Buffalo opens training camp Thursday carrying the confidence of a division winner and the sting of an overtime season-ending loss. The Sabres broke through last spring, winning the Atlantic Division, snapping the NHL’s longest active playoff drought and advancing to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round before Montreal’s Alex Newhook ended the run in overtime.
Sabres return with a higher standard
The blue-and-gold spent much of last season turning a long-awaited return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs into a citywide celebration. Buffalo had not reached the postseason since 2011, and its eventual first-round victory over the Boston Bruins gave a young roster a real introduction to playoff hockey before the Canadiens stopped them one round later.
For Tage Thompson, the Game 7 defeat did not erase what the club achieved. The forward said the group can take strength from having gone through the grind together, noting that much of the roster remains intact and has built trust in the room through difficult games.
Thompson led Buffalo with 40 goals and 81 points in 81 games last season, but he sees the spring as both an accomplishment and an unfinished job. Ending the drought mattered, he said, though simply reaching the tournament was never the final destination. He also framed the loss through the perspective of a player who once would have happily accepted the chance to skate in a second-round Game 7 at the NHL level.
That experience changes the assignment for 2026-27. Buffalo will not arrive as a surprise opponent after claiming the division, and coach Lindy Ruff said the club’s new expectations will mean nothing unless the players match them with work and competitiveness every night. The standard has been raised, he said, and the challenge is to improve on it rather than settle for last year’s result.
Defenseman Owen Power believes the playoff run removed a weight from the organization, even for younger players who were not present for most of the 15-year absence. The 23-year-old, selected first overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, said the Bruins series showed the Sabres what is required to win in the postseason and gave a youthful group valuable experience heading into this camp.
“We understand more now about what it takes to get there,” Power said. “We got a taste of winning a round, and we know what to expect better than we did before.”
New faces must cover lost production
The roster still has a meaningful hole to fill. Alex Tuch departed for the Washington Capitals and Bowen Byram joined the Chicago Blackhawks, taking a combined 108 points with them. Tuch and Byram produced 44 goals and 64 assists last season, leaving Buffalo to find contributions throughout its lineup rather than looking for one replacement.
Forward Josh Doan and defenseman Olen Zellweger, both brought in during the offseason, will be among the newcomers asked to help absorb that lost offense. Power said Buffalo saw players elevate their games during last year’s playoff push and believes the group can continue to grow despite the departures.
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen’s message entering camp is straightforward: last season’s banner does not buy Buffalo anything this time around. With 32 clubs chasing 16 playoff places, he said the race will again be unforgiving, and opponents will be prepared for a Sabres team that has shown it can win.
“Last year is finished,” Kekalainen said. “Teams know we have a good club now, and they will come after us. We have to be ready from the first day.”
Buffalo’s first test begins Thursday at training camp, where the playoff breakthrough becomes the baseline rather than the finish line.
SEO Title: Buffalo Sabres begin camp after playoff breakthrough
SEO Description: The Buffalo Sabres open 2026-27 training camp after winning the Atlantic Division, ending their playoff drought and falling in Game 7 of the second round.
