The Buffalo Sabres, led by general manager Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff, are facing a make-or-break season to avoid a massive organizational overhaul next summer. It's likely the current regime's last chance to end the franchise's miserable 14-year playoff drought.
As a result, Sabres fans may see a far more urgent, aggressive version of Adams as he enters his sixth year leading the front office. A slow start or an extended dry spell, like last season's 13-game losing streak, could lead to significant roster changes in hope of saving the campaign.
It raises a key question: Which Buffalo players carry the most value on the NHL trade market? The top two names on the list, superstars Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson, won't come as a surprise, but it's a tricky exercise putting the other 46 names in the right place.
These rankings take into account a player's production, age, contract and various other factors, such as their injury history. The list only includes those under contract with the Sabres, so prospects who've yet to sign their entry-level deal are not featured.
Complete ranking of Buffalo Sabres players under contract for the 2025-26 season based on their current NHL trade value
1. Rasmus Dahlin (Defenseman)
You can't rule out the idea Dahlin would be viewed as the NHL's best defenseman if he played for a perennial Stanley Cup contender rather than the Sabres. His two-way impacts are incredible. Having him signed through 2032 is a terrific foundation for Buffalo's blue line.
2. Tage Thompson (Forward)
There was some risk involved when the Sabres inked an emerging Thompson to a seven-year, $50 million extension in 2022. Now his $7.1 million AAV looks like one of hockey's biggest bargains, and he's signed through 2030. He could make a serious push toward 50 goals this season.
3. Zach Benson (Forward)
Benson is an offensive breakout away from garnering a lot of national attention, and getting to play on the top line should expedite that increased production. He already owns 146 games of NHL experience at age 20 and has all the hallmarks of a future two-way stud.
4. Owen Power (Defenseman)
Has Power lived up to the expectations of a No. 1 overall draft pick? No. Yet, that shouldn't take away from the fact he's a 22-year-old blueliner who's coming off a career-high 40 points last season. A little extra snarl to his defensive approach would go a long way in changing his reputation.
5. Radim Mrtka (Defenseman)
The Sabres' first-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft put together an outstanding summer, which illustrated he's far more developed than most analysts projected. Right-shot defensemen with his combination of ideal size (6'6'') and a well-rounded skill set are incredibly hard to find.
6. Ryan McLeod (Forward)
McLeod received more opportunities to move up the lineup during his first season in Buffalo and he parlayed that into a career-best 53 points. The former Edmonton Oiler is a nearly perfect middle-six center signed to a reasonable $5 million AAV through 2029.
7. Bowen Byram (Defenseman)
Signing Byram to a two-year extension (rather than a one-year deal) gave him a lot more trade value. If the Sabres' season goes off the rails, Adams should be able to move the 24-year-old defender for a few solid assets ahead of the March deadline.
8. Josh Norris (Forward)
Norris could skyrocket toward the top of this list if he stays healthy in 2025-26. His injury issues have caused his once-promising career to stagnate and created risk associated with his $7.95 million AAV through 2030, but he's still a 26-year-old center with a 35-goal season on his résumé.
9. Alex Tuch (Forward)
Tuch would be higher if not for the fact he's an impending unrestricted free agent, which would limit the potential return if the Sabres trade him in the months ahead. Adams should be doing everything in his power to get the Syracuse native re-signed as soon as possible, though.
10. Jiri Kulich (Forward)
Kulich posted a modest stat line during his rookie season (24 points in 62 games) but there were enough flashes of offensive potential to believe the 21-year-old center will have a long NHL career. He could slide down this list if he doesn't take a step forward in 2025-26, though.
11. Michael Kesselring (Defenseman)
Although the JJ Peterka trade drew negative reviews on a national level, it'll become a huge win for the Sabres if Kesselring can finally provide a stable partner next to Power. He showed serious growth for the Utah Mammoth and Team USA at the World Championships over the past 12 months.
12. Konsta Helenius (Forward)
Helenius earned an extended look from Buffalo's coaching staff because of his strong play throughout training camp and the preseason. The organization's top prospect should receive some stints with the big club this year before joining the roster on a full-time basis in 2026-27.
13. Josh Doan (Forward)
Doan, the other part of the Peterka blockbuster with Utah, posted some impressive underlying numbers for the Mammoth last season. If he does deliver a breakout campaign, it'll provide a much-needed boost to the Sabres' top-nine forward group.
14. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Goalie)
UPL's $4.75 million AAV doesn't look like as much of a hindrance now that the NHL's salary cap is rising, but his injury woes and poor play last season (.887 save percentage in 55 games) still caused his trade value to fall significantly over the past year.
