NHL EDGE stats 2026-27 season outlook for Buffalo Sabres

As part of NHL.com's 32 in 32 series, we will identify key NHL EDGE stats for each team to preview the 2026-27 season. Today, three advanced metrics trends surrounding the Buffalo Sabres.

1. Thompson’s shot speed

Tage Thompson became the fifth player in Sabres history to reach the 40-goal mark three times and the fourth to accomplish that feat in consecutive seasons (others: Rick Martin, Danny Gare, Pat LaFontaine). Thompson’s elite shot speed continues to drive his goal-scoring prowess; Thompson led NHL forwards and ranked third in the entire League in 90-plus mph shot attempts (44; behind Darren Raddysh’s 96, Evan Bouchard’s 51). Thompson also excelled in hardest shot (97.94 mph; sixth among forwards) and average shot speed (65.32 mph; 97th percentile).

As a team, the Sabres ranked among the top five in both average shot speed (59.78 mph; second) and 90-plus mph shot attempts (94; fourth). Thompson had three of the seven hardest shots on goal among forwards this season, including a memorable sequence against the Washington Capitals on March 12 when he recorded four shots of at least 90 mph in a 14-second span.

Thompson’s premier advanced shooting metrics extend to shots by location; he ranked in the 90th percentile or higher among forwards in the following categories last season:

• High-danger shots on goal: 73 (93rd percentile)
• High-danger goals: 15 (90th percentile)
• Mid-range shots on goal: 110 (99th percentile; fifth in NHL)
• Mid-range goals: 19 (99th percentile (99th percentile; third in NHL)
• Long-range shots on goal: 41 (99th percentile; tied for fourth at position)
• Long-range goals: three (97th percentile; tied for 10th at position)

2. Goals-by-location prowess

The Sabres ranked among the League leaders in both high-danger goals (142; tied for sixth) and mid-range goals (94; tied for third). Buffalo’s 236 goals from high-danger and mid-range zones combined ranked third in the NHL closely behind the Carolina Hurricanes (239) and Tampa Bay Lightning (237). One of the biggest reasons the Sabres returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, ending a 14-season drought, was their opportunistic scoring; they were tied with the Chicago Blackhawks for the NHL lead in high-danger shooting percentage (22.7) and ranked fifth in mid-range shooting percentage (13.5).

In terms of high-danger goals, forwards Jason Zucker (team-high 19, 96th percentile) and Josh Doan (17; 94th percentile) both ranked in the 94th percentile or higher among forwards last season. Zach Benson, who scored 10 of his career-high 13 goals last season from high-danger zones, should help offset the departure of Alex Tuch (traded to Capitals on June 26); Tuch ranked second on Buffalo in high-danger goals (18; 95th percentile) last season.

The Sabres should continue to see offensive production from their defensemen in 2026-27. Rasmus Dahlin had a career-high 74 points (19 goals, 55 assists) last season, which ranked sixth among NHL defensemen and was the most by a Sabres player at the position since Phil Housley (81 in 1989-90). Dahlin was tied for the defenseman lead in high-danger goals (six) and ranked highly at the position in high-danger shots on goal (18; tied for sixth), mid-range shots on goal (65; tied for fourth) and mid-range goals (eight; tied for eighth). The addition of Olen Zellweger, who had 10 high-danger goals (87th percentile) last season, could help Buffalo overcome the departure of Bowen Byram (traded to Blackhawks on June 24).

3. Skating speed

As a team, Buffalo ranked third in 20-plus mph speed bursts (2,213) last season and had several juggernauts in terms of skating speed. Forward Beck Malenstyn had the fastest max skating speed (24.94 mph on March 12) during the regular season or playoffs since the start of the puck and player tracking era (2021-22). Forward Ryan McLeod was seventh in the entire NHL in 20-plus mph speed bursts (316), while Zellweger ranked fifth in the category (170) among defensemen.

Jack Quinn (203; 96th percentile), Mattias Samuelsson (93; 94th percentile) and Thompson (176; 91st percentile) were also standouts at their respective positions in 20-plus mph speed bursts last season, giving the team plenty of speed for its transition offense. Per NHL EDGE IQ, the Sabres ranked third in the League in goals off the rush (97), meaning those scored within five seconds of crossing the offensive blue line.