Buffalo Sabres mailbag: First month impressions, Devon Levi’s hot start, Alex Tuch’s next contract, more
The Sabres have points in six straight games, including an overtime win over the Capitals on Saturday.
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The Sabres have points in six straight games, including an overtime win over the Capitals on Saturday. Timothy T. Ludwig / Imagn Images
The Buffalo Sabres are 5-1-3 in the nine games they’ve played since their 0-3 start. They have points in six straight games, including a 4-3 overtime win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
But every bit of good news for the Sabres seems to be counterbalanced with some bad news in the early part of the season. Over the weekend, top-line left winger Zach Benson landed on injured reserve. When the Sabres practiced on Monday, they did so without top-line center Jiri Kulich, who is dealing with fluid buildup in his ears, and Jason Zucker, who is dealing with an illness. Both could miss Buffalo’s game against Utah on Tuesday.
That’s not ideal in a congested Eastern Conference. The Sabres are one of 12 teams in the East with either 14 or 13 points in the standings. So while we’re starting to learn about this Sabres team, there’s still plenty to find out about where they will end up over the next few months.
For now, let’s dive into the questions you all are thinking about roughly a month into the season.
Note: Submitted questions may be edited for clarity and style.
It looks like some of the coaching and personnel decisions have panned out, but is it wrong that I still want them to clean house? We deserve consistent success like the Bills have. — Ryan O.
I understand the sentiment. A few good moves and a decent stretch of games to start the season isn’t enough to erase the skepticism that Kevyn Adams earned during his first five seasons as general manager. The goal of every NHL team should be to consistently compete for the Stanley Cup, not just sneak into the playoffs. Until the Sabres can show they are striving for and reaching that standard, I don’t blame anyone who is skeptical.
So far, this offseason looks like arguably Adams’ best as a general manager. Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring have been meaningful additions on and off the ice. Alex Lyon is giving the Sabres steady goaltending more often than not. Even Conor Timmins has been an impactful addition. The Josh Norris injury didn’t help change the narrative about the Dylan Cozens trade. But there’s been more good than bad lately with the moves the Sabres have made.
I think the reason you’re feeling how you’re feeling, though, is that there are still a lot of questions about where this team is going beyond this season. Adams and Lindy Ruff are in the final season of their respective contracts. Will Alex Tuch want to stick around beyond this season? What do the next contracts look like for Doan, Kesselring and Benson? Who coaches this team when Ruff decides to stop coaching?
It’s fair to wonder about the long-term vision of the organization, starting with owner Terry Pegula. He’s earned the skepticism. For now, you’re watching a team that can scratch and claw for a playoff spot. Beyond that, a lot remains to be seen.
Is the success that Detroit, Montreal and Ottawa (and toss Philadelphia in there as well) are experiencing out of the gate this season a further indictment on GMKA’s rebuild in Buffalo in Year 6? — Mark M.
Those are definitely the teams to look at when evaluating the job Adams has done. The balance of power in the Eastern Conference is shifting a bit. Toronto and Tampa Bay don’t look quite as strong. Boston has fallen way off. Florida is battling injuries. All of this was bound to happen eventually, and the Sabres were supposed to be the team positioned to take advantage. But other teams either caught up to them or passed them in the race to rebuild. In the case of Montreal, it happened quickly. Detroit and Ottawa are teams with similar market disadvantages to Buffalo, so if those teams end up keeping the Sabres out of the playoffs, that would be the clearest indicator that this team’s rebuild didn’t go according to plan.
Isak Rosen was the leading scorer in the AHL before his call-up. A first-liner in the AHL, would our top line unlock his potential? We talk as if this is his last year to prove it. What’s your assessment of his skill set, or lack thereof? — Aaron F.
Isak Rosen had an impressive game on Saturday after getting called up. Not only did he score his first NHL goal, but he also had noticeable speed and more confidence in his game. He had two hits and two blocked shots to go with six shot attempts and three shots on net. He’s 22, so it’s early to give up on him, especially with the AHL production that you pointed out. Rosen’s shot is impressive, and he’s developed a decent defensive game in the minors. The key now is finding the right role for him. Playing on a line with Kulich and Jack Quinn seemed like a decent fit. He has a pre-established chemistry with Kulich, which helps. I don’t envision Rosen developing into a top-line scorer, but the potential is still there for him to be a middle-six winger with scoring upside. If he’s going to hit that ceiling, he needs to continue getting stronger.
What’s the path forward with Peyton Krebs? What’s the organization’s plan? He appears to struggle with winning puck battles, which is not ideal in a fourth-line role. Are the Sabres a year late in making a move for him to explore opportunities elsewhere? — Taro T.