15. Noah Ostlund (Forward)
Ostlund enjoyed a strong first season in North America as he recorded 36 points (19 goals and 17 assists) in 45 games for the AHL's Rochester Americans. Another standout campaign for the Amerks would bolster the prized prospect's case for a Sabres roster spot in the near future.
16. Peyton Krebs (Forward)
Krebs has been one of the NHL's worst offensive forwards since arriving to Buffalo, but he's still carved out a niche as a team-first, defensive-minded center. At 24, there's still a chance his value could rise if his scoring numbers improve even slightly.
17. Jack Quinn (Forward)
A 2023 Achilles injury halted Quinn's development at a key moment and he's never appeared to fully recover from a physical perspective. He'll have a renewed opportunity to play a crucial role for the Sabres following the departure of Peterka, his former Kid Line running mate.
18. Anton Wahlberg (Forward)
Wahlberg doesn't have elite offensive potential but he possesses all the tools to become a dependable middle-six NHL center for a long time. He's another prospect who should be ready to make a serious push to join the Sabres next year.
19. Devon Levi (Goalie)
Even though Levi's prospect stock has taken a hit given his struggles at the NHL level (.894 SV% in 39 games), he's still displayed solid development in the AHL (.922 SV% in 68 contests). It's far too early to give up on him becoming a solid netminder at hockey's highest level.
20. Jason Zucker (Forward)
Zucker exceeded expectations during his first campaign in Buffalo, which earned him a two-year contract extension. He'd be of interest to Cup contenders to potentially bolster their middle-six wing options if the Sabres fade out of playoff contention.
21. Mattias Samuelsson (Defenseman)
Samuelsson's endless stream of injuries has made him a proverbial punching bag for members of the Sabres fanbase, which is understandable. That said, he can still bring value as a third-pair defender who also helps kill penalties. Moving him any higher up the lineup is dangerous, though.
22. Isak Rosen (Forward)
It'd wouldn't be a surprise to see Rosen moved at some point this season. He's seemingly reached his ceiling in Buffalo after not being given a chance to win a top-six scoring role during camp despite tallying 55 points (28 goals and 27 assists) in 61 AHL games last year.
23. Jordan Greenway (Forward)
Giving Greenway a two-year extension before the end of last season didn't make much sense, and yet another injury setback over the summer further crystallized that. Moving him for a draft pick at the deadline to open up a roster spot for 2026-26 is the best option.
24. Topias Leinonen (Goalie)
The Sabres knew it would be an extended development path for Leinonen when they selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft. The 6-foot-5 netminder showed promising signs with a .910 SV% for Sweden's Mora IK last season and now gets a shot at North American hockey.
25. Viktor Neuchev (Forward)
Neuchev was off to a great start with the Amerks last season, posting 22 points in 39 games, before a shoulder injury brought his campaign to a premature end. It'll be interesting to see whether he can pick up where he left off to open 2025-26.
26. Alex Lyon (Goalie)
Lyon is a reliable backup goaltender with 113 games of experience across stops with four different organizations over the past eight years. He could become available once UPL is healthy if Buffalo decides to move forward with Colten Ellis as its backup.
27. Colten Ellis (Goalie)
Speaking of Ellis, he's in line to receive his first NHL action after the Sabres claimed him off waivers from the St. Louis Blues. It's a low-risk, potentially high-reward move by Buffalo after he compiled a .922 SV% in 42 AHL appearances last season.
28. Nikita Novikov (Defenseman)
Novikov has made steady strides across two years with the Amerks in terms of defending in his own zone and jump-starting transition opportunities. Whether his skating will ever reach a level that'll allow him to become a full-time NHLer is still up in the air, though.
29. Vsevolod Komarov (Defenseman)
Komarov often looked a step behind the game during his first campaign in Rochester, and he'll need to quickly cut down on the untimely penalties. Nevertheless, he's a 6-foot-4, 21-year-old, right-shot defenseman with a solid offensive pedigree. That carries value.
30. Alexandar Georgiev (Goalie)
The Sabres signed Georgiev right before camp because of UPL's injury and placing him on waivers means he may be out of the organization soon. He faces an uphill battle to rediscover the form he showed in 2022-23 with the Colorado Avalanche (.918 SV%).
31. Conor Timmins (Defenseman)
Timmins will bring some much-needed puck-moving ability to the Sabres' bottom pair, but he's otherwise a below-average defender. His low-priced contract (two more years at $2.2 million) does make him movable, if necessary.
