Sabres Seek Answers Amid Mounting Injuries, Opening Night Defeat
The Buffalo Sabres entered the 2025-26 NHL season with renewed optimism, but their opening week has been marred by injuries and a lopsided loss to the New York Rangers.
Injury Concerns Grow
The Sabres were already dealing with a number of injury issues before their season opener, and things only got worse on Thursday night. Center Josh Norris, acquired in a trade-deadline deal last season, went down with an upper-body injury in the final minutes of the 4-0 loss to the Rangers.
Head coach Lindy Ruff provided a grim update on Norris' status after the game. "He didn't finish the game, so I'm going to say that's not a good sign," Ruff said. Norris has struggled with injuries throughout his young career, missing 132 games over the previous three seasons.
The Sabres were already playing without top defenseman Owen Power and blueliner Zach Bryson, who were both held out of the opener. It's an inauspicious start for a team looking to end its NHL-record 14-year playoff drought.
Lopsided Loss to Rangers
In their season-opening tilt against the Rangers, the Sabres were thoroughly outclassed, falling 4-0 at home. New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin turned aside all 31 shots he faced to record the shutout.
"The players didn't sound defeated after the game," noted The New York Times' Matthew Fairburn, "but the Sabres' downward spiral is screaming for a full-on fire sale."
Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, the Sabres' two franchise cornerstones, were held in check by the Rangers' stifling defense. Sabres fans have grown all too familiar with this script, as the team has struggled mightily to start seasons in recent years.
Bettman Backs Pegula
In the midst of the Sabres' ongoing woes, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expressed unwavering support for team owner Terry Pegula. Despite the Sabres' 14-year playoff drought since Pegula purchased the team in 2011, Bettman insisted the owner remains "dedicated to hockey" and "committed to Buffalo."
"Team performance is something that I leave to the teams," Bettman said. "No team enjoys having to go through a rebuilding process and a drought. But there's no doubt in my mind that Terry Pegula is dedicated to hockey, committed to hockey, committed to Buffalo."
The Sabres' struggles have been a source of frustration for their long-suffering fanbase, but Bettman's backing of Pegula suggests the owner's job is safe for now.
TL;DR
- The Buffalo Sabres are dealing with a rash of injuries, including a concerning upper-body issue for center Josh Norris
- The Sabres were blown out 4-0 by the New York Rangers in their season opener, continuing a pattern of poor starts in recent years
- Despite the Sabres' 14-year playoff drought since owner Terry Pegula took over, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expressed unwavering support for the team's ownership