This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and sign up, make a deposit, or place a wager, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Sabres' Alex Lyon: Surrenders three goals in preseason action
Rotowire
Lyon allowed three goals on 19 shots in Monday's 4-1 preseason loss to the Penguins. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.
Lyon allowed two goals at even strength and one on the power play in the Sabres' preseason opener. The veteran netminder wasn't at his best in this game, specifically on the game's opening goal, which was scored by Connor Dewar. Lyon will almost certainly more action during Buffalo's preseason schedule, which concludes at home Saturday against Pittsburgh.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Alex Lyon: Drawing start in Pittsburgh
Rotowire
Lyon will be in goal for Monday's preseason game in Pittsburgh, according to Josh Getzoff of SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Lyon will look to get off to a good start in exhibition play Monday, as head coach Lindy Ruff might elect to ride the hot hand during the 2026-27 campaign. While Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will likely compete for the bulk of the starts this season, both netminders seem to have the upper hand for playing time over Colten Ellis.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Louis Crevier: Suits up for scrimmage
Rotowire
Crevier (shoulder) played in Saturday's scrimmage, per Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.
Crevier underwent a shoulder procedure in the offseason, but he has been practicing without restrictions early in training camp. His presence in the intra-squad scrimmage likely clears him ahead of the team's preseason schedule. The 25-year-old blueliner had seven goals, 25 points, 114 shots on net, 124 hits and 95 blocked shots across 78 regular-season games for Chicago in 2025-26. Crevier has a solid shot at making the Sabres' roster ahead of Opening Night, and will battle against the team's other depth right-shot defensemen, Zach Metsa and Radim Mrtka, for an everyday role. Crevier could have another productive two-way season in his first campaign with Buffalo.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Jack Quinn: Draws praise ahead of camp
Rotowire
Quinn drew praise from head coach Lindy Ruff on Wednesday ahead of training camp, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.
Quinn appeared in all 82 regular-season games last year and put together a career-best performance with 20 goals, 31 assists, 52 hits, 25 blocked shots and 18 PIM while averaging 15:39 of ice time. Fairburn speculates that Quinn's success could put him in the mix for a top-line role this year, but he displayed chemistry with Ryan McLeod last season and could operate as a middle-six option. Regardless of which line Quinn begins the year on, he should have opportunities to build upon his momentum during the 2026-27 campaign.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Could see increased work early in season
Rotowire
Head coach Lindy Ruff indicated Wednesday that Kulich could step in for Jason Zucker (abdomen) early in the 2026-27 season, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.
Zucker is slated to miss the start of the 2026-27 campaign while recovering from sports hernia surgery, which could lead to increased early-season opportunities for Kulich. The 22-year-old Kulich made 12 regular-season appearances for Buffalo last year and recorded three goals, two assists, 12 blocked shots, nine hits and four PIM while averaging 16:22 of ice time.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Tage Thompson: Could begin camp as No. 1 center
Rotowire
Head coach Lindy Ruff indicated Wednesday that he wants to begin training camp with Thompson working as the Sabres' No. 1 center, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.
Thompson has spent time on the wing and in the middle, but the Sabres seem interested in seeing how the lineup would fare with him centering the top line. Thompson made a career-high 81 regular-season appearances last year. He racked up 40 goals, 41 assists, 85 hits, 48 blocked shots and 35 PIM while averaging 19:15 of ice time per game. Regardless of where he lines up in 2026-27, the 28-year-old should continue to have plenty of opportunities to contribute.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Justin Danforth: Expected to be ready
Rotowire
Danforth should be ready for the start of training camp after undergoing a minor procedure in his knee, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports Wednesday.
There were apparently some doubts originally about whether Danforth would be ready for the start of camp, but it seems he is good to go. In his four regular-season games with the Sabres last year, the 33-year-old winger failed to get on the scoresheet. Still, Danforth has been a 20-point producer in the past and could offer low-end fantasy value in deeper formats if he can rediscover that form.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Colten Ellis: Could be part of timeshare early
Rotowire
Ellis could be part of a timeshare in the crease early in the 2026-27 campaign if he makes the Opening Night roster, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports Wednesday.
Head coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday that the Sabres' goaltenders will likely share the net to begin the 2026-27 campaign. While Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon will likely see the most playing time in the crease this year, Ellis could benefit from a timeshare if he breaks camp with the Sabres. Across 16 appearances with the NHL club last year, Ellis went 8-4-2 with a 2.90 GAA and .903 save percentage.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Alex Lyon: Slated to get solid workload
Rotowire
Although Lyon is projected to start 2026-27 as Buffalo's No. 2 goaltender, he should play more than a typical understudy, per Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 on Wednesday.
Buffalo plans to split the goaltending duties rather than have firm starter and backup roles. Lyon posted a 20-10-4 record, a 2.77 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 36 regular-season appearances with Buffalo last year. It wouldn't be surprising to see him get a similar workload in 2026-27 while sharing the net primarily with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and occasionally with Colten Ellis.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Expected to share net once again in 2026-27
Rotowire
Head coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday that Luukkonen and the Sabres' other goaltenders will likely share the net early in the 2026-27 campaign, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.
