BUFFALO, N.Y. — It might be time for Noah Östlund to start shopping for apartments in Buffalo.
The 21-year-old rookie continued to show he belongs in the NHL with a two-goal game in the Buffalo Sabres’ 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Östlund, who was one of Buffalo’s three first-round picks in 2022, in this game centered the fourth line between Beck Malenstyn and Josh Dunne, two players who make a living playing a simple and direct game. But Östlund’s skill and playmaking shined throughout the night.
“He brings a lot of poise and a lot of skill up the middle,” Malenstyn said after the game. “I thought he was able to make some great plays for us to let Dunner and I put our heads down and go to work. He has so much control and vision out there. He’s a great player to play with.”
Noah Ostlund goes to work in front of the net 😤#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/dtUJJpTwE4
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 18, 2025
Östlund’s first goal came on the power play. He was playing at the front of the net and got a pass from Isak Rosén. Östlund spun and lifted the puck over Stuart Skinner for Buffalo’s first goal. Rosén was called up around the same time as Östlund, and the two have shown some promise as linemates and when playing together on the power play.
“They’re making a step toward being regular NHL players,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said after the game.
In the third period with the Sabres protecting a 3-1 lead against the Oilers’ high-octane offense, Östlund got the goal that put the game away. He collected the puck in the offensive zone and ripped a perfectly placed shot to beat Skinner while Malenstyn was parked in front of the net. Malenstyn joked that Östlund is pretty quiet, but his vision is so good on the ice it doesn’t matter.
SEND IT 🎯 pic.twitter.com/QYC23UWYn9
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 18, 2025
In 11 games, Östlund has three goals and two assists. The Sabres are outscoring opponents 8-4 when he’s on the ice at five-on-five. Rosén has six points in eight games and is making just as strong a case for a permanent spot on the roster.
This is the type of development the Sabres need. Ruff noted that typically when calling up young players like these two, they might end up with a limited role. But five of Buffalo’s forwards are out with injuries, which has given Östlund and Rosén a chance to show what they can do with important minutes.
While a few of the injured Sabres are getting closer to returning, those returns aren’t imminent. If the Sabres are going to climb out of the hole they’ve dug themselves in the standings, they’ll need these two rookies to keep building on what they’ve done.
Here’s what else we saw and heard from Buffalo’s 5-1 win over the Oilers.
1. The Sabres managed to shut down Connor McDavid. When McDavid was on the ice at five-on-five, the Sabres had a 17-6 advantage in scoring chances. McDavid finished with just one shot on net, two shot attempts and not a single scoring chance. To hold Edmonton to a single goal while playing with the lead for most of the game was quite a defensive showing by the Sabres.
“We stressed trying to stay five in tight,” Ruff said. “We knew we would give up some ice in the neutral zone but we wanted to make sure we had numbers back where we’re not giving the easy opportunities. … It was a good night to have everybody doing the right thing at the right time.”
The Oilers finished the night with just six high-danger chances in all situations.
Colten Ellis made 32 saves against the Oilers, including this one on Leon Draisaitl. (Joe Hrycych / Getty Images)
2. Colten Ellis got his third start in four games and this might have been his best game of the season. He stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced and had a few strong saves in the first period before Buffalo jumped out to a lead. Ellis is working his way into a real timeshare in the Sabres’ three-goalie rotation, having won consecutive starts. The way he’s playing is also giving Alex Lyon a chance to get a legitimate rest for the first time all season.
3. Buffalo got some positive injury news Monday. Josh Norris took another step toward his return when he joined the team for morning skate. He was wearing a no-contact jersey, but Ruff said Norris is “ahead of schedule” from where the team expected him to be at this point in his recovery. He’s about five weeks removed from the opening-night injury and originally had an estimated recovery of about two months. He’s eager to get back and feels a lot better but neither he nor the team is ready to put a timetable on his return.
Meanwhile, Jason Zucker was also back on the ice for morning skate. He’s missed the last seven games with an illness that had him bedridden for a stretch of time. He couldn’t eat solid food for nine days and has lost a lot of weight. He needs time to regain weight and get his conditioning back, but Ruff thinks he could have a chance to play by the weekend.
Ruff didn’t have a firm update on defenseman Michael Kesselring other than to say he will miss some time with a lower-body injury. It’s not related to the injury he had earlier in the season. The Sabres called up Zach Metsa to take his place on the roster.
The Sabres are still waiting to get Zach Benson back on the ice. He was still in a walking boot Monday.