The last decade-plus of Buffalo Sabres hockey has seen an unprecedented lack of success reach historic levels. A 14-year playoff drought has haunted the team, city, and fan base, leaving them wondering when this nightmare will finally end. While there are pieces in place to stay competitive, it’s very possible that we could be headed towards another painful year of losing in Western New York.
The 2010-11 season was the last time hockey fans watched the Stanley Cup Playoffs feature the Buffalo Sabres. To make matters worse, they haven’t actually won a series since the 2006-07 postseason. We hate to pile on here, but these stats don’t even sound real, especially with some of the talent that’s been around throughout the misery. Everyone involved deserves better than this.
It made sense to rebuild the roster in the early to mid-2010s. The timing felt like it was lining up perfectly as all of the focus became about tanking to land the next generational superstar, Connor McDavid, atop the 2015 draft. Despite finishing with a league-worst 54 points in the regular season, Buffalo was leapfrogged by the Edmonton Oilers on draft lottery night, which was a precursor for all of the bad to come. Once you digested the results, landing Jack Eichel at second overall was still a great success for the franchise. Pairing him with the fellow high draft picks in Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen, and eventually Casey Mittelstadt saw the Sabres accumulating the exact type of young talent they so desperately needed.
Unfortunately, Sabre fans know all too well that drafting these kids full of potential doesn’t automatically mean success to come, unless it’s Connor McDavid. Some selections didn’t work out. Alex Nylander at eighth overall in 2016 stands out the most, while Ristolainen and Mittelstadt also never lived up to being eighth-overall picks themselves. The Eichels and Reinharts of the world did their best, but it wasn’t even close to enough. Through it all, Buffalo remained at the bottom of the standings, providing them the chance to nab Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn, and JJ Peterka with high draft picks in the years to come.
While all of these additions felt promising, the on-ice results of constant losing were the reason they had the chance to acquire them. That obviously began to weigh on the guys who had been around for a large portion of it, and in turn, they didn’t stick around much longer. First, it was Sam Reinhart to Florida, and months later, Jack Eichel to Vegas. Not to mention the likes of Linus Ullmark, Brandon Montour, Jake McCabe, and Evan Rodrigues, all leaving town to resurrect their careers elsewhere.
This photo sums that era up pretty well.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe initial wave of the rebuild came and went; now they had moved onto phase two. Along with the returns from dealing Reinhart (Levi) and Eichel (Tuch, Krebs), there was the breakout of Tage Thompson, and soon after came another first overall pick in Owen Power. Pair that with all of the young talent drafted in recent years, and the future felt really bright. Everyone thought this was finally starting to turn a corner, but for some reason, the Sabres still haven’t been able to put it together.
They’re coming much closer, but it still feels so far away. Instead of first-overall picks, they’re now slotting closer to the 10-15 range. But for the Buffalo Sabres and their fan base, that is no consolation prize, given they haven’t seen playoff hockey in 14 years.
Entering the 2025-26 season, pressure is on general manager Kevyn Adams to get this team back into the postseason. The problem is that’s much easier said than done, and the moves made so far this offseason might not help them achieve that goal. We know that JJ Peterka put the Sabres in a really tough spot, so they did a solid job of recouping young players that should help now and into the future. But let’s be honest, everyone in the organization would’ve preferred keeping Peterka, a 23-year-old who was their second-leading point scorer in 2024-25.
Not to mention, they are still dealing with the Bowen Byram contract/trade situation, which could further deplete the roster in the short term. Yes, he recently signed a two-year, $6.25 million AAV contract, but that now allows him to potentially become an unrestricted free agent at age 26. It leaves more questions than answers about whether or not his future will, in fact, be in Buffalo. And it’s not like this was some near-playoff team last season; you’re taking high-end talent off a team that just went 36-39-7.
All of this to say, next year will be a make-or-break season for this core group of the Buffalo Sabres. When I say that, I mean Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Alex Tuch. These are undoubtedly the three best players on the team, who are reaching a point in their careers where it’s time to start playing in meaningful hockey games. Thompson turns 28 in October, Dahlin 26 in April, and Tuch will be 30 in May. Four years ago it was all promise and potential with this core in their early to mid-20s. But those years have flown by with zero team success to follow, so it might be now or never for this core to win in Buffalo.
I know Sabres fans won’t want to hear this, but if the 2025-26 season doesn’t go well, they must consider the third iteration of this rebuild. Before you go crazy, just take a look at the Atlantic Division. Florida, Tampa Bay, and Toronto are all going to be juggernauts for the next 2-3 years. Montreal and Ottawa are on the rise and better positioned than Buffalo. Detroit and Boston are wildcards, but they’re at the very worst in the exact same spot as the Sabres. How is this team supposed to make the playoffs given the current state of the division? I actually like this Sabres’ roster, but there just isn’t a path to the postseason right now.
