2025-26 NHL Season Preview
As the anticipation builds for the 2025-26 NHL season, analysts and sports betting experts are weighing in on which teams could vie for the prestigious Stanley Cup. The Buffalo Sabres, a team that has not seen playoff action since 2011, are projected to have a challenging road ahead in their bid to reach the postseason.
Current Betting Odds
According to BetMGM’s odds, the Sabres find themselves positioned 12th in the Eastern Conference with a +165 bet to clinch the necessary 90 points for a playoff berth. This places them behind teams like the Florida Panthers (+5000) and the Carolina Hurricanes (-3000), while only a few franchises, such as the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers, are considered less likely to qualify than Buffalo.
Historical Context
Historical context is crucial as the Sabres aim for the playoffs; the last time the team made it to the postseason, achieving 91 or 92 points was often the threshold for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, especially following the league’s return to a full 82-game schedule after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Playoff Chances and Key Players
Another predictive model from Moneypuck indicates the Sabres have a roughly 38.3% chance of making the playoffs, ranking them 10th in the Eastern Conference. Their aspirations rest on multiple variables falling into place, not least of which is the health of key players.
“Injuries have already begun to cast a shadow over their preparations.”
Unfortunately for the Sabres, injuries have already begun to cast a shadow over their preparations. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, along with defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Jordan Greenway, might have to start the season on injured reserve. Luukkonen, in particular, has been sidelined with a troubling lower-body injury that he sustained before training camp started, having missed significant practices and even being pulled midway through a game against Pittsburgh due to a separate issue.
Consequently, the Sabres are poised to kick off the season with Alex Lyon as their starting goalie, while Alexandar Georgiev steps into the backup role.
