Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen appears confident the organization is capable of replacing Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram from within, but at least one NHL analyst isn't as bullish about the team's collection of emerging talent.
Sonny Sachdeva of Sportsnet named his choices for the league's top five young cores on Tuesday: the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, a ranking based on current 25-and-younger NHL players, not developing prospects.
The Sabres weren't even listed among the honorable mention group, which included the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild.
It's a surprising exclusion for the Blue and Gold, who could have 10 (or more) U25 players on their Opening Night roster to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 1:
- Forwards: Zach Benson (21 years old), Josh Doan (24), Jack Quinn (23), Peyton Krebs (25), Noah Ostlund (22), Jiri Kulich (22) and Konsta Helenius (20)
- Defensemen: Owen Power (23), Olen Zellweger (22) and Louis Crevier (25)
- Goalie: Colten Ellis (25)
It's also remotely possible Radim Mrtka (19), the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, ends up playing some meaningful minutes for the Sabres before the 2026-27 season ends.
Although those are the players who could be considered for the young-core rankings, it's worth noting the Sabres also feature Rasmus Dahlin (26), Tage Thompson (28), Josh Norris (27), Ryan McLeod (26), Mattias Samuelsson (26) and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (27) within a few years of the cutoff.
Even without those notable names, it's hard to imagine Buffalo doesn't rank somewhere within the top eight when it comes to the league's best groups of young players based on the list above.
Sure, you could argue the Sabres don't have a singular talent leading the pack, someone like the Habs' Lane Hutson or Sharks' Macklin Celebrini, but their U25 depth is tremendous. And it's still possible Power lives up to his No. 1 pick pedigree with more offensive opportunity after the Byram trade.
If nothing else, the snub shows Buffalo still has a lot of work to do before garnering league-wide respect despite ending its 14-year postseason drought and reaching the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Critics will get the last laugh if Buffalo Sabres miss the NHL Playoffs in 2026-27
While it's still possible the Sabres make a splash before the new campaign, perhaps a blockbuster trade for Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko or Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, there's a real chance the current roster is the one that arrives for training camp.
Make no mistake, Kekalainen would be taking a chance if that's the case. Tuch and Byram filled multifaceted roles that won't be easy for any player, or even a collection of players, to fill instantly.
When you combine that uncertainty with the unbelievable strength of the Atlantic Division, and the Eastern Conference as a whole, Buffalo is far from a postseason lock at the moment.
On the flip side, a drop off isn't guaranteed, either. It's hard to argue with betting on young players like Benson, Doan, Power and the other players discussed above when you consider the sky-high prices being paid on the trade and free-agent markets this summer.
The salary cap is rising and rival front offices, particularly those under extreme pressure to win now, used the financial flexibility to make some pricey additions.
Kekalainen has opted to take a more measured approach, and he still has $5.1 million in cap space (via PuckPedia) should an opportunity arise, either now or as the season moves closer to the 2027 NHL trade deadline.
Regardless of whether you agree with how Buffalo's leadership has attacked the offseason, the only thing that truly matters in the end is how the standings look in mid-April.
If the Sabres take a step back, missing the playoffs for the 15th time in 16 years, it'll probably be fair to look back toward this summer and point toward the lack of aggression as a reason for those failures.
In the big picture, however, Buffalo's talented group of players who are 28 or younger put the franchise in a position to build toward sustainable success. Keeping the championship window open for an extended period will be important while hoping the East opens up a bit in the coming years.
The outlook is a bit more cloudy when viewed through a short-term lens, though.
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