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Pre-Scout: Refuse the temptation to take the Buffalo Sabres lightly
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Photo credit: © James Guillory-Imagn Images
Michael Menzies
Nov 17, 2025, 12:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 17, 2025, 10:54 EST
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If there is a “trap” game for the Edmonton Oilers on this road trip, it’s this one on Monday night against the Buffalo Sabres. 
Why? Because the Buffalo Sabres don’t exactly command your full attention. Their rebuild has been the stuff that scares owner and management groups from ever rebuilding, as they are tied with the New York Jets for the longest active playoff drought in North American pro sports. 
It’s the same old Sabres this year, dead last in the Eastern Conference at 6-8-2. It’s a tough and tight conference, but Buffalo found a way, rejuvenated by the return of Rasmus Dahlin en route to a 5-4 overtime win on Saturday vs Detroit. 
“I think it was just desperation,” Tage Thompson said about the play in overtime to win. He went into hero mode checking, turning the Red Wings over and sending it to Mattias Samuelsson who made no mistake. 
“We’ve been in a lot of overtime games and been on the other side of it. Loose puck there, and if I get that puck, then we’ve got a really good look.”
That was the first time the Sabres had come back from three goals down and won since November 2018. 
Dahlin had missed the Sabres’ last three games while on personal leave, tending to his fiancée, who is still recovering from a heart transplant, in Sweden. There are things bigger than the game, and Dahlin has gone through it with his family. 
“She’s an absolute warrior,” Dahlin said Saturday. “She grinds every day, and she gets better every day.” 
His presence has been greatly missed. The Sabres have lost 12 straight games with Dahlin out of the lineup. His boost on Saturday gives Buffalo a bit of life ahead of hosting the Oilers. 

Ryan McLeod vs. Matt Savoie

Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch are the big boys upfront, but the revelation in their season has been newcomer Josh Doan. After the parting gutshot of JJ Peterka, who wanted out of state, Doan and Michael Kesselring were traded back from Utah. 
The former second-round pick in 2021 has 5-7–12, almost reaching his point total of 19 in his rookie season a year ago. He’s given them a refreshing look upfront. 
And how about former Oiler Ryan McLeod? He broke out last season, of course, after being traded from Edmonton for Matt Savoie. A career-high 53-point season for the 25-year-old has solidified another area of the Buffalo offence. The storyline of McLeod-Savoie, I’m sure, will dominate the telecast. 
The Sabres are just so young. The only regular skater over the age of 30 is Jason Zucker. Otherwise, there’s just a lot of things not going right. 
Jack Quinn was drafted eighth overall in 2020 and has been okay this year, but has never topped 39 points, particularly after he looked prime for a breakout in 2023-24. 
Josh Norris was lost for the long-term injury in the first game, and he’s not alone. Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, Justin Danforth, and Jason Zucker are also filling beds in the infirmary. 
Michael Kesselring also left the game on Saturday. The former Oilers draft choice has become a real piece to Buffalo’s backend, and coach Lindy Ruff said, “It doesn’t look good.” 

Notes:

  • I bet you didn’t know that the Sabres have the best Penalty Kill in the NHL at 89.5 per cent. Should make for an interesting matchup against the Oilers’ third-ranked PP. 
  • Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen said he wanted out before the season, and at least so far, his wish hasn’t been granted. He also isn’t playing much, just four times this season. 
  • It’s been steady journeyman Alex Lyon’s crease, and his save percentage is above .900. All things considered, that’s pretty good. 
  • The Sabres have surrendered the fifth-most goals at 5-on-5, according to Moneypuck. The Oilers have allowed the third most. 
  • 2021 first-rounder Isak Rosen is rolling with five points in his last seven games. He’s played just 22 NHL games, but might finally stick for a full season. 
  • There’s been the exact same score of 3-2 the last five times the Oilers have played at the Sabres. The Oilers lost four of those five. In fact, seven of the last ten games overall between these two have a 3-2 score. How strange.

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