The Buffalo Sabres' rich history features several single-season records that may never be broken. It's a list that includes Pat LaFontaine's 148 points, Rob Ray's 354 penalty minutes or pretty much any goaltending mark currently held by the incomparable Dominik Hasek.
Yet, not every record is out of reach for the 2025-26 team, which is headlined by a group of stars that includes Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Owen Power. A breakthrough season for the struggling organization could include some record-breaking performances.
The question is, which franchise marks are in the biggest danger heading into the new campaign. Let's examine the most likely answers.
Points by a defenseman (81, Phil Housley in 1989-90)
Candidate to break the record: Dahlin
Dahlin has already put this record on notice a few times. His closest approach came in 2022-23 when he tallied 73 points in 78 games. It's no coincidence that happened when the Sabres made their best playoff push of recent memory, ultimately missing out by just one point.
That's the reality of why the Sabres haven't had many record-breaking seasons lately. It takes a village, so to speak. It's hard to single-handedly chase all-time marks if the four players on the ice at the same time aren't playing up to a certain standard.
That said, the good news for Dahlin is an 18-month rebuild of the Buffalo defensive corps has left him with a lot more support. He'll likely have Bowen Byram on his pair for most of campaign and it's possible he'll also share the blue line with Power at times.
Add in a ton of power-play minutes and the 25-year-old Swede should have both the support and the opportunities to score at a point-per-game pace. If that happens, he'll probably end up as a top contender for the Norris Trophy at season's end on top of seriously challenging Housley's record.
Point streak (18 games, Gilbert Perreault in 1971-72)
Candidate to break the record: Thompson
Only four Sabres players scored more than 53 points last season: Thompson (72), Dahlin (68), JJ Peterka (68) and Alex Tuch (67). Buffalo traded Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in late June and haven't made any marquee forward additions to fill the void.
In other words, scoring depth could be a major issue in 2025-26. What does that mean for Tage? More ice time in key situations, most notably when the Sabres are trailing in the third period. That could be quite often if recent history is a good indicator.
Thompson set average a career-high 18:45 in ice time per game last season. It wouldn't be a shock to see that number push closer to 20 minutes in 2025-26. The league's truly elite forwards typically play around 22 minutes per contest.
The 27-year-old UConn product averaged nearly a point per game over the past four years (290 points in 303 games). Add increased playing time in offensive-focused moments and it's easy to see him going on an extended point streak to challenge one of Perreault's many franchise records.