 60 points shows their depth and why they are in a good position to replace the lost production with Alex Tuch no longer on the team.
Konsta Helenius is a Calder Trophy finalist
The Buffalo Sabres have not had a player win the Calder Trophy, which is awarded to the best rookie that season, since Tyler Myers in 2010. This season, Konsta Helenius might give them their best chance, since Rasmus Dahlin finished third in the voting.
There is a lot of competition this season for the award so it is tough to say that Helenius will win it but he absolutely has the talent to be one of the finalists. Helenius made his NHL debut last season and appeared in nine regular-season games, but it was in the playoffs that he really made his presence known with two goals in four games.
That was a small sample size, but when taking into account that he was a point-per-game player for Rochester last season and had six points in six games for Team Finland in the World Championships this summer, all signs point to Helenius being ready to make an impact and be a key part of this team.
The Buffalo Sabres are entering this season with some questions among their forwards but by the end of the season, it should be a different story for this group.
4 bold predictions for the Buffalo Sabres forwards in the 2026-27 season
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