The Buffalo Sabres have done it. After 14 consecutive seasons, the team put an end to its playoff drought.
It all started in the 2010-11 season when the Buffalo Sabres’ playoff appearances had come to an end. Buffalo’s goaltender Ryan Miller had been named MVP of the 2010 Winter Olympics. However, there was a residual shift in the team’s dynamics following a couple of standout players and their departure.
Just two seasons earlier, Danny Brière and Chris Drury left the team, rattling fans in the process. Both brought leadership and a standout offense to the team. Those were two pieces that chipped away at the Sabres’ core.
Another piece that was chipped away was ownership. The Sabres cleaned house, with all new ownership and a general manager. Lindy Ruff and Ron Rolston, who were the coaches at the time, remained for a short period. This all happened midseason.
It didn’t get better. The Sabres lost their momentum during the shift. The attempts at bringing in veteran experience that the team lacked after losing Briere and Drury were a struggle.
On top of that, communication at the root of the organization appeared disconnected. Once a strong team, the Sabres were locked out of the playoffs.
Until this season. The Sabres pushed off the bottom of the standings, where they had settled, and landed in the top seed of the Atlantic. But how did they do it?
It has been said for 14 seasons that the team had promised to rebuild. So much so that the fans started thinking they were just empty promises since the team showed no signs of improving. At least it appeared that way on the surface.
Fans began to panic when the Sabres started trading key players, at the time, such as Ryan O’Reilly and later Jack Eichel. Lost and confused, some who’ve been around long enough started suspecting a theme.
Even the players were getting annoyed by the dry spell of not making the playoffs. O’Reilly ultimately wanted out because he admitted to “losing the love for the game.”
However, it was only the beginning of the true rebuilding. In the 2018 trade for O’Reilly, the Sabres acquired a couple of draft picks on top of Patrik Berglund, Vladimír Sabotka and Tage Thompson.
Later that year, the Sabres also drafted Rasmus Dahlin first overall. But why does this matter?
Well, the Sabres obviously had a decrease in performance, which gave benefits like draft picks. However, with that said, being bad didn’t make the Sabres good. It was the gradual effect over time.
One door closed and two opened when the Sabres traded O’Reilly. Dahlin was drafted first overall. What makes this scenario different than when the Sabres drafted Sam Reinhart, their second overall, was the record shift.
Once a 21-51-10 record when Reinhart was drafted, later became 25-25-12 when Dahlin was drafted. The losses shifted, but little did fans know it was the start of the Sabres’ breakthrough.
How did trading O’Reilly and drafting Dahlin help the Sabres improve? Enter Tage Thompson, 26th overall pick for the St. Louis Blues.
Thompson was noted for having great slap shots, but didn’t show immediate promise as O’Reilly did for the Blues. That’s a theme to take note of for later.
Sabotka and Berglund eventually left the NHL during their time with the Sabres. Thompson and the draft picks the Sabres acquired were the hope at the time.
Meanwhile, things were cooking up at Buffalo’s farm team, the Rochester Americans. While the Sabres decreased in performance beforehand, the Amerks soared, more like some players did.
Mattias Samuelsson was one of those players. Drafted by the Sabres in 2018 as 32nd overall. He later became a huge asset in the Amerks defense, not only in reliability but in leadership as well.
There were so many moving pieces, especially players who came to the forefront. Another name, Ukko-Pekka Luukonen, was an Amerks goalie who later made his way to the Sabres.
Focusing on Dahlin, even under inconsistent veteran guidance, pushed through his development as a Sabre. For a period in the middle of his career, Dahlin was the only one on the team who could successfully skate into the opponent’s defensive zone, develop a play himself, and score.
While Dahlin was growing with the Sabres, so was Thompson with the Amerks. At the time, Thompson was sent to the Amerks to further his development, unlocking his potential as a first-line forward.
With no correlation other than the series of events, Samuelsson went to the Amerks when Thompson was brought up to the Sabres. Whether or not that was intentional, those players, along with Dahlin, have been key contributors who have led to the Sabres’ success.
Immediate promise was never a guarantee for the Sabres. It has been shown with Thompson and even Doan and Kesselring when the Sabres traded their star winger, JJ Peterka.
However, the Sabres reached a period where the rebuilding doesn’t get better than what they have now. They have accumulated so many draft picks that they were able to use them to their advantage with the recent trade deadline, acquiring players with playoff experience.
In December 2025, the Sabres had a 10-game winning streak. This was their first since 2018. The team has hit huge milestones, even breaking franchise records. This includes an eight-game winning streak and a five-game winning streak.
On top of it all, for the first time in 14 consecutive seasons, the Sabres took the top seed in the Atlantic Division.
The Sabres had the status of the youngest team in the league. Additionally, over time, veteran players have either stuck around or have been added to the roster.
Currently, the Sabres have three players on the team who have won a Stanley Cup. Additionally, they have eight players who have been to the playoffs. Notably, recently, centers Ryan McLeod and Sam Carrick, who played together with the Edmonton Oilers in 2024.
With the few players that have gone to the playoffs, let alone won a Cup, combined with the hunger of a team that finally clinched the playoff spot, they have what it takes.
Reflecting on their last season, even with their development, they might have looked ready but were missing tools that would help them in the postseason.
For example, it wasn’t until Krebs that the Sabres regained the physicality they lost after trading defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen in 2021. With Krebs, along with Schenn, Kesselring, Stanley, and potentially Samuelsson, the Sabres have that fire they had in the 90s and early 2000s with the notable Rob Ray.
A team can have skill and talent in the playoffs, but their opponent will be after them ready to cause damage. The Sabres have had the talent, but now they have the damage to respond. There were even previews of that, a few games after the Olympic break with the Lightning, gloves were dropping almost as often as the puck was.
An additional necessity in the playoffs is to have great lines across the board. The Sabres have a great first and second line. However, with the recent trade before the deadline, the Sabres acquired players that complement what the team already has. This fully fleshes out the third and fourth lines.
Adding some flair to the mix, the Sabres have three goalies. Two of which have stood firm this season. Alex Lyon has three shutout wins and Luukonen has one.
One can only wonder how the Sabres will handle the playoffs with the three goalies. Maybe they will cycle through all three of them.
The Sabres clinching the playoffs is not only a huge deal as a whole, but it’s a big deal to the fans. This brings back the nostalgia fans remember back in the early 2000s with events such as Party in the Plaza. This event takes place in Ticketmaster Alumni Plaza, right outside of the arena.
Party at the Plaza is where fans celebrate pre-game. There’s live music and food, creating a great atmosphere for memories to be made.
Not only that, tickets for a game sell out fast, especially if the team has clinched the playoffs. Therefore, the Sabres games are screened in the plaza for fans to watch and cheer on their team.
Most importantly, the Sabres pulling this off sparked hope that had been dormant in fans for 14 consecutive seasons.
Having been a fan of the Sabres during the dark ages, only having heard memories of the team’s glory days, I’m greatly moved. Losses and promises of rebuilding are all I have ever known. I’m in awe that the team has finally made it and proud to be a Sabres fan!
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