4 Wild Predictions for the Buffalo Sabres This Season

The dust has settled in what was an eventful offseason for the Buffalo Sabres. They still have high hopes coming off the team’s first playoff appearance since 2011, not to mention the first division championship since 2009-10.

They remain one of the deepest rosters in the league, ripe with potential breakout candidates among their youthful core. With everyone wondering how they will follow one of the greatest seasons in franchise history, here are four wild predictions that you can take to the bank for 2026-27.

Jack Quinn Will Score 40 Goals

There are a few divisive players on the current roster and Quinn’s name is near the top. The eighth overall pick in 2020, Quinn has flashed high-end skill for years though he ultimately found himself set back by injury after injury.

After a rocky start to the 2025-26 season, three goals, eight points in his first 20 games, Quinn began to find his game. He finished with 17 goals and 43 points in the final 60 games of the regular season. Even more impressively, he looked dominant at times in the playoffs, completely controlling the puck and creating high-danger chances.

With Alex Tuch off to Washington, there is huge opportunity to be had within the top six. Quinn has a lethal shot and still hit a career-high in goals despite shooting a career-worst 10.5%. If he can spend the majority of his time one of the top two lines and get significant power play time, he could explode offensively on a completely different level.

Owen Power Will Tally More Than 50 Points and Become a Legitimate Top-Pairing Defenseman

Like Quinn, Power has been one of the most divisive members of the team. Such is the life when you are a first overall pick; the expectations are in another stratosphere. Power, entering his sixth season, is believed by many to be in the class of defensemen that teammate Rasmus Dahlin currently occupies.

While he may never quite reach that level, it feels like Power is ready to take a major step forward in 2026-27. His offensive numbers dipped a season ago, but it came with noticeable improvement in his own end.

Power has flashed promising offensive ability in the past (he had 40 points two seasons ago). With Bowen Byram gone to Chicago, there will be more opportunities for Power. Given how much head coach Lindy Ruff leans on the defensemen he trusts, it should mean Power delivering on his tremendous potential and notching 10 goals and 50 points for the first time in his career.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Becomes a Top 10 Goalie (Statistically)

Luukkonen caught a lot of flak for his playoff performance, and rightfully so. He went 3-3 with an ugly 3.18 goals against average and an even uglier .876 save percentage, giving up a soft goal in overtime of Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens to end the season.

While that might not sound like an endorsement of a guy about to become a league-leader, his regular season numbers are. Among goalies with at least 20 games played in 2025-26, Luukkonen was impressive. He had a .910 save percentage (seventh), 2.52 goals against average (ninth), and 10.5 goals saved above expected (tied for 15^th).

Luukkonen will be once again part of a platoon, but he is the best equipped to take the reins. Alex Lyon had an anomaly season at age 33 and Colten Ellis still feels like a true backup even with the team being high on him. Luukkonen has a ton of talent and flashes dominant stretches. In 2026-27, look for him to take control of the crease and become one of the best statistical goaltenders in the league. All that’s left then is for him to prove himself on the biggest stage.

Jiri Kulich Notches 30 Goals

For all the talk about the trio of young studs the Sabres will be deploying this season, it feels like Jiri Kulich is a bit slept on. He showed flashes as a 20-year-old rookie in 2024-25, scoring 15 goals in 62 games.

He has good size, a strong shot, and quality one-on-one skills. Before he left with a blood clot, he was playing on the top line. A full camp will help him shake off the rust from time missed, so it shouldn’t take him that long to ramp back up.

Kulich is one of the names that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is banking on to take a big step forward. The young Czech has the tool set to make an immediate impact and help make up for the goals that left with Tuch.

What a Time to Be a Sabres Fan

For the first time in eons, there is hope and excitement for Sabres fans entering the offseason. The Sabres will find it tough to repeat in a stacked Atlantic Division, but they are firmly in the contender tier for the first time in a long time.

What the ceiling is for this team remains to be seen. They have so much talent, some of it ready to explode onto the national scene. They have major losses to account for but it feels like they are finally imposition to deliver and keep the team’s contention window firmly open.