After a rocky start to the 2025-26 season, three goals, eight points in his first 20 games, Quinn began to find his game. He finished with 17 goals and 43 points in the final 60 games of the regular season. Even more impressively, he looked dominant at times in the playoffs, completely controlling the puck and creating high-danger chances.
With Alex Tuch off to Washington, there is huge opportunity to be had within the top six. Quinn has a lethal shot and still hit a career-high in goals despite shooting a career-worst 10.5%. If he can spend the majority of his time one of the top two lines and get significant power play time, he could explode offensively on a completely different level.
Owen Power Will Tally More Than 50 Points and Become a Legitimate Top-Pairing Defenseman
Like Quinn, Power has been one of the most divisive members of the team. Such is the life when you are a first overall pick; the expectations are in another stratosphere. Power, entering his sixth season, is believed by many to be in the class of defensemen that teammate Rasmus Dahlin currently occupies.
While he may never quite reach that level, it feels like Power is ready to take a major step forward in 2026-27. His offensive numbers dipped a season ago, but it came with noticeable improvement in his own end.
Power has flashed promising offensive ability in the past (he had 40 points two seasons ago). With Bowen Byram gone to Chicago, there will be more opportunities for Power. Given how much head coach Lindy Ruff leans on the defensemen he trusts, it should mean Power delivering on his tremendous potential and notching 10 goals and 50 points for the first time in his career.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Becomes a Top 10 Goalie (Statistically)
Luukkonen caught a lot of flak for his playoff performance, and rightfully so. He went 3-3 with an ugly 3.18 goals against average and an even uglier .876 save percentage, giving up a soft goal in overtime of Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens to end the season.
While that might not sound like an endorsement of a guy about to become a league-leader, his regular season numbers are. Among goalies with at least 20 games played in 2025-26, Luukkonen was impressive. He had a .910 save percentage (seventh), 2.52 goals against average (ninth), and 10.5 goals saved above expected (tied for 15th).
Luukkonen will be once again part of a platoon, but he is the best equipped to take the reins. Alex Lyon had an anomaly season at age 33 and Colten Ellis still feels like a true backup even with the team being high on him. Luukkonen has a ton of talent and flashes dominant stretches. In 2026-27, look for him to take control of the crease and become one of the best statistical goaltenders in the league. All that’s left then is for him to prove himself on the biggest stage.
Jiri Kulich Notches 30 Goals
For all the talk about the trio of young studs the Sabres will be deploying this season, it feels like Jiri Kulich is a bit slept on. He showed flashes as a 20-year-old rookie in 2024-25, scoring 15 goals in 62 games.