Locked On Sabres - Daily Podcast On The Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres forward group has more than twelve good options for the 2026-27 season, meaning there will be lots of competition on the fourth line. Sam Carrick, Peyton Krebs, Tyson Kozak, and Justin Danforth will all compete for the fourth line center spot, all providing different skills. Carrick is a faceoff specialist that penalty kills, while Peyton Krebs gives energy and offense. Kozak played great for the Sabres in the postseason, and is the cheapest of all the options. Danforth might be too far back with just a little too much salary committed to him to see making the team.

There also is the possibility that guys get pushed down from top lines to the fourth line because of the surplus. No one wants to see Noah Östlund play down on the fourth line, but he is good at it, and it would be a sign that everything is working higher in the lineup with young guys. Ryan McLeod ended the playoffs playing on the fourth line, so he could be an option. And Jason Zucker at the late stages of his career could transition to a player in that role as well.

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Sabres forward Jack Quinn set a career high in goals, assists, points, and pretty much any other statistic you can find in 2025-26, becoming an important piece of the Sabres offensive attack. With limitations still present in his game, Quinn is not yet a part of the Buffalo Sabres core, but he has one year left on his bridge contract to earn that. Quinn has developed into a speedy scorer, that also is one of the best shootout scorers in NHL history, but he does not contribute on the powerplay, and leaves a lot to be desired defensively. Does that add up to a player the Sabres should plan on paying a long-term extension?

A look at comparable players in the league shows that Quinn is in line for a deal that will pay him at least $6M per season, if not over $7M. There's been a lot of trade conversation and smoke involving Quinn, making a trade feel at least as likely as an extension would. For Quinn to become a player the Sabres would give a 6-8 year deal to, he's either going to need to increase his offensive production, potentially replacing Alex Tuch on the first line, or become a player that contributes on the powerplay.

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Tage Thompson has been one of the best goal scorers in the NHL over the last four years and you can argue the single best 5-on-5 goal scorer in the NHL. Most of that has been at center, but his future could be as a winger going forward. A look into Tage on the wing shows success when playing with Josh Norris, but otherwise it appears as though he's a better player as a center. However, the Sabres needs might dictate Tage playing winger, with so many options to play center like Konsta Helenius, Noah Östlund, Josh Norris, Ryan McLeod, etc. Tage could be the Sabres way to replace Alex Tuch.

Plus, Thompson disappeared for a long stretch of the playoffs, specifically struggling against the Canadiens. What about that series made Tage struggle so much? Especially after success in the Boston series, including being the hero in Game 1. Also, why Tage's contract could be argued as the most team-friendly contract in the NHL.

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Patrick Kane is not coming home, he is going back to the Chicago Blackhawks on a 2-year deal that will pay him $8M per year. Kane's deal likely means he'll go his entire career never playing for his hometown Buffalo Sabres, although most Sabres fans are actually happy about that. How competitive was the Sabres offer? It could've paid Kane more, but likely was not a guaranteed deal. Kane passing on the Sabres means they will need to find a fix to their powerplay somewhere else.

Sneaky Joe breaks down coaching changes Lindy Ruff and Seth Appert should use to get more out of the man-advantage, from more dump and chases, to working the puck down low once they're in the zone. Effectively running the powerplay through Josh Doan and Zach Benson, instead of Tage Thompson. Also, there are internal personnel options to replace Josh Norris on the top-unit, led by Jiri Kulich. While he hasn't had NHL success yet on the powerplay, Kulich's skillset and AHL career show a player that should be perfect for the right flank, opposite Tage.

If not Konsta Helenius might have the ability to contribute in his rookie season too.