The Sabres utilized a timeshare in the crease for most of the 2025-26 campaign, and that trend is expected to continue into the 2026-27 season. Luukkonen should share playing time with Alex Lyon, as well as Colten Ellis if he's included on the Opening Night roster. The Sabres and the rest of the NHL have an abbreviated training camp ahead of the regular season, so it isn't particularly surprising that the team will use a timeshare to preserve the long-term health of its goaltenders.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Jason Zucker: Won't be ready for start of season
Rotowire
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Wednesday that Zucker is recovering from sports hernia surgery and won't be ready for the start of the regular season, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.
Zucker hasn't appeared in more than 73 regular-season games in any of the past three years. Kekalainen suggested that Zucker could miss a "couple of weeks" to begin the 2026-27 campaign, which might put the 34-year-old back on the ice in mid-October. Across 62 regular-season appearances last year, Zucker recorded 24 goals, 21 assists, 57 hits, 23 PIM and 21 blocked shots while averaging 15:37 of ice time per game.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Louis Crevier: Recovering from shoulder surgery
Rotowire
Crevier underwent shoulder surgery over the offseason, but he might be ready for the start of training camp, according to Heather Engel of NHL.com on Wednesday.
Crevier had seven goals, 25 points, 63 PIM, 124 hits and 95 blocks in 78 regular-season appearances with the Blackhawks in 2025-26. The 25-year-old is likely to begin the campaign as a member of the third pairing if he's healthy. If Crevier ends up needing to miss time, then that could create an opportunity for Dennis Gilbert or Zach Metsa to dress in Buffalo's season opener.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Noah Ostlund: Inks eight-year extension
Rotowire
Ostlund (lower body) signed an eight-year, $52.8 million contract extension with Buffalo on Monday.
Ostlund generated 11 goals, 27 points, 60 shots on net and 30 blocked shots across 60 regular-season appearances with the Sabres in 2025-26. He missed the final eight games of Buffalo's postseason run because of a lower-body injury, but he expressed optimism in May that he would be fine in a couple of weeks. Assuming he didn't suffer any setbacks during the offseason, Ostlund should be available for the start of training camp.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Topias Leinonen: Injured in summer training
Rotowire
Leinonen will miss some time due to a lower-body injury he sustained over the summer, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports.
Leinonen split time between the AHL and ECHL in 2025-26, playing in a total of 15 games. The injury will cost him some time, but the Sabres don't have a picture of how long he'll be out just yet. Once healthy, he'll be an option in goal for AHL Rochester.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Zach Metsa: Inks one-year extension
Rotowire
Metsa signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Sabres on Friday.
Metsa is set to play out the second season of his two-year, $1.63 million contract in 2026-27, but before he signed this extension, he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The 27-year-old had two goals, six points, a plus-16 rating, eight PIM, five hits and 31 blocks in 43 regular-season outings in 2025-26. Metsa is likely to make Buffalo's Opening Night roster, but he might not be in the lineup regularly.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Radim Mrtka: Likely to play in minors
Rotowire
Mrtka is expected to play full-time with AHL Rochester during the 2026-27 campaign, per Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.
While the 19-year-old Mrtka was rumored to be expendable during the 2026 trade deadline if Colton Parayko was made available, he's expected to stick around in Buffalo's organization with AHL Rochester to begin the season. However, the 19-year-old blueliner can still return to the WHL if it is considered the best route for his development. The ninth overall selection from the 2025 NHL Entry Draft flashed his offensive skills at the junior level last season with a goal and 33 assists across 43 regular-season appearances with WHL Seattle. Mrtka profiles more as a defensive force and will look to carve out a regular role in the AHL ahead of his age-20 campaign, but he also has a chance to debut in the NHL by the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
Buffalo acquired Funk from Washington on Monday in exchange for Tyler Kopff.
Funk contributed two helpers and eight PIM in 10 regular-season outings for AHL Hershey last year. He also played with ECHL South Carolina in the 2025-26 campaign, where he had 10 assists and 19 points in 23 regular-season appearances before he got one goal over nine playoff contests. The 22-year-old winger hasn't made his NHL debut yet, and he will probably begin 2026-27 in the minors.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Peyton Krebs: Lands four-year deal
Rotowire
Krebs signed a four-year, $18 million contract with Buffalo on Monday.
Krebs set career highs in the 2025-26 regular season with 12 goals and 39 points in 82 games. He also added 93 shots on net, 201 hits and 78 PIM. Krebs mostly occupied a top-six role, but he might settle into a bottom-six spot in the 2026-27 campaign. However, he could move up the depth chart if injuries occur.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Matt Villalta: Signs one-year contract
Rotowire
Villalta signed a one-year, two-way contract with Buffalo on Saturday.
Villalta posted a 16-12-3 record with a 3.10 GAA and an .844 save percentage across 33 regular-season appearances for AHL Tucson in 2025-26. He will probably spend most, if not all, of the 2026-27 campaign with AHL Rochester.
1:53
1:48
0:34
1:19
0:57
1:41
1:35
0:58
1:49
1:46
1:37
1:57
1:59
1:34
3:54
1:03
0:55
0:42
0:41
