The Minnesota Wild visit the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, with puck drop set for 7:00 PM EDT.
Matchup: Minnesota Wild (2-0-0, 4 points in 2026-27) at Buffalo Sabres (1-1-0, 2 points in 2026-27)
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Puck drop: 7:00 PM EDT
Venue: KeyBank Center
How to watch: BUF: MSG-B · MIN: MINNHL, Wild+
Minnesota Wild News & Notes
Minnesota opened the season with a business-like road win over Nashville and has started 2-0 despite the absence of defenseman Brock Faber, who is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery for a fractured skull. The opening-night roster is led by Quinn Hughes and Kirill Kaprizov, with goaltender Jesper Wallstedt also among the names of note. Coach John Hynes has since provided injury updates on Jonas Brodin, Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, and a top-line center recently left practice with an injury.
Off the ice, the Wild announced that KSTP-TV and KSTC-TV will televise 10 regular season games this year. The club’s official hashtag for the 2026-27 campaign remains #MNWild. There is a family connection in the minor leagues as well: the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers signed forward Tanner Hartman, the younger brother of Wild forward Ryan Hartman, for the season. Tanner Hartman turned pro after two years at Brown University and two DIII championship seasons at Hobart College.
Buffalo Sabres News & Notes
Jiri Kulich scored the third-period game-winner in Buffalo’s home opener against Chicago, completing a comeback win over the still-winless Blackhawks. The goal came in Kulich’s return from the blood clot issues that interrupted his career, capping a lengthy road back for the young forward. The performance has already drawn early mention of Kulich in Masterton Trophy discussion. The Blackhawks visit was previewed with line combinations on Oct. 3, with Buffalo operating under its familiar #LetsGoBuffalo banner this season.
The blue line entered the season short-handed. Mattias Samuelsson was ruled week-to-week with a lower-body injury, and Olen Zellweger was placed in concussion protocol, both hurt in their preseason debuts. Up front, the lines were reshuffled late in camp, with Peyton Krebs and Josh Norris swapping spots. Buffalo’s prospects were swept in a two-game showcase by Boston in September, dropping the opener 6-2 before a 4-3 overtime loss in which James Hagens scored four goals.
Minnesota Wild Projected Lines
Line 1: Blake Coleman – Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy
Line 2: Kirill Kaprizov – Danila Yurov – Maxim Shabanov
Line 3: Yakov Trenin – Ryan Hartman – Bobby Brink
Line 4: Nick Foligno – Michael McCarron – Marcus Foligno
Pair 1: Quinn Hughes – Jared Spurgeon
Pair 2: Olli Maatta – Jonas Brodin
Pair 3: Daemon Hunt – Zach Bogosian
Goaltenders: Jesper Wallstedt – Calvin Pickard
Minnesota Wild Special Teams
Power play, First unit: Maxim Shabanov – Joel Eriksson Ek – Kirill Kaprizov – Quinn Hughes – Matt Boldy
Power play, Second unit: Blake Coleman – Danila Yurov – Ryan Hartman – Jared Spurgeon – Bobby Brink
Penalty kill, First unit: Michael McCarron – Blake Coleman – Jonas Brodin – Jared Spurgeon
Penalty kill, Second unit: Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy – Olli Maatta – Zach Bogosian
Buffalo Sabres Projected Lines
Line 1: Josh Norris – Tage Thompson – Josh Doan
Line 2: Zach Benson – Noah Ostlund – Jack Quinn
Line 3: Peyton Krebs – Ryan McLeod – Konsta Helenius
Line 4: Jiri Kulich – Sam Carrick – Beck Malenstyn
Pair 1: Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Pair 2: Owen Power – Olen Zellweger
Pair 3: Louis Crevier – Zach Metsa
Goaltenders: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – Colten Ellis
Buffalo Sabres Special Teams
Power play, First unit: Jack Quinn – Zach Benson – Noah Ostlund – Tage Thompson – Rasmus Dahlin
Power play, Second unit: Konsta Helenius – Ryan McLeod – Josh Doan – Owen Power – Josh Norris
Penalty kill, First unit: Ryan McLeod – Beck Malenstyn – Owen Power – Mattias Samuelsson
Penalty kill, Second unit: Josh Norris – Zach Benson – Rasmus Dahlin – Louis Crevier
Players To Watch
Quinn Hughes — Minnesota Wild
Hughes is driving everything from the back end. He posted a goal and an assist on four shots in 22:23 last time out, and Box Score Junkie has him at 62.9% Corsi-for with 73.4 shot attempts per 60 through the 2026-27 season to date. With 1.7 high-danger xG generated while he’s on the ice, his shot-on-goal and points props are live.
Tage Thompson — Buffalo Sabres
Thompson had a goal and an assist on four shots in 19:41 in his most recent outing, and the underlying work matches. Box Score Junkie lists him at 66.7% Corsi-for and 66.7% Fenwick this season, with 73.0 shot attempts per 60 and 1.4 high-danger xG generated while he’s out there. Expect volume against Minnesota.
Injury Report
Minnesota Wild
Danila Yurov (RW) — Day-To-Day, Upper Body, expected back Tuesday, October 6
Brock Faber (D) — Injured Reserve, Skull, expected back Thursday, October 15
Filip Gustavsson (G) — Injured Reserve, Hip, expected back Sunday, November 1
Buffalo Sabres
Alex Lyon (G) — Injured Reserve, Upper Body, expected back Saturday, October 10
Conor Timmins (D) — Injured Reserve, Lower Body, expected back Saturday, October 17
Topias Leinonen (G) — Injured Reserve, Lower Body, expected back Saturday, October 10
Jack Rathbone (D) — Injured Reserve, Undisclosed, expected back Saturday, October 24
Jason Zucker (LW) — Injured Reserve, Abdomen, expected back Thursday, October 15
Next Up
Minnesota Wild: visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, October 8.
Buffalo Sabres: host the Dallas Stars on Thursday, October 8.