Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are one of the NHL's great tragedies of almost - a franchise rich in talent, passion, and history that has never quite reached the summit. Since entering the league in 1970, the Sabres have produced some of hockey's most electrifying players and gut-wrenching near-misses, from the French Connection line of Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, and Rene Robert to Dominik Hasek's otherworldly goaltending to the heartbreak of Brett Hull's controversial Cup-winning goal in 1999. The franchise's identity has always been intertwined with its blue-collar city - tough, resourceful, and proudly unglamorous.

The defining storyline of the Sabres entering the 2025-26 season is the longest active playoff drought in the NHL, now stretching past fourteen years. It is a drought that has tested even Buffalo's legendarily loyal fan base, spanning multiple rebuilds, coaching changes, and front-office overhauls. The roster features genuine young talent - Rasmus Dahlin has emerged as one of the league's premier defensemen, and Tage Thompson provides the kind of offensive punch that can change games. Yet translating individual talent into team success has proven maddeningly elusive, and the question of when, not if, the Sabres will finally break through hangs over the franchise like a Western New York snowstorm.

Buffalo is a hockey town to its marrow. KeyBank Center sits in the heart of downtown, and on game nights the city pulses with a devotion that rivals any market in the league. Players like Pat LaFontaine, Alexander Mogilny, and Ryan Miller became local heroes not just for their skill but for embodying the spirit of a community that refuses to quit. The Sabres may be cursed, but their fans are not quitters - and the belief that the next great team is just around the corner has sustained this franchise through decades of heartbreak.