Buffalo Sabres Vs. Columbus Blue Jackets – Lineups And Game Notes

The Buffalo Sabres travel to face the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on October 1, 2026, to open their 2026-27 NHL regular season. Starting goaltenders for the contest are Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for Buffalo and Jet Greaves for Columbus. The matchup marks Buffalo's 56th season opener in franchise history and only their second season opener played on the road in the past 13 seasons.

Buffalo's projected forward lines feature Josh Norris centering Tage Thompson and Josh Doan, alongside top defensive pair Mattias Samuelsson and Rasmus Dahlin. Doan enters the game on a four-game point streak against Columbus, while Thompson holds the Sabres franchise record with 11 career goals against the Blue Jackets. Several players are sidelined with injuries, including Jason Zucker, Olen Zellweger, and Alex Lyon.