The Buffalo Sabres are facing a lot of questions as the 2026 NHL offseason winds toward its conclusion. The team, which finished with the fourth-most points in the league last season (109), lost winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram without bringing in proven replacements.
Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet admitted the Sabres were a “tricky” club to grade based on their summer moves because the Tuch and Byram trades were understandable — neither star was going to sign a long-term contract extension with Buffalo — but added it’s “hard to say” the franchise’s roster for 2026-27 is in a better place without them.
Dixon ultimately opted to give the Sabres a B grade, and noted there’s one unsettled piece of business that could change the outlook before training camp arrives in September.
“The question that will hang over Western New York until there’s clear resolution is, can the Sabres swing a deal for Connor Hellebuyck, if the decorated goalie is indeed moved by the Winnipeg Jets?” Dixon wrote Tuesday. “We know Buffalo has thrown its hat in the ring and pulling that one off would make this an offseason to remember.”
Although Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen was heavily linked to a potential Hellebuyck acquisition ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft in late June, the buzz around those rumors have died down substantially, especially over the past few weeks.
Buffalo was also a finalist in the free-agent race to sign future Hockey Hall of Fame winger Patrick Kane, a Buffalo native, but he decided to sign on for a second stint with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blue and Gold did make a couple additions on the blue line in Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier, but both defensemen remain a work in progress.
So, the uncertainty about how to view the Sabres’ offseason is legitimate. For example, the return package for Byram, which included the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft used to select prized prospect Daxon Rudolph, was incredibly strong despite losing a key defender.
It leaves Buffalo in far more of a “wait and see” situation than most teams at this stage of the offseason, where most of the marquee moves are already completed.
We’ll see if Kekalainen has any more deals up his sleeve before the Sabres open the 2026-27 campaign Oct. 1 with a road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Bleacher Report delivers similar assessment of Buffalo Sabres’ summer moves
It’s seems like most national NHL analysts are reaching the same conclusion about the Sabres’ offseason, which isn’t necessarily a surprise.
Sara Civian of Bleacher Report described every team’s offseason in one word on Tuesday and chose “pending” for Buffalo, also pointing to the Tuch and Byram exits, the Hellebuyck speculation and the organizational bet on internal improvement.
“Still, it’s a bit of a gamble parting ways with two skilled and experienced players,” Civian wrote. “Connor Hellebuyck could change everything, but of course his availability and price are up in the air.”
At this point, it feels like Winnipeg is going to do everything in its power to convince the three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie to spend another season with the franchise because it’s unlikely the Jets’ sky-high asking price will be met.
So, unless Hellebuyck decides to play hard ball with a trade demand as training camp moves closer, it seems like the chances of that blockbuster addition are beginning to fade, at least for the time being.
As a result, there are increasing odds the Sabres arrive to camp with their current roster.
That doesn’t mean a drop off is guaranteed. Buffalo would still be returning a vast majority of its key contributors from last season, getting Jiri Kulich back from a blood clot and leaning on other young players like Jack Quinn, Noah Ostlund and Konsta Helenius to help pick up the slack. It’s also betting on Zach Benson and Josh Doan to take another step toward NHL stardom, too.
It merely creates a wider ranger of potential outcomes for the team’s 2026-27 season, especially given the loaded nature of the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division. There won’t be much margin for error as the Sabres hope their emerging players fill key roles.
On a positive note, Kekalainen still has $5.1 million in salary-cap space (via PuckPedia) to weaponize. If nothing materializes before the offseason ends, that’ll be valuable flexibility to fill a roster hole or two as the campaign moves toward the 2027 NHL trade deadline.
So, the Sabres could enter the new season making a major bet on internal improvement and, if it doesn’t happen (at least to the degree they need it to), a blockbuster deal to bolster the playoff push could give the club the in-season boost it needs.
It’s all part of the same conclusion: there are ample questions and few indisputable answers as Buffalo stands less than two months from Opening Night.
