Locked On Sabres - Daily Podcast On The Buffalo Sabres

There are going to be big trade ideas for the Buffalo Sabres in the summer of 2026, but none will be bigger than trading for Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. There is plenty of reason to believe Hellebuyck wants to be done in Winnipeg and wants to go somewhere where he can win the Stanley Cup. The Sabres should be one of the teams on the list. Sneaky Joe believes if Hellebuyck were to be acquired by the Sabres, they would be Stanley Cup favorites, in at least the Eastern Conference. Despite three Vezina Trophies and a Hart Trophy, there is some doubt as to whether Hellebuyck is still the player he once was, after a down year. Joe breaks down his 2025-26 season and historical data of goalies at his age to show that you should believe he is still in the middle of his prime.

What would the trade cost? Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen would almost certainly have to be in the deal going back to the Jets. Pairing Hellebuyck with Alex Lyon could create the perfect environment not to exhaust Hellebuyck, and get the most out of him come playoff time.

Indeed

KALSHI

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Alex Tuch is the big story of the offseason for the Buffalo Sabres, but he might not be who GM Jarmo Kekäläinen is prioritizing first. With reports that Jarmo and Bo Byram's agent will meet next week to talk extension, it's time to figure out what a long-term deal looks like for Byram. Should Byram want to stay in Buffalo as a second pair defenseman for the long haul? A Byram extension would seemingly eliminate the possibility that the Sabres revisit the Colton Parayko trade that they nearly completed at the trade deadline. Plus, what will Zach Benson's next deal look like? The Sabres should want to sign him long-term, but will Benson push for a bridge deal? The next step in his game could make him a $9M+ player if they don't sign him now.

Indeed

KALSHI

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The Buffalo Sabres lost their series to the Montréal Canadiens in large part because their goaltenders got out played. Will the Sabres bring back all of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis next season? Both Jarmo Kekäläinen and Lindy Ruff sounded like that is their plan in their end of season press conferences. Is this the right move? Are there ideas this summer to improve on the trio? Could Colten Ellis matter more to the combo next season? And what it sounds like will happen with Devon Levi, who will need to clear waivers next season to be sent to the AHL.

Plus, Lindy 100% earns his two-year contract extension with the team. Jarmo sounds like a GM that doesn't feel the need to sign Alex Tuch if he doesn't take a hometown discount. Jarmo DOES sound like a GM that wants to sign Bowen Byram and Zach Benson to long-term deals this summer.

Indeed

KALSHI

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The Buffalo Sabres dream season has finally come to an end at the hands of Alex Newhook and the Montréal Canadiens in overtime of Game 7. A total heartbreaking end to a season no one will ever forget. The Sabres were the better team in Game 7, dominating play for at least 50 minutes, but once again in this series it was goaltending that made all the difference. Jakub Dobeš made big time saves down the stretch, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen ended his season with an all too familiar soft goal. How at fault was UPL for the loss? Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson made a big mistake on the final shift, after having incredible games, especially Dahlin. The Sabres captain willed the team back into overtime and nearly won the game.

Plus, why Sneaky Joe doesn't believe Beck Malenstyn's quick whistle goal should've counted, but Philip Danault's first goal shouldn't have counted. And why the Canadiens seemed more able to win games that they were outplayed in, versus the Sabres who needed to outplay their opponent to win.

Indeed

KALSHI

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The Buffalo Sabres facing elimination go to Montréal and stampede the Canadiens with an 8-3 win. It was arguably the most complete playoff game the Sabres have played all playoffs, with the only negative being Alex Lyon in the first period. Led by a five-point night by Rasmus Dahlin and another stellar performance from Zach Benson, the Sabres new look lineup came to play. Especially the new top line of Benson-Josh Norris-Tage Thompson. Lindy Ruff decided to mix up the lines, and it worked expertly. Zach Metsa entering the lineup also was a good sign. With Lyon having such a terrible first period, it was up to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to come in and save the day. While not tested a ton, UPL made some critical saves, and is now looking at being the starting for Game 7.

Hims

Indeed

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Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Four guys that are expected to be the best at their positions on the Buffalo Sabres. Four guys that all let the team down in some way in a 6-3 Game 5 loss to the Montréal Canadiens. Tuch has some of the worst numbers for the series that you could possible imagine. Tage and Dahlin continue to take dumb penalties. And UPL does what UPL does. Allows a couple soft goals that makes you not want to trust him. How are the Sabres even still in this series with their top line playing so poorly? And is there any reason for hope heading into Game 6 back in Montréal? Sneaky Joe lays out why it might even be better that the team is on the road, with their playoff home struggles continuing. 

Hims

Indeed

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The Buffalo Sabres had to battle horrible officiating, a bad overturned goal, a rockus atmosphere, and still came away with a massive Game 4 win over the Montréal Canadiens. With lots of changes to the lineup, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Konsta Helenius entered the series and both played fantastic. Helenius earned staying in the lineup going forward, almost scoring multiple times. Did UPL earn staying in? Lindy Ruff could return to a goalie rotation, but it will be hard not to play Luukkonen in Game 5.

Going through the three Sabres goals, it's clear you have to live and die with the aggressiveness of the Sabres' defensemen. The Sabres opened the scoring with Mattias Samuelsson being aggressive on the rush, and the Sabres gave up their first goal with Mattias Samuelsson being aggressive on the rush. Meanwhile, PUCK DON'T LIE on the Tage Thompson center-ice goal, and Zach Benson and the powerplay step up again to get the game-winner.

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The Buffalo Sabres got run out of the Bell Centre in Game 3, losing 6-2 to the Canadiens, getting thoroughly outplayed once again. Why are the Sabres getting dominated over the last two games? Is there any hope going forward in the series? A breakdown of the goals against shows big warts by Logan Stanley and Conor Timmins. It may be time to sit one of the two third pair defensemen down and put Zach Metsa in. Also, why Beck Malestyn did absolutely nothing wrong on his collision with Jakub Dobes, getting steered into the goalie by Zac Bolduc. And why both Arber Xhekaj and Josh Norris could've been suspended for gross punches in the third period, as this series gets chippy. Should Lindy Ruff put UPL in for Alex Lyon? Sneaky Joe says NEVER EVER.

Hims

Indeed

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The Buffalo Sabres came out with one of their worst efforts in a long long time in Game 2 against the Montréal Canadiens, led by one of the worst games we've seen Tage Thompson play in his career. Thompson was turning the puck over, failing to get anything going offensively, and simply falling down. Not to mention, Rasmus Dahlin was also at the scene of the crime on a horrific goal to give up to Alex Newhook, which made it 3-0. Zach Benson was the only Sabre to show up in this game. There are so many examples of how poorly the team played overall. And so many areas the Sabres will need to bounce back in, in Game 3. Will Lindy Ruff make any lineup changes? Could Jason Zucker be nearing healthy scratch territory? And why didn't Jordan Greenway get physical with Josh Anderson at the end of the game?

Indeed

KALSHI

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The Buffalo Sabres take Game 1 at home over the Montréal Canadiens, scoring four times, showing off their depth of offense. An incredible outing from the likes of Zach Benson, Jordan Greenway, and Bo Byram leads the way, while the Canadiens couldn't get much from their top line. What did Lindy Ruff do to limit Montréal's top guys? The Tage Thompson line may not have appeared to play well, but the results were not as bad as you'd think. Plus, will Tyson Kozak come out for Sam Carrick in Game 2 after an excellent game? And Rasmus Dahlin is a finalist for the Norris Trophy! 

Indeed

KALSHI

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