Sabres Need Kulich To Be Healthy 

The Buffalo Sabres will be heading into the upcoming 2026-27 National Hockey League season looking to the club’s young talent to step up. 

The Sabres are coming off of a season to remember in 2025-26.  The team went on a torrid run to overcome a disastrous first two months of the campaign to grab top spot in the Atlantic Division. 

A 14-year playoff absence was finally put to rest, and the surprising Sabres, who had been largely irrelevant for so many years, came within one victory of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. A fan base that had been starving for a reversal of the once proud franchise’s fortunes is energized once again. Ticket sales are up, and there is great anticipation in Buffalo as the fall and a new season is set to begin. 

For all the excitement and optimism surrounding the Sabres, significant questions remain regarding what is ahead. There have been key roster subtractions; top wingers Alex Tuch and offensive defenseman Bowen Byram have departed, and Buffalo will need its stable of young talent to take a step forward. 

Perhaps the most important piece of this equation is 22-year-old forward Jiri Kulich. The talented native of Czechia seemed poised for a breakout performance last year with five points in his first twelve games. Then, Kulich and the Sabres were dealt a devastating blow when the young forward was diagnosed with a blood clot in November of 2025. Although his season ended there, Buffalo first-round pick, 28th overall, is expected to resume his playing career this season. 

With the losses of Tuch and Byram, the Sabres will be looking for offensive contributions from the roster as currently constructed. Kulich has been a favorite of head coach Lindy Ruff and will have every opportunity to make an impact this season.

His 18 goals in just 75 career NHL games have shown that he has the ability to be a top performer in the Buffalo lineup. The question is, with the loss of almost an entire season now behind him, will Kulich be able to hit the ground running and regain the form he showed prior to being sidelined. The Sabres won’t sneak up on the competition come October, so the team will need to get off to a good start in the grueling Eastern Conference playoff chase. 

A healthy Kulich will need to be a key component if the Sabres are to return to the postseason next spring. 

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