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The best two forwards for the Buffalo Sabres in the playoffs were Zach Benson and Josh Doan. Both scored important goals, made great plays as playmakers, and tirelessly outworked their opponent. Both players did that all season to earn long-term seven year contracts with the Sabres. Now that both are cornerstone players for the team, where do we go from here? Sneaky Joe believes there is an incredibly high offensive ceiling for Benson and defends the idea of him starting next season on the top-line with Tage Thompson. Benson is the best passing forward on the team and pairing him with the best goal scorer makes sense. Doan, meanwhile, should be in line for a role on the penalty kill and likely more ice-time at 5v5 with Alex Tuch out the door. Plus, a crazy three team trade idea where the Sabres get Connor Hellebuyck.

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The Buffalo Sabres have a lot of centers, more than needed to fill a lineup. Two veteran centers in Josh Norris and Ryan McLeod are both very good players, but have weaknesses that make them expendable. With Norris you have a player that simply cannot stay healthy. In McLeod, you have a player that is building a reputation for letting you down in the playoffs. Norris might have more to give as a goal-scorer and a faceoff specialist, and with the injury risk, he seems unlikely to fetch whole value. However, at just $5M, with no trade protection, McLeod might be the perfect man to move off the roster for something else. Plus, updates on Patrick Kane and the Sabres season opener.

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The Buffalo Sabres and Peyton Krebs have avoided arbitration, agreeing on a four-year, $4.5M extension, almost exactly the same deal that Jack Drury got in Nashville this offseason. With the signing, the Sabres now have a lot of money tied up in bottom six forwards, especially Krebs, Beck Malenstyn, and Jason Zucker. Three players Sneaky Joe believes the Sabres should've been willing to say goodbye to in order to keep Alex Tuch this offseason.

With Krebs now paid good money, will his role expand? Krebs already has become a forward that can play center or winger on any line at 5-on-5, but is there more coming? Krebs has not taken on the role of penalty killer nor faceoff specialist, two jobs that are available for him to grab, if he can improve big time in both areas.

Also, an update on Connor Hellebuyck makes it look even more likely that he'll ultimately end up in Buffalo.

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The Buffalo Sabres haven't made any big moves to get better this offseason, just moderate ones like Olen Zellweger. With the losses of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, can the Sabres win the Stanley Cup with the roster they presently have? Sneaky Joe lays out five things that could propel the Sabres to being a team that could win the Cup. Based around big seasons from the likes of Konsta Helenius, Noah Östlund, Zach Benson, Josh Norris staying healthy, and another good goalie season. Plus, what the Sabres lines should be if opening night was tonight. And why Helenius should open the season as the team's #1 center. Also, the Anaheim Ducks are vulnerable after matching the massive offer-sheet for Leo Carlsson. 

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Peyton Krebs has filed for arbitration with the Buffalo Sabres as a restricted free agent, setting up a very interesting dilemma for the Sabres. Krebs has turned into a very useful player that is versatile enough to play on the top line and the fourth line, playing center or wing. But what is Krebs' role going forward? The Sabres are loaded with fourth line centers already, and you probably want better for Tage Thompson's top line winger, so where does he fit? Without a real need for him, and a career season for Krebs, the cost to keep him could be just too much to bear. Jack Drury, a comparable to Krebs in the NHL, just signed for five years, $4.5 million per year. If Krebs commands that sort of price, the Sabres should look for a trade or settle for a short term deal in arbitration.

If Krebs is here still, where will he play in 2026-27 with the Sabres having so many bodies up front? And we figure out what the proper level of smoke is on Patrick Kane coming home to Buffalo. It sounds like there's at least a possibility, and there is some merit to the idea, outside of 'it would be cool to see Kane play here.'

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The Buffalo Sabres sign Olen Zellweger to a new three year extension, at a very team friendly cap hit, giving the Sabres room to still make a swing if they want to. If the Sabres were to get Connor Hellebuyck in a deal, only Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen would have to go back in the deal to make the salaries work. There is also the matter of Peyton Krebs' contract, which could be heading for arbitration, or even another team offer-sheeting him. What Krebs' contract comes in at will also be a big determining factor on what the Sabres are able to do with the rest of the offseason. And with the Flyers massive offer-sheet of Leo Carlsson, how does that change the state of the NHL on offer-sheets and big salaries in general?

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