PuckSleuthCap committed
$100.647M
of $104M ceiling · as of Oct 3
Cap space
$3.353M
Retained slots used: 0 of 3
Active roster
25
45 of 50 NHL contracts
5v5 xGF%
51.7
16th in NHL
PP% / PK%
0.0 / 33.3
PP 17th · PK 30th
Fan sentiment
55
Undervalued on this roster
Performance well above what fans think · biggest gaps first
Alex Lyon
G · age 33 · $1.5M
Fans
39
Perf.
74
Surplus
+$5.307M
Fan opinion is low, yet he is stopping more pucks than expected
Tage Thompson
C · age 28 · $7.143M
Fans
60
Perf.
76
Surplus
+$2.386M
Wins the chance battle and produces, worth more than fans rate him
Mattias Samuelsson
D · age 26 · $4.286M
Fans
54
Perf.
67
Surplus
+$2.34M
Quietly above-average overall value, even if some bounces are helping his goal results
Fans = fan sentiment 0-100. Perf. = performance percentile at his position among players fans discuss (5v5 expected goals share, projected WAR, Game Score). Reasons are written by Claude from the numbers only.
Latest Buffalo Sabres news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- Patrick Kane confirms he considered signing with Sabres: ‘Came down to Buffalo and Chicago’
The New York Times · Oct 3
- Byram Not Playing For Hawks In Sabres Home Opener, Ex-Sabres Update
Yahoo Sports · Oct 3
- Why Chicago’s Patrick Kane considered signing with Sabres
Buffalo News · Oct 3
- Blackhawks' defenceman Bowen Byram to miss game against Buffalo Sabres
kelownadailycourier.ca · Oct 3
- Blackhawks D Bowen Byram to miss homecoming against Buffalo Sabres because of a family matter
oskaloosa.com · Oct 3
- Keep Holding On: Blackhawks at Sabres Preview
Second City Hockey · Oct 3
- Blackhawks share D-man Bowen Byram’s status ahead of Sabres game
The Big Lead · Oct 3
- Blackhawks Vs Sabres: Projected Lineup, How To Watch, & More Ahead Of Game 3
Yahoo Sports · Oct 3
- Blackhawks’ Bowen Byram to miss first game versus Sabres after trade; Jordan Greenway begins ‘new chapter’
Buffalo Hockey Beat · Oct 3
- Kids Write Letters To The Team
NHL.com · Oct 3
| Player | Pos | Age | GP | G | A | P | TOI | FO% | xGF% | WAR | Cap hit | Yrs | Expiry | Clause | Fans | Chatter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forwards14 players · $51.704M | ||||||||||||||||
| Noah Ostlund | C | 22 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16:42 | — | 70.6 | 0.0 | $886K | 1 | RFA | None | 70 | 0 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20:46 | — | 70.7 | 0.2 | $3.375M | 1 | RFA | None | 42 | 5 |
| Konsta Helenius | C | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15:09 | — | 19.0 | 0.1 | $954K | 2 | RFA | — | 77 | 0 |
| Zach Benson | L | 21 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18:34 | — | 70.7 | 0.0 | $7.5M | 7 | UFA | — | 69 | 0 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 27 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16:41 | — | 24.6 | 0.1 | $5M | 3 | UFA | M-NTC | — | 0 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:46 | — | 65.4 | -0.1 | $7.143M | 4 | UFA | M-NTC | 60 | 0 |
| Josh Doan | R | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:06 | — | 60.3 | -0.0 | $6.95M | 7 | UFA | M-NTC | — | 0 |
| Josh Norris | C | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:19 | — | 62.5 | -0.0 | $7.95M | 4 | UFA | M-NTC | — | 1 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:58 | — | 11.8 | -0.0 | $4.5M | 4 | UFA | M-NTC | — | 0 |