If there’s ever a year to start slow, realize you’re out of it, sell pieces, and look to the top of the draft, it’s 2026. Alex Tuch, heading into the final year of his contract as a pending UFA, would have the rest of the league lining up to make massive trade offers. Of course, this all depends on how things start in Buffalo next season. If they’re in the playoff mix, Kevyn Adams is going to do everything in his power to help this team sneak into the dance. But if by Christmas, or even US Thanksgiving, it’s clear that the Sabres are not on the right track, then they have to shift the direction and focus quickly.
How much longer are Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin going to be able to handle losing? We’ve already heard rumblings about Dahlin’s malcontent with it all (whether it’s true or not), and Thompson surely feels the same way. I’m not saying Buffalo has to trade both or even one of them in this scenario, but it wouldn’t hurt to acquire another haul of young players, picks, and prospects in hopes of building for 2-3 years from now. Because let’s be honest, that’s the best opportunity for the Sabres to compete in the Atlantic. That’s when the Panthers, Lightning, and Maple Leafs will likely be on the downswing. So while the Red Wings and Bruins try to stay competitive and hover around the playoffs, do the smart thing and rebuild to climb ahead of them in a few years time. I understand it feels impossible to think this way after missing the playoffs 14 straight times, but it is the logical thing to do.
The 2026 NHL draft looks like one of the best classes in recent memory. We all know how special Gavin McKenna projects to be, but it’s not just him. Keaton Verhoeff, Ryan Roobroeck, Ethan Belchetz, and Ivar Stenberg are all franchise-altering pieces and exactly what the Sabres need and should want. Everyone else around the league is trying to improve and win next season (besides the Pittsburgh Penguins); the Sabres have to exploit that and take a quick step back, especially if they start poorly.
Attracting players to come to Buffalo via trade or free agency is tough enough to begin with; combine that with the current losing culture, and it’s almost impossible. The best way to land top talent is through the draft, and the 2026 and 2027 classes provide an amazing opportunity to do so.
This doesn’t need to be a full-blown rebuild; we’ve been through that already. Think of it as more of a 2-3 year step back, trading Alex Tuch and maybe even Tage Thompson to leap forward coming out of it. Also, let me be clear, I would keep Dahlin; given his age and abilities, his style of play is perfectly suited for the playoffs, and he should remain the captain for a long time in Buffalo.
The Sabres already have a lot of pieces in the range that will be ready to compete in 2-3 years. If they can land 1 or 2 of these high-end top prospects over the next two drafts and get building blocks from dealing Tuch and possibly Thompson, then you can really see a team becoming a threat in the Atlantic sooner rather than later.
Dahlin (25), Power (22), Benson (20), Quinn (23), and Kulich (21) are the foundation. But you can’t forget about all of the prospects Buffalo has that will soon be coming in Noah Ostlund, Anton Wahlberg, Konsta Helenius, and Radim Mrtka. Not to mention other pieces like Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, Michael Kesselring, and Devon Levi, who fit in this timeline. Let’s just spitball here and say the Sabres add Ryan Roobroeck in 2026 and another elite forward in 2027, on top of the assets recouped by trading the more veteran players on the roster. This team would become at least a playoff contender by 2027-2028, and the years to follow would be even better.
The dream would, of course, be Gavin McKenna, but Sabre fans are not going to believe they’ll land him until they see it after the Connor McDavid heartbreak. Though we did just see the New York Islanders jump 10 spots to hit the lottery and select Matthew Schaefer, so anything is possible. Like we said, even if it’s Ryan Roobroeck, Keaton Verhoeff, Ivar Stenberg, Ethan Belchetz, or Viggo Bjork, you’re getting a potential franchise player.
Absolutely nobody in Buffalo wants to consider the Sabres taking another step back after more than a decade of trying to rebuild and retool with no success. We all love Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, but this team is unlikely to ever seriously compete anytime soon with them at the helm. If the 2026 and 2027 draft classes were weak, then this plan wouldn’t make sense. But these could be two of the better drafts we’ve seen in a long time, so you have to consider shifting your vision. At first thought, many will say no chance; we have to push for the playoffs right now, and I totally get it. But would you rather do that and maybe sneak in one year and never get anywhere, or be patient, take a brief step back, and become a real contender in a few years when the Atlantic Division is truly open for the taking? It won’t be easy for anyone involved to stomach, but this is what smart organizations do, and with where the Buffalo Sabres currently are, it could be a shrewd change in philosophy that pays off in the long run. Just some food for thought.
The Sports Outsider 
Leave a comment