The Buffalo Sabres’ 2025-26 season was its best in generations, as they won the Atlantic Division, then beat the Boston Bruins in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Buffalo fell to the Montreal Canadiens in a Round 2 exit, but for the first time in a very long time, there was genuine positive vibes in Sabres Land..
For the second straight season here at TheHockeyNews.com, we’re analyzing the Sabres’ Eastern Conference opponents for the second season in a series we call “Know Your Enemy”. And in this file, we’re turning the spotlight on a team that has had nearly as much misery as Buffalo – the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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NEW BLUE JACKETS PLAYERS: Valeri Nichushkin (LW), Pheonix Copley (G), Ryan Lomberg (LW)
2025-26 SERIES: Sabres 1-1-1, Blue Jackets 2-1-0
2026-27 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: October 1, at Columbus; November 6 at Buffalo; January 8 at Columbus
CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? The Blue Jackets and Sabres kick off their season by playing each other in a showdown in Columbus at the start of October, and in the following three months, they’ll play each other another two times. So the Columbus team that Buffalo plays for the final time in the first week of January could look different by the time next year’s NHL trade deadline arrives – and the same goes for the Sabres.
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That said, Columbus’ off-season was unspectacular, and that’s being kind. Veteran winger Nichushkin was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche, and while he’s a solid scorer, he’s not a game-changer, generational player, and that’s what the Blue Jackets don’t have nearly enough of.
And this is why the Sabres have to take care of business when they do take on the Jackets. Columbus is clearly one of the league’s weaker teams, and although they do have up-and-coming youngsters including center Adam Fantilli – as well as superstar defenseman Zach Werenski, at least, for now – the Blue Jackets don’t measure up well on paper against virtually any NHL team.
Columbus is fortunate in that they play in the Metropolitan Division, one of the league’s weaker divisions. But from the Sabres’ perspective, any games that are lost in regulation time to a puny rival is what could be the difference between Buffalo winning or losing home-ice advantage in the post-season.
A strong start is important for any team, Sabres included. A dominant win in Game 1 will set the right tone for Buffalo, and while the Blue Jackets could surprise people and win some games playing feisty hockey, they’re one of the teams the Sabres have to put in their place. And if Buffalo does squander some points in the standings to Columbus, Sabres fans will be rightly frustrated.
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