32. Ryan Johnson (Defenseman)
Johnson simply hasn't developed the necessary offensive impacts to become a full-time member of the Sabres blue line. It's clear the coaching staff still views him as a safe, defensively dependable option when injuries arise like they did during camp, though.
33. Zac Jones (Defenseman)
Jones was sent to the AHL a bit earlier than expected, especially considering Buffalo's rash of injury concerns, but he established himself as a decent replacement-level option across parts of five seasons with the New York Rangers. He's still just 24, as well.
34. Beck Malenstyn (Forward)
Giving up a second-round draft pick for Malenstyn was one of Adams' worst moves as GM. He's a career fourth-line forward who failed to deliver much of anything during his first year in Buffalo. He could still make sense for a contender seeking some energy at the bottom of the lineup.
35. Tyson Kozak (Forward)
Kozak has already surpassed expectations as a seventh-round pick who made it to the NHL. He didn't post standout offensive numbers in the AHL, but his ability to handle tough minutes defensively makes him a decent bottom-six option.
36. Jacob Bryson (Defenseman)
Why do the Sabres continue to re-sign Bryson? It's hard to say. He's been with the franchise since getting drafted in 2017 and he's never developed into more than a low-end No. 7 defenseman. His annual roster spot should go to someone with more upside.
37. Justin Danforth (Forward)
Buffalo brought in Danforth to create some competition on the fourth line. He brings versatility since he can play center (with a solid 49.7% face off win rate) or wing, and he's not afraid to throw his body around. His lack of offense caps his impact, however.
38. Scott Ratzlaff (Goalie)
Ratzlaff enjoyed some impressive stretches with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds over the past five years but he never emerged as a truly high-end goalie prospect. How he performs against pro competition this season will help provide a better projection of his future.
39. Riley Fiddler-Schultz (Forward)
Fiddler-Schultz is running out of time to prove he can become a bottom-of-the-lineup NHL player. He'll need to move closer to a point per game in his second full year with the Amerks to boost his stock after finishing with 26 points in 51 contests last season.
40. Olivier Nadeau (Forward)
The Sabres will hope Nadeau turned a corner by scoring 50 points (28 goals and 22 assists) in 48 appearances for the ECHL's Jacksonville Icemen last year. Proving he can make a similar game-to-game impact for the Amerks would reignite his faded prospect status.
41. Tyler Kopff (Forward)
Kopff earned a contract from Buffalo by making major strides during his sophomore season at Brown University (28 points in 32 games). He didn't stand out from the crowd during his six outing with Rochester last year, so it makes this season a key turning point.
42. Mason Geertsen (Forward/Defenseman)
Geertsen would rank higher on this list if it was about how much value the players bring to the organization. The Sabres needed an enforcer who can be called upon when needed. A 30-year-old grinder wouldn't command much on the trade market, though.
43. Isaac Belliveau (Defenseman)
Belliveau arrived as part of the Timmins-for-Connor Clifton swap with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He's spent a majority of the past two years in the ECHL, and the defenseman has yet to show any standout traits need to reach the NHL. He's still got time at age 22.
44. Jack Rathbone (Defenseman)
Rathbone got a taste of the NHL early in his career with the Vancouver Canucks and had some good production in the AHL, including 40 points in 39 games in 2021-22. Now 26, he's likely destined to spend the remainder of his career in the minors, though he could step up in a pinch.
45. Zach Metsa (Defenseman)
Metsa is coming off a breakthrough year for the Americans with 46 points in 69 games, but unfortunately there just isn't much runway left for a 26-year-old player who's yet to reach the NHL. He could still see a few games for Buffalo this year.
46. Josh Dunne (Forward)
Dunne played a pair of games for the Sabres last season and he'll likely remain in the same role in 2025-26: a bottom-six replacement if the injury bug continues to derail the campaign. At 26, he doesn't have any real-world trade value.
47. Carson Meyer (Forward)
Meyer, who played 41 games across three years with the Columbus Blue Jackets starting in 2021, was a long shot to continue to the Sabres even before landing on injured reserve to start the campaign because of a knee injury. He'll head to Rochester once healthy.
48. Jake Leschyshyn (Forward)
Yes, plus-minus is an imperfect stat, but the fact Leschyshyn was minus-35 in 69 AHL games last season in the New York Rangers organization is worrisome. He's scored just six points in 77 career NHL games. It's unclear why Buffalo signed him this summer with countless better options available.