| Jiri Kulich | C | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:45 | — | 34.6 | -0.0 | $887K | 1 | RFA | — | 53 | 0 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:11 | — | 29.0 | -0.0 | $2.917M | 6 | UFA | — | — | 0 |
| Sam Carrick | C | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:43 | — | 29.0 | -0.0 | $1M | 1 | UFA | None | — | 0 |
| Justin Danforth | R | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | $1.8M | 1 | UFA | None | — | 0 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | $843K | 2 | RFA | None | — | 0 |
| Defense8 players · $31.536M | ||||||||||||||||
| Owen Power | D | 23 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 25:25 | — | 63.8 | 0.1 | $8.35M | 5 | UFA | M-NTC | 26 | 0 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18:21 | — | 38.6 | 0.1 | $4.286M | 4 | UFA | None | 54 | 2 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25:58 | — | 39.0 | -0.0 | $11M | 6 | UFA | NMC | 46 | 0 |
| Louis Crevier | D | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:14 | — | 66.5 | 0.0 | $900K | 1 | RFA | None | 74 | 29 |
| Matt Grzelcyk | D | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:27 | — | 41.8 | -0.0 | $850K | 1 | UFA | — | — | 0 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:54 | — | 43.7 | -0.0 | $850K | 1 | UFA | — | 55 | 0 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | $2.2M | 1 | UFA | None | — | 0 |
| Olen Zellweger | D | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | $3.1M | 3 | RFA | None | 60 | 2 |
Goalies 3 on roster
| Player | Age | GP | SV% | GAA | GSAx | WAR | Cap hit | Yrs | Expiry | Clause | Fans | Chatter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 27 | 1 | .773 | 5.07 | -2.7 | -0.4 | $4.75M | 3 | UFA | M-NTC | 38 | 0 |
| Alex Lyon | 33 | 0 | — | — | — | — | $1.5M | 1 | UFA | None | 39 | 3 |
| Colten Ellis | 25 | 0 | — | — | — | — | $775K | 1 | RFA | None | 64 | 0 |
FO% shown for centers. 5v5 xGF% from our expected goals model. WAR is PuckSleuth's estimate: wins above a replacement-level player, from our Game Score. Fans = fan sentiment 0-100 with 14-day trend. Chatter = trade mentions in the last 7 days.
Reserve list under NHL contract, not on the NHL roster · 20 players
| Player | Pos | Age | Cap hit | Yrs | Expiry | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Zucker | L | 34 | $4.75M | 1 | UFA | — |
| Maxim Strbak | D | 21 | $1.028M | 3 | RFA | — |
| Jake Richard | R | 22 | $1.014M | 2 | RFA | — |
| Gavin McCarthy | D | 21 | $1.008M | 3 | RFA | — |
| Radim Mrtka | D | 19 | $974K | 3 | RFA | — |
| Topias Leinonen | G | 22 | $962K | 2 | RFA | — |
| Riley Fiddler-Schultz | C | 24 | $940K | 1 | RFA | — |
| Scott Ratzlaff | G | 21 | $935K | 2 | RFA | — |
| Vsevolod Komarov | D | 22 | $910K | 1 | RFA | — |
| Zac Funk | R | 23 | $905K | 1 | RFA | — |
| Ryan Johnson | D | 25 | $875K | 2 | RFA | — |
| Trevor Kuntar | C | 25 | $875K | 2 | UFA | — |
| Aidan McDonough | L | 26 | $850K | 1 | UFA | — |
| Carson Meyer | R | 29 | $850K | 1 | UFA | — |
| Conor Sheary | L | 34 | $850K | 1 | UFA | — |
| Dennis Gilbert | D | 29 | $850K | 1 | UFA | — |
| Jack Rathbone | D | 27 | $850K | 1 | UFA | — |
| Jason Polin | R | 27 | $850K | 1 | UFA | — |
| Mason Geertsen | L | 31 | $850K | 1 | UFA | — |
| Matt Villalta | G | 27 | $850K | 1 | UFA | — |
Prospects and depth players signed to NHL contracts, including two-way deals. Players on AHL-only contracts are not listed.
Cap by season
Signed cap hits by season. A badge marks the final season of each deal: UFA or RFA after it. Later seasons count only contracts signed so far.
