The Buffalo Sabres put themselves behind the eight-ball the second they traded star forward JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth and got Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan in return. Fast-forward to the preseason, and the Blue and Gold have already been hit hard with injuries. So much so that playing the kids who would otherwise go to the AHL and juniors might be the best option this season, which should see them bottom out and end up winning the best odds for the 2026 draft lottery.
How bad is it? Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Kesselring both left Wednesday's game vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. And while Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff tried to sound nonchalant about Kesselring, you can't help but feel like it's foreshadowing something. In an article from Audacy via Paul Hamilton, Ruff said, "He’s (Kesselring) had an aggravation that flared up, and we’ll see where he’s at tomorrow too. He’s day-to-day, it’s nothing serious. It’s something he’s been dealing with the whole camp."
If this has been going on with Kesselring since the Sabres reconvened for camp, and if Luukkonen was forced out of the net early during his first start of the preseason, it's something the Sabres could be dealing with all year. And this is after blueliners Bowen Byram, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson sustained injuries. Not to mention, forward Jordan Greenway is still out.
Byram has a history of ailments, even if he managed to play an 82-game slate last season. Samuelsson has never appeared in over 62 contests in a season, missing significant time with injuries every year since he became a full-time NHLer.
So, if you're a Sabres fan, you might be saying, "Why even do this? Why not just play the kids, see what we got in them, and tank for the best odds to win the 2026 draft lottery?"
Gavin McKenna watch begins now
For the Sabres, a beaten-up lineup could prompt the organization to play the youngsters while looking to pawn off veterans who never helped this team win. Rookie defenseman Radim Mrtka has looked great all preseason and is in the team's long-term plans, so maybe he gets a nod. While most rooks end up getting assigned elsewhere, the Sabres have been known to hang onto guys in their draft year, something they did with Zach Benson in 2023-24.
The Sabres also have untapped potential in players like former first-round pick Noah Ostlund, a scrappy fourth-liner in Tyson Kozak, and a center with breakout potential in Jiri Kulich, who could all kickstart yet another rebuilding effort this season. It will lead to a lot of losses, but could you imagine McKenna skating into what has become the NHL's most dire situation? It would mean a faster turnaround.
Meanwhile, the Sabres could bring in high-potential, NHL-ready prospects if they traded away veterans like Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker, while keeping cornerstones like Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson. That would put them in the best possible position to land McKenna, especially with bottom-dwellers like the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks seeing their respective lineups taking shape.
A little more pain would lead to long-term rewards
For Sabres fans, words can't express how painful the past 14, and soon to be 15 seasons have been. They have gone through so many rebuilds, forced to watch some of the worst teams in franchise history, and even get false hope at times, which was the case in 2018-19 and 2022-23.
There could be flashbacks to 2014-15, when the Sabres tried tanking for Connor McDavid, and lost out on the No. 1 pick to the Edmonton Oilers. But still, a painful season featuring a better core of youngsters to increase their odds of landing Gavin McKenna, right now, is in the organization's best interest. You may as well try it, because the last 14 seasons have gotten you nowhere.