The Buffalo Sabres traded away winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram during the offseason and the lack of a marquee addition to help offset that lost production has created a significant layer of uncertainty with puck drop on the new season right around the corner.
Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen instead spent the summer re-signing young members of the team's core, including Zach Benson, Noah Ostlund and Peyton Krebs. Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report highlighted those decisions while giving the Sabres a B- final grade for the offseason:
"The best thing the Sabres did this offseason was get a bunch of young players locked into deals that should be cap-friendly bargains in the coming years. Getting Zach Benson and Noah Ostlund signed to contracts that will combine for less than $14 million against the salary cap for the next seven years could be a huge win as the cap continues to climb. That will pay for itself in the long-run, as long as they keep progressing as players."B/R NHL writer Adam Gretz
After entering the summer with a minor salary-cap crunch, Buffalo's front office has done a terrific job clearing out space, both in the short term and over the long haul. The dead-cap hit from Jeff Skinner's buyout also drops by $4 million starting next year, creating more flexibility.
The Sabres have put themselves in a strong financial position, especially with the NHL salary cap set to continue rising over the next couple years. They have a roster pretty much devoid of any seriously detrimental contracts as things currently stand.
Meanwhile, the Tuch and Byram moves were both understandable.
Tuch was set to become an unrestricted free agent and Buffalo wasn't prepared to meet his asking price, so it was able to at least recoup a 2027 third-round draft pick as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Washington Capitals, who handed him an eight-year, $84 million extension.
Byram had another year left on his contract but had long sought an opportunity to become a No. 1 defenseman, a role held by Rasmus Dahlin for the Sabres. So, Kekalainen sent him and Jordan Greenway (salary dump) to the Chicago Blackhawks for fellow blueliner Louis Crevier, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (Daxon Rudolph) and the No. 45 selection, which was flipped to the Anaheim Ducks in the Olen Zellweger trade.
Tuch and Byram will combine for a $23 million AAV starting next season. Buffalo re-signed Benson, Ostlund, Zellweger and Josh Doan for a total of $24.15 million per year. That's good business, especially if Rudolph becomes a high-end player in a few years.
Yet, despite the efficient nature of the offseason moves, the questions about whether the Sabres may take a step back in 2026-27 are legitimate until proven otherwise.
Buffalo Sabres projected to land on NHL playoff fringe this season
Buffalo finished with the league's fourth-best record last season (50-23-9) and ultimately advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before falling short in Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Despite those high-end results, a return trip to the postseason isn't guaranteed.
Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic projects the Sabres to finish with 94.6 points, giving them a 47% chance to qualify for the playoffs. HockeyStats.com is ever so slightly more bullish, pegging the Blue and Gold at 96 points and 55% postseason odds.
So, the analytic models essentially see Buffalo as a coin flip to make a second straight playoff trip following the departures of Tuch and Byram.
Along with the scoring void created by those notable exits, the Sabres also have lingering question marks in the crease as they currently plan to run it back with the goaltending trio of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis despite a summer of Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors.
If they don't receive the type of strong goalie play they got last year and their young players don't take a meaningful step forward, things could get dicey.
That said, that doesn't mean the bet on internal improvement is a bad one by Kekalainen. The organizational depth chart is littered by young players with intriguing potential. Konsta Helenius is the latest one to arrive at the NHL level.
The Sabres want to give the likes of Helenius, Benson, Doan, Ostlund, Jiri Kulich and Jack Quinn to show they can become game-changing players. If that happens quickly, the playoff doubt will fade away and the sky becomes the limit for Buffalo.
All told, Kekalainen's group has one of the widest ranges of potential outcomes in the NHL this season. If everything breaks perfectly, they could emerge as a Stanley Cup threat. If the development of young players is slow, they could land below the playoff cut line.
It makes a fast start quite important for the Sabres in a loaded Eastern Conference, particularly if they want to defend their Atlantic Division title amid extreme competition.
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