The last time we conducted a reader survey, the respondents weren’t in the best headspace. It was late in the 2024-25 season. Faith in management and ownership had deteriorated as the playoff drought extended for another year.
One season, however, has changed the sentiment around the Buffalo Sabres. Fans have re-engaged with the team after getting a taste of playoff hockey for the first time in more than a decade. That led to a refreshing summer of debating offseason moves without fans questioning the franchise’s overall direction.
After covering the Sabres’ roster questions entering the season in Part 1, the second part of our reader survey focuses on some of the bigger offseason moves, as well as how fans are feeling about the franchise’s leadership on and off the ice.
Why was Zach Benson No. 124 on the U23 rankings?
Corey Pronman, Scott Wheeler and more
Do you agree with the way the Sabres handled the Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch situations?Did you like the trade for Olen Zellweger?
Our voters strongly supported the way general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen navigated the Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram situations this summer. Some wrote in to express disappointment that the Sabres were not proactive enough with Tuch, which is fair. Still, it takes two parties to make a deal. While it’s not ideal that the Sabres lost two key contributors from the 2025-26 team, that doesn’t mean they didn’t make the best of a tough situation. Landing the No. 4 pick and Louis Crevier in the Byram deal was a major win.
Additionally, the vast majority of voters were happy with the Zellweger trade. Any criticism of Buffalo’s offseason stems from a desire for Kekäläinen to have made another move or two, but the moves he did make have been well received by the fanbase. Which leads us to …
Do you think the Sabres should trade for Connor Hellebuyck?How confident are you in the Sabres’ goalie situation?
Connor Hellebuyck’s recent public trade request brought new life to this conversation. Over half (56 percent) of voters are in favor of acquiring Hellebuyck. And that is directly tied to the fact that almost 80 percent of voters rate their confidence in the Sabres’ goalie situation as a three or lower. Wisely, a good chunk of the respondents said it depends on the cost. That’s true of every trade, but it matters here because the Sabres have already subtracted two key skaters from last season’s team. And acquiring Hellebuyck would also require moving out at least one of their three goalies. It’s a bit of a complicated move, but I don’t think there are many players available who could move the needle for this team as much as Hellebuyck. Even coming off a down year by his standards, Hellebuyck showed at the Olympics that he still can make a strong case as the best goalie in the world. The clock is ticking, though. Training camp starts soon, so we’ll see if the Jets or Hellebuyck blink in the next couple of weeks.
How confident are you in Lindy Ruff, Jarmo Kekäläinen and Terry Pegula?
Terry Pegula’s approval rating has gone up considerably since the last time we conducted this poll. Winning will do that. Fans still aren’t handing out the highest of confidence ratings for the Sabres’ owner, but ending the playoff drought, making some upgrades to the building and making an in-season general manager change last season all seemed to lower the temperature a bit. Meanwhile, fans are currently high on the combination of Ruff and Kekäläinen leading the Sabres’ hockey department.
What is a reasonable expectation for the Sabres this season?How many standings points will the Sabres have this season?
I’d say most fans are in the right headspace about this season. The leading answers here were between “90 and 100 points” and “win a round.” That’s about where my head is going into the season. I expect the Sabres to be a 100-point team and get to the playoffs. Missing the playoffs would be a disappointment after the way the team raised the bar last season. Beyond that, so much is dictated by matchups and the rest of the playoff field. It’s fair to expect a deep run from this Sabres core at some point in the next three to five seasons, but counting on it in 2026-27 might be premature given the average age of the roster and some of the departures.
How satisfied are you with the in-arena experience?How satisfied are you with the Sabres’ broadcast?How satisfied are you with the Sabres switching streaming platforms to DAZN?
While the approval ratings for the Sabres’ broadcast were higher than those for the in-arena experience, the in-arena experience ratings have improved since our last survey. Some of that is likely due to actual upgrades the building received, but it probably has more to do with the team’s performance and the resulting atmosphere. Buffalo was a scene during the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, and now season tickets are sold out. A better atmosphere should occur more regularly next season. And more substantial upgrades are coming to the arena in the not-too-distant future, too.
Buffalo fans seem happy with the broadcast, although the streaming platform remains a question mark. Given the way the Gotham app performed at times over the last few years, here’s hoping there’s nowhere to go but up. The Sabres have a good thing going with their broadcast, with a lot of people who care about the franchise and deeply understand its history and connection to the community.