Sabre Noise

When the Buffalo Sabres traded Devon Levi this summer, very few questioned the move. It was evident that everyone needed a change, and, well, the Oilers were desperate for some sort of goaltending solution. But after the final horn on Thursday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, it was evident the Sabres made the right choice. The Oilers won a wild 9-7 game against the Canucks, with Levi surrendering seven goals on 22 shots.

The Buffalo Sabres dropped another season opener, their fourth straight to be exact, as they lost 6-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. It was a deflating performance after coming off a season in which they ended their playoff drought. The Sabres, as a team, are going to leave Columbus as losers, and there were certainly a few players who contributed more to that outcome.

For the fourth straight season, the Buffalo Sabres drop their season opener as they lose to the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 6-3. The Sabres scored the first goal of the game, but after that, it was almost all Columbus, as they scored three straight in the first period and were able to play with the lead for the remainder of the game. These are three takeaways from the first game of the season for the Buffalo Sabres.

The Buffalo Sabres weren't sure if Mattias Samuelsson was going to be available for the first game of the regular season after suffering an injury in the preseason. However, Samuelsson was able to suit up, and the Sabres certainly were happy he did because he scored the first goal of the 2026-27 season for them. About midway through the first period, the Sabres went on their first power play of the season but it didn't last long, as Tage Thompson would be called for hooking.

The Buffalo Sabres were only a few hours away from the start of the 2026-27 season but that didn't mean Jarmo Kekalainen was willing to take a break. Instead, the team was able to reach an agreement on a new four-year extension with Louis Crevier. The Sabres acquired Crevier this summer as part of the return in the trade with the Chicago Blackhawks for Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway. Crevier was entering the final year of his contract and would have been a restricted free agent next summer.

Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff understands the importance of taking every game seriously, even the first night of an 84-contest, seven-month marathon, and he's relayed that to his players ahead of Thursday night's season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ruff didn't mince words when asked about how the Sabres must approach the beginning of the 2026-27 season after getting off the a sluggish start (11-14-4) last year.

The Buffalo Sabres recently wrapped up a training camp that didn't feature much competition. Most of the spots on the 23-man roster were secured long before the preseason and, while injuries did create a touch uncertainty, there wasn't any immediate space for prospects. That'll likely change during the course of the 2026-27 season, which will see a two-game increase to 84 contests for each team.

The Buffalo Sabres open their 2026-27 schedule Thursday night with a road trip to face the Columbus Blue Jackets. Expectations are much higher ahead of the new campaign after the organization finally turned a corner toward championship contention last year. That doesn't mean the Sabres are a playoff lock, though. The Eastern Conference is stacked, thanks in large part to an Atlantic Division with no less than four legitimate Stanley Cup hopefuls.

The Buffalo Sabres are set to begin the 2026-27 season with a road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They are set to try and accomplish something they haven't had the chance to do since the 2011-12 season, and that is to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The Sabres snapped their playoff drought last season after finishing with 109 points, a 30-point increase over the prior season, and winning the Atlantic Division.

The Buffalo Sabres were hit with a string of bad luck throughout the preseason, as it felt like every game there were multiple players who were leaving due to injuries. With all things considered, the Sabres seem to be in a pretty good spot going into their season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets and are getting an idea of what the lines might look like. During Wednesday's practice, the Sabres' forward lines included Josh Norris, Tage Thompson, and Josh Doan as their top line.