| Player | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 | 2029-30 | 2030-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forwards | |||||
| Aidan McDonoughL | $850KUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Beck MalenstynL | $2.917M | $2.917M | $2.917M | $2.917M | $2.917M |
| Carson MeyerR | $850KUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Conor ShearyL | $850KUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Jack QuinnR | $3.375MRFA | · | · | · | · |
| Jake RichardR | $1.014M | $1.014MRFA | · | · | · |
| Jason PolinR | $850KUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Jason ZuckerLM-NTC | $4.75MUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Jiri KulichC | $887KRFA | · | · | · | · |
| Josh DoanRM-NTC | $6.95M | $6.95M | $6.95M | $6.95M | $6.95M |
| Josh NorrisCM-NTC | $7.95M | $7.95M | $7.95M | $7.95MUFA | · |
| Justin DanforthR | $1.8MUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Konsta HeleniusC | $954K | $954KRFA | · | · | · |
| Mason GeertsenL | $850KUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Noah OstlundC | $886KRFA | · | · | · | · |
| Peyton KrebsCM-NTC | $4.5M | $4.5M | $4.5M | $4.5MUFA | · |
| Riley Fiddler-SchultzC | $940KRFA | · | · | · | · |
| Ryan McLeodCM-NTC | $5M | $5M | $5MUFA | · | · |
| Sam CarrickC | $1MUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Tage ThompsonCM-NTC | $7.143M | $7.143M | $7.143M | $7.143MUFA | · |
| Trevor KuntarC | $875K | $875KUFA | · | · | · |
| Tyson KozakC | $843K | $843KRFA | · | · | · |
| Zac FunkR | $905KRFA | · | · | · | · |
| Zach BensonL | $7.5M | $7.5M | $7.5M | $7.5M | $7.5M |
| Defense | |||||
| Conor TimminsD | $2.2MUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Dennis GilbertD | $850KUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Gavin McCarthyD | $1.008M | $1.008M | $1.008MRFA | · | · |
| Jack RathboneD | $850KUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Louis CrevierD | $900K | $4M | $4M | $4M | $4M |
| Matt GrzelcykD | $850KUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Mattias SamuelssonD | $4.286M | $4.286M | $4.286M | $4.286MUFA | · |
| Maxim StrbakD | $1.028M | $1.028M | $1.028MRFA | · | · |
| Olen ZellwegerD | $3.1M | $3.1M | $3.1MRFA | · | · |
| Owen PowerDM-NTC | $8.35M | $8.35M | $8.35M | $8.35M | $8.35MUFA |
| Radim MrtkaD | $974K | $974K | $974KRFA | · | · |
| Rasmus DahlinDNMC | $11M | $11M | $11M | $11M | $11M |
| Ryan JohnsonD | $875K | $875KRFA | · | · | · |
| Vsevolod KomarovD | $910KRFA | · | · | · | · |
| Zach MetsaD | $850K | unknown | · | · | · |
| Goalies | |||||
| Alex LyonG | $1.5MUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Colten EllisG | $775KRFA | · | · | · | · |
| Matt VillaltaG | $850KUFA | · | · | · | · |
| Scott RatzlaffG | $935K | $935KRFA | · | · | · |
| Topias LeinonenG | $962K | $962KRFA | · | · | · |
| Ukko-Pekka LuukkonenGM-NTC | $4.75M | $4.75M | $4.75MUFA | · | · |
| Committed | $100.647M | $86.913M | $80.455M | $64.595M | $40.717M |
| Players signed | 45 | 24 | 16 | 10 | 6 |
| Cap ceiling | $104M | $113.5M | not set | not set | not set |
| Cap space | $3.353M | $26.587M | — | — | — |
This season's committed total is the full cap charge used above (players in the minors count only above the buried allowance, plus dead cap); before LTIR relief. The 2027-28 ceiling of $113.5M is the league's announced figure; later ceilings are not set yet. Buyouts and dead cap in future seasons are not included.
Cap by position
- Forwards$51.704M · 50.6%
- Defense$31.536M · 30.8%
- Goalies$7.025M · 6.9%
- Injured reserve$5.6M · 5.5%
- Other dead cap$6.4M · 6.3%
Injured reserve: Jason Zucker ($4.75M); Dennis Gilbert ($850K).
Other dead cap: Other dead cap (2026-09-28 cap sheet total) ($6.4M).
Players in the minors count only above the buried allowance (league minimum salary plus $375,000). Roster status, buyouts, and bonus overages come from team announcements and news, checked daily. LTIR relief is not shown.
Expiring this season
Pending UFAs
15
Pending RFAs
8
Cap coming off
$29.328M
- Jason ZuckerUFA · $4.75M · age 34
- Jack QuinnRFA · $3.375M · age 25
- Conor TimminsUFA · $2.2M · age 28
- Justin DanforthUFA · $1.8M · age 33
- Alex LyonUFA · $1.5M · age 33
- Sam CarrickUFA · $1M · age 34
Most trade chatter
- Louis Crevier29 mentions
Crevier deal with Sabres.
- Jack Quinn5 mentions
Suggests trading Quinn to add team toughness
- Alex Lyon3 mentions
Goaltender needs to be traded due to confidence issues.
- Mattias Samuelsson2 mentions
Activated from IR to return to lineup