The Buffalo Sabres Stare the Longest active play -Off drought In North American Pro sports. Fourteen years is a long time to wait, and the 2024-25 season sometimes looked like it could be the year. I had predicted that it would be, but a brutal collapse of the middle season buried every hope. Yet this team is not without promise. Important pieces remain, the defense has been strengthened and part of the younger talent is ready to play larger roles.
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To finally break through Buffalo, different things have to go well. Here are five best-case scenarios that can make the 2025-26 season the season where the drought ends.
Best-Case Scenario 1: Thompson and Tuch Leiden again
Tage Thompson bounced back last season and reminded everyone why he is considered one of the most dangerous great men of the NHL. At the best he is almost impossible to comprehend, with a shot that every keeper can beat. Alex Tuch in the meantime remains the engine that floats Buffalo’s attack with its speed and strength.
If both can stay healthy and deliver more than 30 targets, the Sabres have the firepower to compete with someone. The loss of JJ Peterka is a blow, but the hope is that Thompson and Tuch can stabilize the top six and grow younger attackers without too much pressure.
Best-Case Scenario 2: Benson and Kulich Step Up Up up
Replacing the production of Peterka will not be easy, but two names stand out as the most likely to fill that void: Zach Benson and Jiri Kulich.
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Benson has already proven itself as a reliable two -way output, and could shine his play and hockey IQ with a greater role. Kulich, on the other hand, has shown flashes as a pure scorer. If he finds chemistry alongside Thompson or Ryan Mcleod, he could surprise with a campaign of 20 goals.
If both Benson and Kulich take meaningful steps forward, the Buffalo attack will not only survive – it can become more balanced than in recent years.
Best-case scenario 3: Dahlin and the new defense wear the load
For years, Buffalo’s defense has been a weakness. That can finally change. Rasmus Dahlin has settled as one of the most important all-round defenders of the competition. The additions of Michael Kesselring and Conor Timmins, combined with the continuous growth of Owen Power and Bowen Byram, give the Sabres their deepest blue line in years.
In a best-case world, Kesselring proves that he is more than just a figures of treasure and closes a top-four role. Power adds some physicalityByram remains healthy and Timmins becomes a steady contribution to the third parties. Suddenly Buffalo has a group that can limit opportunities instead of constantly haunting the game.
Best-Case Scenario 4: Luukkonen rediscovers his game
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen declined in 2024-25. He must regain his jam and be the goalkeeper he used to be. That said, he is only 26, and the Sabres hope that last season was the exception, not the rule.
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If Luukkonen can go back to the form that he shown in 2023-24-one .910 savings percentage and the possibility of stealing games, the ceiling of Buffalo dramatically. Alex Lyon is a capable backup and Devon Levi is waiting for another shot, but this team needs Luukkonen to reclaim his number 1 status.
Goal tending does not have to be spectacular. It just has to be stable. A bounce back year from Luukkonen could give the Sabres that stability.
Best-Case Scenario 5: Lindy Ruff presses the right buttons
The second Stint from Lindy Ruff in Buffalo has not been flexible so far. Critics wonder if the game has passed on him, but the experienced coach has also shown an adjustment flash.
In the best scenario, Ruff finds the right line combinations, trusts the young talent and leans on his renewed defense to play a more structured style. His familiarity with the market and the franchise means that he understands the weight of the drought better than anyone else. If he can guide this group through adversity and ensure that she strives when the tough racks strike, Buffalo will be in hunt in April.
The Bottom Line: Hope for a breakthrough
The Sabres don’t have to be perfect to make the play -offs. They need enough to go at the same time. Thompson and Tuch score in bunches, Benson and Kulich step forward, Dahlin led a deeper defense, Luukkonen stabilized the fold and villains best in his group – that’s the recipe.
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For a franchise desperately looking for a turning point, this season is a new chance to reset the story. The drought has defined Buffalo hockey for far too long. If everything clicks, 2025-26 could finally be the year it ends.
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