On April 5, the Toronto Star reported that “After an NHL-record 14 seasons of futility, the Buffalo Sabres clinched a playoff spot on Saturday, April 4. A win by the New York Rangers over the Detroit Red Wings in regulation time locked up Buffalo’s first post-season berth since 2011. Only the NFL’s New York Jets, who last made the playoffs in 2010, had a longer active drought in North American pro sports.”
The Sabres, who finished with a record of 50-23-9 and 109 points, put them at the top of the Atlantic Division for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
“Somewhere in between — on a road trip through Western Canada — Buffalo bonded over ‘drinking beers’,” according to Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin and that might have helped flip a switch,” reported espn.com.
A new addition in the front office was general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen, formerly a GM for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was promoted to the Sabres GM spot on December 15, 2025, after the Sabres fired Kevyn Adams. The Sabres had an 11-14-4 record at that time. Since that spot in the season, the Sabres went on to a strong 31-6-2 stretch to finish the regular season.
Some may believe the Sabres finished so strongly because when Jarmo was first promoted, a team meeting was held, and the first thing he said was, “You guys are all replaceable and you must play free and without fear of failure.”
This speech sparked a growth-oriented mindset and determination in the locker room.
Jim Davis of appliedsportpsych.org explains, “Growth mindset is a mental schema that has the power to influence our thoughts, decisions, and behaviors. The positive implications are many, as well as welcoming challenges, mistakes, and feedback of any kind.” Primarily, having a positive mindset in the locker room drove them and the fans to a playoff birth.
What the Sabres can do to secure another playoff berth for the 2026-2027 season
Now that expectations are at a higher level for next season and there is a new man under the helm for free agency this year, more moves have to and will be made to better this roster. A big notice right now is right winger Alex Tuch’s contract is expiring, making him one of the best free agents on the list this offseason. The Sabres have 11.9-12.9 million dollars to spend. The tough part about an Alex Tuch reunion is that he wants around 10 to 11 million dollars, and the Sabres have some other personnel that they would like to bring back, including Zach Benson, Payton Krebs, and Beck Malenstyn.
If the Sabres decide to give Tuch what he wants, they will not be able to bring all of those other pieces back that heavily helped the Sabres through this playoff run. If there is another team that decides to give him more than the Sabres that fits Tuch’s needs and wants, he will most likely decide to go to that team. This will then give the Sabres way more room to make moves. If that does happen, they may be able to sign 21-year-old star Zach Benson to a bigger deal or talk about bringing in a few new names to the group.
Some new names that could help bolster this roster include defencemen Darryn Raddish who is a cheap but efficient option that could help pair with Bo Byram on the 2nd or 3rd line; Boone Jenner, reviously a Columbus Blue Jacket and and who also worked with Jarmo Kekkalinen, who would also be a cheaper option to fill in for Tuch’s spot; and lastly, Conor Murphy, who was a strong blue liner for the Oilers and Blackhawks last season who would be a decent fit, if the Sabres were to let go of Logan Stanley.
Will Jarmo decide to change the goaltending situation?
This season, for the first time in a while, goaltending was very consistent, but with Jarmo in the driver’s seat, he may want to make some moves to improve the goalie rotation. If there is a goalie trade, the most probable goalie to be dealt will be Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He is on a 5-year deal worth just under $24 million a season and will be entering the 3rd year of his contract next year.
“Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has played six seasons (190 games) with the Buffalo Sabres, compiling a 93-74-18 record with a 2.96 Goals-Against Average (GAA), a .900 save percentage (SV%), and 8 shutouts,” reported Sabres.com.
There are a couple of possible options who could come in return. These net-minders include Habs’ Sam Montembeault, Penguins Stuart Skinner, and the Wild’s young Jesper Wallsteadt. All goalies have some playoff experience. The Sabres also don’t necessarily have to acquire a goalie in return, since, of course, Alex Lyon could be a consistent starter shown this year in his first season with the Sabres, but Colton Ellis could contend to be a backup goalie.
Colten Ellis appeared in 16 regular-season games, posting an 8-4-2 record with a 2.90 GAA. If they want to continue with the old style 3 goalie rotation, they could call up Devon Levi, who played for the Rochester Americans all season without being called up. Levi does have some experience with the Sabres, posting a 17-17-2 record with a 3.29 goals-allowed average from the 2022-23 to the 2024-25 season across 39 appearances. Although a goalie trade will most likely not happen, there is still a chance the Sabres could surprise many.
Final Overview
Overall, the 2025-2026 Buffalo Sabres had an outstanding season, and players and coaching staff should be very proud of how well the team did. I personally wouldn’t go too crazy this offseason and mix up the whole locker room, but instead, try to solve the essential needs, locking up the players that they need to make another playoff run for next season.
