3 Reasons the Buffalo Sabres Will Return to the Playoffs in 2027

The Buffalo Sabres made the playoffs for the first time in what felt like several generations in 2026, unleashing one of the league’s best fan bases. While it was mostly good times had by all, the Sabres are looking ahead to the future.

The offseason is already off to a solid start, if with Alex Tuch going out the door in a sign-and-trade. Though there are some doubters, the Sabres have put themselves in a position to not only make a run at making the playoffs once again but winning the Atlantic Division again as well.

They Still Have One of the Game’s Best Defensive Groups

The biggest change to one of the best defensive groups in the NHL came in the form of a Bowen Byram trade, one of the most impressive balancing acts done by an NHL general manager this season. Getting Louis Crevier, a big puck-moving defender, back in the deal was just the icing on the cake.

Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson are back to give the Sabres an elite top three. Crevier and the newly acquired Olen Zellweger will compete for second-pairing minutes, while Conor Timmins and Zach Metsa are the favorites to land bottom-pairing spots.

The Sabres remain as strong as anyone in the NHL defensively, relying on smooth-skating, puck-moving defensemen across the board. Crevier brings much-needed size, and a fully healthy Timmins will be an asset killing penalties. This should once again be a tremendous group for Buffalo.

Forward Depth Remains Strong

Despite losing Tuch and his 33 goals, the Sabres may not have taken as big a hit as it seems. There is still time to potentially add a free agent but even if they go with the group they have, they have strong depth through all four lines.

Jiri Kulich is back and healthy again. Konsta Helenius and Noah Ostlund have shown flashes and appear ready to take on bigger roles. All three are almost undoubtedly going to produce at a higher level than what we’ve seen, adding to a strong core of solid forwards led by Tage Thompson.

They may not have a super-duper-star like other teams, but the Sabres have a ton of offense talent and have proven their ability to score at five-on-five. They have a lot of ascending talent that could potentially all pop off this season, making them tougher than ever to face.

Built to Combat Variance in Net

Goaltending has become one of the most difficult things to replicate season over season. Goalies have a brilliant season only to fall off all the time. What’s nice for the Sabres is that they are going in with a trio of goalies, insulating themselves from a big drop off.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis all played above board in 2025-26, a major reason for the team’s success. While it would be expected for one of them to fall off, expecting all three to have significant drops would be a lot to predict. The Sabres have built their net to withstand a drop in play from one, maybe even two, of the trio.

Of course, General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen could acquire superstar goalie Connor Hellebuyck and change the equation entirely.

Higher Motivation Going into 2026-27

As much pressure and motivation as there was in 2025-26 to end the drought, the pressure will be ratcheted up in the coming season. No one on the roster wants to make it seem like an anomaly season, a fluke in which all things that could go right did.

With that motivation, not to mention so many young players looking to elevate their games, it makes sense for the Sabres to shock the world again. At the same time, it will show that the Sabres are for real and this young core isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.