The Sabres finally made their long-awaited return to the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, and now league-wide expectations are on the rise for Buffalo.
The Buffalo Sabres received significant backing in The Athletic's annual preseason predictions poll ahead of the 2026-27 NHL campaign. The poll revealed that 96.6% of ballots projected Buffalo to reach the playoffs, while 20.7% selected the Sabres as the league's top dark horse Stanley Cup contender. Additionally, writer Mark Lazerus predicted the club would win the Stanley Cup, contingent on potentially trading for goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
Tim Daniels highlights that Buffalo faces early pressure following the offseason departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram alongside several preseason injuries. Key players Jason Zucker, Mattias Samuelsson, and Conor Timmins are starting the season on injured reserve. The writer argues that cornerstone stars Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson must carry the team early as younger forwards develop and find their footing.
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