Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen tried to swing a blockbuster deal for Colton Parayko ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, but the St. Louis Blues defenseman used his no-trade clause to block a move, sending Kekalainen back to the drawing board.
The Sabres GM ultimately settled on a deal with the Winnipeg Jets to acquire Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn, both impending unrestricted free agents. The early returns were a bit concerning, especially in the case of Stanley, who was ticketed for a full-time role for Buffalo.
He's started to play better as of late, however, and the uptick in performance comes at a perfect time for the Sabres as they attempt to finalize their playoff lineup.
"I think my confidence was really high when I was in Winnipeg," Stanley told Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald. "And you got to kind of try and find that again, when you come to a new group and a new team. I think it's starting to come back."
The 6-foot-7 defender has recorded four points (all assists), 27 penalty minutes, 15 blocked shots and 13 hits across 15 appearances with Buffalo. He also ranks third among Sabres defensemen in expected goal share at 50.8%, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Stanley's lack of acceleration and speed is evident when compared to the club's otherwise mobile defense group, but he's done a much better job in recent games of creating breakout opportunities with a strong first pass rather than trying to rely on skating ability he simply doesn't possess.
It's put him on the precipice of ensuring he's in the lineup for Game 1 of the first round when the Sabres make their long-awaited return to the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Predicting how the Buffalo Sabres will line up defensively to open the NHL postseason
The Sabres turned a few heads at Sunday's practice when they switched up their top-four defense group. Owen Power joined Rasmus Dahlin to create a top pair of No. 1 overall draft picks, while Mattias Samuelsson slid down to skate with Bowen Byram on the second pair, per Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.
It'd be a surprise if Buffalo made those alterations on a full-time basis this late in the process. More likely, head coach Lindy Ruff was giving his core blueliners a little experience playing alongside different partners in case an injury arises in the postseason.
As it stands, it feels like this is how the Sabres defensive depth chart is shaping up to open the playoffs:
Pair | Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|---|
1st | Mattias Samuelsson | Rasmus Dahlin |
2nd | Owen Power | Bowen Byram |
3rd | Logan Stanley | Zach Metsa |
Scratched | Luke Schenn | Michael Kesselring |
Scratched | Conor Timmins |
Stanley feels like a lock simply because Kekalainen and Ruff have both expressed the importance of having a little bit on sandpaper defensively. There were concerns prior to the deadline about getting pushed around too much in front of the net. He's a solution to that problem.
It leaves basically one spot up for grabs, and Metsa seems to have the inside track.
The former Quinnipiac University standout has been an unexpected success story for the Sabres this season, albeit on the strength of an unsustainable run of PDO good fortune. While his upside is limited, he's a steady, reliable presence who generally avoids game-changing mistakes.
Kesselring feels like the best option in a vacuum, but he's dealt with lingering leg injuries dating all the way back to training camp. He's never looked all the way back to full strength, and he's seemingly fallen out of favor with Ruff as a result.
He was a major part of the JJ Peterka trade with the Utah Mammoth last summer (along with Josh Doan), and the Sabres would be wise to give him an opportunity to produce a bounce-back season in 2026-27 rather than moving on after an injury-plagued campaign.
As for the other options, Timmins missed a significant chunk of the second half with a broken leg and didn't stand out upon his return. Schenn is nothing more than depth and shouldn't see the ice unless a couple injuries arise.
So, it really comes down to Metsa or Kesselring, and the 5-foot-9 Wisconsin native has done enough to warrant a postseason opportunity. If he struggles early, then Kesselring may get a chance.
One thing's for sure: The Sabres have leaned heavily on their defensive group all season and that's not going to change in the playoffs. A lot of pressure is going to land of the shoulders of Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson and Byram to play strong two-way hockey if Buffalo is going to make a run.
It's one of the league's most impressive blue-line quartets, so there's reason for optimism in Western New York as the 14-year drought finally gets left in the rearview mirror.