Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen delivered a straightforward message to the locker room after taking over the team's front office from Kevyn Adams in mid-December.
"You are all pretty much all expendable, and no one is safe," Sabres superstar Tage Thompson recalled during a recent appearance on the popular Spittin' Chiclets podcast. "We are going to start working, and if you don't want to work, you're not gonna be on the team."
It represented a much-needed change of tone from Sabres leadership after Adams spent the previous six seasons overly protective of a core that hadn't even reached the minimum baseline of success: qualifying for the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Yet, it's also not realistic to believe Buffalo doesn't have a single untouchable player. Exactly how many there are on the roster is definitely up for discussion, though.
That's the topic for the latest installment of our Sabres debates series as Kekalainen begins to plan for the upcoming NHL roster freeze for the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2026 NHL trade deadline, which is scheduled for March 6.
1. Rasmus Dahlin
The top spot is a tough call between Dahlin and Thompson, but both are firmly in the untouchable category, regardless of the order. The defenseman gets the nod because he's also served as the club's captain through some rough waters in recent years.
His angry response when trade rumors began to swirl last March proved he wants to become part of the solution in Buffalo, not another superstar who aggressively seeks out greener pastures.
"I have never said I want out of here," Dahlin told reporters at the time. "I'm not happy (with) where we're at. I don't want to lose. We have to get better. I've never said I want out of here. I thought that was pretty clear. That bugs me, actually. I get [ticked] off by that. I haven't even mentioned the word 'leave.' That's just how it is."
Dahlin, who will represent Sweden at the Olympics, is a true No. 1 defenseman and power-play quarterback with a great chance to eventually win a Norris Trophy.
2. Tage Thompson
Thompson is on pace to average more than a point per game for the second time in his career. He's recorded a well-balanced 50 points (25 goals and 25 assists) across 48 appearances, which also puts him on track to crack 40 goals for the third time.
His value to the Sabres is bolstered by a team-friendly contract that pays him a modest $7.1 million annual salary through the 2029-30 season. Based on the trajectory of NHL deals, a 40-goal scorer will likely soon be worth about double that price tag.
Buffalo also doesn't have any other true offensive cornerstones, which takes the idea of trading him completely off the table.
3. Josh Doan
Doan has looked like nothing short of an emerging star since arriving to the Blue and Gold alongside defenseman Michael Kesselring in the blockbuster JJ Peterka trade with the Utah Mammoth. He's tallied 34 points (15 goals and 19 assists) in 48 games.
The 23-year-old winger's impact goes far beyond the box score, too. He's relentless on the forecheck, possesses a tremendous defensive stick and is rarely outworked in puck battles. He's an improved offensive finishing touch away from becoming the complete package.
4. Zach Benson
The first three players on the list are likely consensus selections by members of the diehard Sabres fanbase. Benson may meet a little more resistance, mostly because his offensive potential is uncertain after compiling just 80 points in his first 181 NHL games.
Yet, he's still just 20 years old and the 2023 first-round draft pick brings a level of play creation offensively the roster otherwise lacks. The forward may never develop into an elite goal-scorer, but the other elements of his game make him feel like a long-term hold.
Who just missed the Sabres untouchable list?
Although some players outside the above quartet should be available if a true blockbuster trade opportunity arises, they should otherwise remain in Buffalo. That group includes:
- Ryan McLeod is essentially a perfect third-line NHL center and his ability to win faceoffs brings added value to a Sabres roster that often struggles at the dot.
- Owen Power is the focus of a lot of criticism because he doesn't always leverage his 6-foot-6 frame well in the defensive zone, but the underlying numbers still paint him as a highly effective defenseman.
- Konsta Helenius made his NHL debut Monday against the Carolina Hurricanes and remains the Sabres' most promising forward prospect, a likely future middle-six fixture.
- Radim Mrtka is probably still a season or two away from becoming a full-time member of Buffalo's roster, but the hulking defenseman has top-pair upside.
Which big names are nowhere near the off-limits list for Buffalo?
- Alex Tuch is an impending unrestricted free agent. The Sabres can't risk losing him for nothing despite calls to go all-in on the playoff chase. That'd be terrible asset management.
- Josh Norris has been highly effective for Buffalo when healthy, but he continues to struggle with injuries and every absence leaves a massive hole in the Blue and Gold lineup.
- Bowen Byram is playing his best hockey as a Sabre over the past month, but the long-term fit in Buffalo remains unclear given the organization's crowded depth chart on the blue line.
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been a key factor in the Sabres' surge up the Eastern Conference standings, but UPL should still be available in a trade if the price is right.
Everybody in that group, along with anybody on the active roster or in the organization not named above, should be firmly among those being discussed by Kekalainen before the deadline.