It is no secret what the Buffalo Sabres, as a franchise, are hoping to achieve: to end their playoff drought. While it has been well over a decade, it isn't out of the question, but if they do reach it, they will need big performances from some of their players.
When looking ahead to the upcoming regular season, these are four players who appear to be in position to set new career-bests and would be a big part of the Sabres finally getting to the playoffs.
4 Buffalo Sabres who have a chance to set new career-highs in 2025-26 season
Tage Thompson
Goals
At the start of training camp, Tage Thompson commented that he would love to get to 50 goals, and the way he has played this preseason, it feels like this is a real possibility. He has gotten close a few times with 47 and 44 in 2022-23 and 2024-25, respectively, but this could be the season he finally does it.
If Thompson does break 50 goals, it will be the first time in 30 seasons that the Sabres have had a player do that. In fact, they had two players as Alexander Mogilny set the franchise record with 76 and Pat LaFontaine had 53. This feels like the season that Thompson joins that elite company.
Josh Norris
Assists
He won't be able to do it alone, and Josh Norris will certainly benefit from playing next to a great player like Tage Thompson. He has solidified himself as the team's top center, and these two have already developed quite the connection on the ice, as there were five goals in the final two games where Norris or Thompson scored with the other player registering the assist.
Norris has had some great seasons in terms of goals, including 35 back in the 2021-22 season with the Ottawa Senators. However, he hasn't had high assist totals, with the best being 20 from that same season.
That should change this season, and if Norris stays healthy, which has been a big if, he could easily double that total playing next to Thompson.
Ryan McLeod
Goals
In Ryan McLeod's first season with the Buffalo Sabres, he set career-bests in goals (20) and assists (33). However, there is still room to grow for McLeod after he had six goals in the first 38 games of last season before finishing with 14 goals in the final 41 games he played.
If he keeps that pace of .38 goals per game over the entire season, then he would finish the season with around 28 goals. There is no reason that he can't reach that mark on a line with players like Alex Tuch.
Josh Doan
Points
Josh Doan in essentially his rookie season last year with Utah had 19 points in 51 games after scoring seven goals and collecting 12 assists. This season, Doan is expected to be on the line with Jiri Kulich and Jack Quinn that is young but has a ton of potential that should help him see his time on ice jump to around 15 minutes.
Entering this season, it isn't unreasonable to expect Doan to come close to doubling the total from his rookie season and finish with close to 40 points with the extra opportunity he will have and the line he will be playing on.