Sabres Need Lyon At The Top Of His Game

The Buffalo Sabres are searching for answers 18 games into the 2026-27 National Hockey League season. While the club remains in the race for an Eastern Conference wild card playoff berth, this edition of the team doesn’t look like a group that is ready to go on a second-half run up the standings. 

With the exception of Tage Thompson and Jack Quinn, the Sabres have not been able to score with any consistency. 

Buffalo’s record on home ice has dropped to a dismal mark of 4-6-0.

The organization’s team captain and best player, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, has looked like a mere shadow of himself since returning from injury nine games ago. 

The youth movement counted on to make up for the roster losses of veteran leader Alex Tuch and top four blueliner Bowen Byram hasn’t produced nearly enough to fill the holes in the lineup. 

Most alarming, though, is the inability of the Sabres to get a big save at crucial moments. 

Granted, there is more pressure on the man in the crease when fewer goals are going in at the other end, but Buffalo’s netminding has simply not been good enough on many nights this season. 

With the margin between gaining critical points in the standings and losses being razor thin, the Sabres need to find an answer in net. 

Last season Buffalo rode the trio Ukko-Pekka-Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis during a second-half run to an Atlantic Division title. 

Lyon has been sidelined since the preseason with a shoulder injury. 

With a deal to acquire elite stopper Conor Hellebuyck failing to come to fruition, Luukkonen and Ellis have been tasked with keeping the Sabres in the race. 

Most recently, the pair collectively surrendered eight goals in an embarrassing loss to the division rival Tampa Bay Lightning at KeyBank Center on Wednesday night. 

Lyon is set to make his regular season debut on Buffalo’s upcoming six-game road trip. 

The 33-year-old veteran delivered a mark of 20-10-4 in 25-26 and contributed strong performances in the Sabres remarkable return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

A fresh and healthy Lyon will need to be a key component if the Sabres are to turn the fortunes of their season around in an important stretch of road contests. 

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