3 questions facing Buffalo Sabres

NHL.com is providing in-depth analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the Buffalo Sabres.

1. Can they do it again?

It's possible this is the one and only question that matters for the Sabres as they head into 2026-27. After a 14-season absence from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Buffalo finally made it back to the postseason, defeating the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference First Round in six games and making it to overtime of Game 7 of the second round against the Montreal Canadiens.

But if the Sabres follow that breakthrough season with one in which they miss out yet again on the playoffs, it could be a disaster.

So how does Buffalo take what it learned last season and use it to equal -- or better -- its results in 2026-27? How does it capitalize on the major step it took in the right direction last season?

“I think once you get a taste of success at that level, you just want more of it,” Sabres assistant general manager Josh Flynn said. “You’re just going to see that continue to drive these guys who are naturally driven athletes anyway. … It’s hard to quantify exactly, but let’s just say it’s one test passed in a series of several that’s going to lead to the ultimate goal.”​

2. What jump can the Sabres’ young core make?

The Sabres will enter this season with a lengthy list of players ready to make a jump, starting with Konsta Helenius and Zach Benson. But there are plenty more, such as Josh Doan, Jack Quinn, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich, many of whom showed flashes of who they can be last season and in the playoffs.

So the potential is there. The question is: Who pops this season?

That’s especially necessary since Buffalo lost its third-leading scorer last season in Alex Tuch, who had 66 points (33 goals, 33 assists) in 79 games, when they completed a sign-and-trade with the Washington Capitals on June 26. They need more from a core that is just breaking onto the scene in the NHL, a core that is bound to have its ups and downs as it adjusts to life in the NHL.

Benson, who was signed to a seven-year contract extension worth $52.5 million ($7.5 million average annual value) on June 24, is at the top of the list of players ready to explode.

“We all believe he’s just scratching the surface of his potential, so the expectation is just that he’s going to keep growing and keep uncovering more of his potential and keep emerging into a player who’s going to help us get to the promised land,” Flynn said.

And though Flynn was talking specifically about Benson there, there’s no question the sentiment could apply to more than one of the Sabres’ young players, including Helenius, who made an impression with two goals in four playoff games after playing in nine regular-season games last season, and Kulich, who missed all but 12 games last season with a blood clot issue.

3. What happens in net?

The offseason has been rife with rumors about the Sabres’ goaltending situation, which became a revolving door in the playoffs with time split between Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon. Most of those rumors have centered around Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner as the best in the NHL.

For the moment, the Sabres are heading into training camp with four goalies on their roster, Luukkonen, Lyon, Colten Ellis and Matt Villalta, all of whom except Villalta saw time for them last season.

But do they need to make an upgrade?

Lyon finished last season with a 20-10-4 record, a 2.77 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage and one shutout in 36 games (34 starts). Luukkonen had a 22-9-3 record, 2.52 GAA, .910 save percentage and one shutout in 35 games (34 starts), while Ellis had an 8-4-2 record, 2.90 GAA, .903 save percentage and one shutout in 16 games (14 starts).

In the playoffs, Lyon had a 2.59 GAA and .904 save percentage; Luukkonen had a 3.18 GAA and .876 save percentage. Both struggled in the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Canadiens, when coach Lindy Ruff was forced to alternate them. Lyon finished the series with an .847 save percentage, allowing 15 goals on 98 shots; Luukkonen finished with an .897 save percentage, allowing 10 goals on 97 shots.

Can Lyon and/or Luukkonen be the answer for a team that believes it’s ready for even more this season? Time will tell.