As the calendar turns to September, the 2026-27 season is right around the corner for the Buffalo Sabres. In fact, they are roughly one month away from taking the ice on October 1st in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.
The Sabres finally turned a corner last season and ended their playoff drought after winning the Atlantic Division. It wasn't enough just to make the playoffs, as they would win the series against the Boston Bruins before going to overtime in Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens.
They would lose that game and their chance to go to the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. For them, the good news is that a majority of their roster is returning, outside of Alex Tuch, Bowen Byram, and Jordan Greenway.
Even still, they have plenty of questions entering this season, and one month from the start of the regular season, these are five that are top of mind.
Will the Sabres get a Connor Hellebuyck trade done?
The Buffalo Sabres didn't make a big splash in the offseason, but there is still time. For the Sabres, the biggest move that they have been connected to is trading for goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who made the trade public recently.
In the regular season, the trio of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis got the job done. However, the playoffs were a different story, as the Sabres bounced between Luukkonen and Lyon, as neither was able to consistently produce.
Hellebuyck's trade request doesn't appear to be going away, and the Vezina Trophy winning goalie really controls his own destiny with a no-movement clause. If he wants to go to Buffalo, and that is the only team, it is a matter of finding the right trade package.
For the Jets, they don't want this to run into the regular season or even training camp, so they might be motivated to get a deal done sooner rather than later. It will be interesting to see if the Sabres are the team to benefit.
Who will win the job next to Owen Power?
Jarmo Kekalainen made one of the biggest trades in the NHL this summer when he sent Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway to the Chicago Blackhawks for Louis Crevier and picks, including the fourth overall pick.
For the Sabres, they got great value and, in the long run, are probably going to win this trade. However, it creates a challenge as it gives them a huge hole in their blue line next to Owen Power.
They do have a few options and probably will let the training camp battle play out between Crevier and Olen Zellweger, who they would trade for with the Ducks after moving Byram. Zellweger is a young player, and it is smart to bet on the upside. It will be interesting how quickly it takes for that to emerge and if he does win that spot on the second pair.
Who will be the center on the top line?
Among the forwards, the Sabres really need to determine how they are going to replace Alex Tuch and his production. However, like on the blueline, it isn't a clear answer, and it will be a combination of multiple players.
Before they can determine that, they are going to need to figure out what their top line is going to look like, and that starts at center. For most of last season, Tage Thompson was their center, and they certainly could stick with that.
However, they are very deep at center, and it might make more sense to play him at wing. If they go that route, it is going to be a great training camp battle between players like Jiri Kulich, Noah Ostlund, Josh Norris, or even Konsta Helenius.
They have time to figure it out, and likely a player will emerge more than capable to play that role, but it is a question that remains at this point.
Will the Sabres finally fix their power play?
One of the glaring weaknesses for a few seasons now has been their power play. It is certainly surprising that the Sabres have finished in the bottom half of the league in power play percentage when considering the players they have like Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin.
This might be a situation where the pressure is on the coaching staff more so than the players, as the Sabres have struggled with the man advantage under Lindy Ruff and Seth Appert. However, they don't need to look far, as the Rochester Americans have been one of the best in the AHL in the power play and finished fourth last season in power play percentage.
If the Sabres can figure out what makes them successful and translate it to the NHL, this group could make significant improvements this season.
Will Konsta Helenius be on the Sabres' roster for Opening Night?
This one feels like it is more than likely, but Konsta Helenius is still going to need to earn that spot on the Sabres roster. Last season, fans couldn't wait for Helenius to get to the NHL, as he was playing excellent with Rochester and was a point-per-game player with 63 points in 63 games.
He got a brief run during the regular season with nine games and had four points. He then returned to the lineup in the playoffs, playing in four games against the Canadiens and had two goals.
The Sabres have a collective of young players who are hopefully going to make an impact and help replace Tuch's production. This group includes Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Jiri Kulich, and Noah Ostlund, but Helenius probably has the highest ceiling.
If Helenius breaks out, he has a chance to be the first Sabres player to win the Calder Trophy since Tyler Myers in 2010. Earning a spot right from the start of the regular season will certainly help his chances to do that.
Last season was an incredible run for the Buffalo Sabres and they are hoping to do it again this season. They are in good position to do that but have some lingering questions heading into the season that will need to be answered.
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