The Buffalo Sabres head out on a six-game road trip with their season trending in an optimistic direction. They've won six of their past nine games, highlighted by dominant victories over the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.
Buffalo currently sits 14th in the Eastern Conference with 26 points (11-11-4 record), but it's only five points behind the final playoff spot in the crowded East standings. The Blue and Gold are ahead of the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, a pair of preseason Stanley Cup contenders who've faltered for various reasons.
As the Sabres prepare for a 12-day journey around North America, here's a look at where several outlets peg the team's NHL playoff odds:
Outlet | Sabres Playoff Odds |
|---|---|
36.2% | |
28% | |
25.9% | |
24% | |
19.2% | |
18.8% | |
+475 (17.4%) |
Those postseason chances could swing drastically in either direction depending on the road trip, which is particularly important for Buffalo given its struggles away from the friendly confines of the KeyBank Center this season. Its road record stands at 2-6-2.
So, considering the hole the Sabres are already trying to climb out of and their lack of success away from home, the upcoming road trip could ultimately define their 2025-26 season.
Buffalo Sabres could emerge as a legitimate NHL playoff threat with a winning road trip
The Sabres have put together stretches this season where they look like a truly competitive team, which hasn't been the case for most of the past decade, and those moments have become more consistent recently as key players returned to the lineup from injury.
Josh Norris helped provide the latest example as his terrific three-point performance in Monday night's 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets sparked one of Buffalo's best all-around games in years.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff praised his team's play in its final home game until Dec. 18.
"It was a night that where we were really connected," Ruff told reporters.
Of course, the biggest question around Western New York is whether the club's recently improved play is a sign of things to come or simply another mirage.
The Sabres have enjoyed some outstanding runs during their extended playoff drought — they compiled a 10-game winning streak in 2018-19 that left them with a 17-6-2 record and still missed the postseason — but maintaining a higher level of play has felt impossible.
Things may finally be changing for the Blue and Gold, though. Their lineup is the deepest it's been in years, and it'll get even better when Jiri Kulich and Michael Kesselring return from injury, and they're playing a far more sustainable brand of hockey.
Could that all collapse in the weeks ahead and leave Buffalo at the bottom of the standings once again? Sure. Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the Sabres.
Yet, the underlying numbers suggest they have some staying power this time around. They rank 10th in the NHL in 5-on-5 expected goals for percentage (xGF%) at 52.02% and they're second in that key category (57.32%) over their past nine games, according to Natural Stat Trick.
That matches the eye test. Buffalo, at least with a full-strength lineup, seems to have enough talent to compete. Again, that's an incredibly low bar to jump, but we're talking about a franchise that hasn't skated in a playoff game since 2011. Any indication of clear progress is welcome.
Many Sabres fans are understandably taking a "wait and see" approach this season, but the semi-dormant fanbase will come back in massive numbers if the team makes a surge.
A far clearer picture about the direction of Buffalo's season will come into focus when it wraps up the road trip in a few weeks.