Things have gone well in some areas for the Buffalo Sabres this season. Now, with the Olympic break starting, head coach Lindy Ruff and company will have to watch film and understand what is working. Thus far, one area has been prolific.
Looking for scorers beyond Tage Thompson has been an issue for the Sabres in years past. This season, however, that has not been the case and, in particular, there's been one surprising group.
The Buffalo Sabres are the only NHL team featuring three defensemen with 10-plus goals
Captain Rasmus Dahlin is followed by Mattias Samuelsson and Bowen Byram with double-digit goals this year. It is impressive, and shows that the Sabres are looking for offense and applying pressure from all ends of the ice.
They just keep scoring 😤 pic.twitter.com/cSAeCcZBvy
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 4, 2026
As the snow melts in Western New York, the temperature will get warmer and the pressure will remain with every member of the Sabres understanding the hot seat they are on even on the ice. They are in a position to make the postseason for the first time since 2011.
If they wish to accomplish that goal, it will be important for the Sabres to keep the advantage up and find goal chances from every member of the roster, including the defensemen.
For Samuelsson, it is ever more impressive and seems the 25-year-old blueliner has a rebirth of sorts with the Sabres this season. In addition to his scoring, he has over 90 hits on the year, showing that he can add value and aggressive play on a team that certainly was lacking that a season ago.
He continues to add value and make a push to be on the first pair with Dahlin. It will be important for Ruff to continue to recognize that value and use him on both ends of the ice when they return from the Olympic break.
It is a collective effort for all three and shows glimpses of the here and now that will be vital as the season continues to progress. Making sure they do not take their foot off the gas will be important as the Sabres return.
The Sabres have lost three of the last four contests. Only Samuelsson has scored in that stretch, with both Dahlin and Byram unable to find the back of the net. That illustrates the importance of the defense corps adding offense to help the team win games.
With the next three weeks, it will be interesting to see what type of moves the Sabres chose to make. But one thing is certain offensive success from their defensemen is one the keys to a playoff berth in April.