I would say Peyton Krebs’ trade value probably peaked a few years ago. His auditions in the top six haven’t been productive the last few seasons. He’s at his best when playing a hard and direct game in a bottom-six role. To your point, he’s not the strongest player, so that’s still a limited factor in his game. He’s turning 25 in January, so there’s still time for that part of his game to get better. But I don’t envision him becoming a big point producer. He’s a player who could have benefited from more time in the AHL to build his confidence as a scorer. He’s made the most of the role he’s gotten here, but in the process, he never got much of a chance to grow his offensive game during his prime developmental years.
Radim Mrtka was the Sabres’ pick at No. 9 in the 2025 NHL Draft.Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
Which prospect in Rochester/junior/college in your opinion has the highest upside? — Dwight D.
I would give the edge to Radim Mrtka when it comes to upside. His combination of skating, playmaking and physicality is impressive. He needs some time to fine-tune his decision making while learning to play quicker, but that’s true of nearly every 18-year-old defenseman. Not a lot of players move the way Mrtka does at his size, and it’s the reason why he has top-pair upside.
After Mrtka, Konsta Helenius and Noah Ostlund are the two highest upside forwards. Ostlund might have more upside given his playmaking and offensive vision. But it’s easier for me to picture Helenius being a hit in the NHL because of the tenacity in his forechecking, his willingness to play physically and the confidence he plays with offensively.
I want to believe in Owen Power, but isn’t the presence of Conor Timmins, Michael Kesselring, Bowen Byram and Rasmus Dahlin potentially making him expendable if we could get a true top-six center in a trade? What’s Power’s actual trade value, and is it even a good idea? — Cam M.
Owen Power’s trade value is probably the highest of any defenseman on the Sabres’ roster besides Rasmus Dahlin. But that trade value isn’t at an all-time high after his last 100 or so games. Still, a 22-year-old defenseman who is under contract long term and can move the puck the way he does would be in demand. The only way it would make sense to trade him, though, is if you could get the type of impact top-six center you’re talking about. Moving Power might increase the odds of the Sabres being able to keep Bowen Byram beyond his current two-year contract as well. I wouldn’t be in a rush to ship off Power, because I think giving up on players too soon has been a problem in Buffalo. But the center depth chart is an issue in Buffalo, and top-of-the-lineup centers aren’t the easiest players to acquire.
Do you think Kevyn Adams feels safe even if this year is not a playoff year? — Gary M.
This is an interesting question. I can’t imagine he feels entirely safe as the team’s general manager, considering he’s in the final year of his contract. But given how long he’s worked for Pegula and the type of relationship they have, it’s possible that he feels safe in some capacity. If the Sabres miss the playoffs, would Pegula fire Adams outright or find another job for him in the organization? I don’t know the answer. Adams might not even know. That’s part of why this promises to be an interesting season, one way or another.
Devon Levi’s numbers are incredible right now in Rochester. Do you get a sense that the Sabres want him there for the year, no matter what, or can he force their hand? — Matthew T.
I think the Sabres’ preference is to keep Devon Levi in the AHL this season to focus on his development. Their actions show that. They signed Lyon and then added Alexander Georgiev and Colten Ellis to the organization before the start of the season. Each move was, in some way, about keeping Levi in the AHL. His path to getting games in Buffalo this season isn’t clear. That’s not to say he can’t force their hand. Injuries could pave the way for an opportunity, too. But right now, he’s going to have to focus on the AHL. Levi is off to a great start, too. He’s 5-0 with a 1.80 goals-against average and .933 save percentage so far this season.
The biggest question with Levi, and the Sabres’ goalie room as a whole, is what happens beyond this season. Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are under contract. Ellis and Levi are both under team control, too. The Sabres may end up in a position where they have to move one of these goalies at some point. But I think they should give the situation some more time to play out before jumping to make a move. Luukkonen followed up a disappointing season debut with a strong game against the Capitals over the weekend. He and Lyon could be a reliable tandem. There’s a lot of unknown with Ellis despite his impressive debut. And Levi isn’t a sure thing, either. The smart thing to do is to get a bit more information on all of these goalies before making decisions. Levi getting to focus on his development isn’t a bad thing right now.
Do you think the Alex Tuch negotiations fell apart due to the team lowballing him and Tuch seeing it as them trying to take advantage of the fact that he is local and grew up a Sabres fan? — Mike C.
I don’t think negotiations with Tuch have totally fallen apart at this point. They tabled discussions and could pick them back up at any point. The fact that discussions were tabled does suggest a gap in negotiations, though. It’s tough to say the Sabres were lowballing him, but I do believe Tuch was open to signing in the summer for the right offer.
Consider this: Tuch can sign an eight-year deal with the Sabres, but will only be able to sign a seven-year deal if he hits free agency next summer. So an eight-year deal worth $9.5 million per year is worth more than a seven-year deal at $10 million per year in terms of total value.
Would eight years for $10 million per year have gotten it done with the right structure in the summer? It’s hard to believe Tuch would have turned that down. Maybe he would have taken a bit less than that. I’d say the Sabres lowballed him if at any point they believed they could get him for less than $8 million per year. This was always going to be in the $9 million-plus range in terms of average annual value.