The Buffalo Sabres have had a young, exciting core for a number of years now, but heading into 2025-26, their Stanley Cup Playoffs drought had reached an active record of 15 years, with their fans holding belief that this could be their year to turn it around.
Their slow start didn't help things either, as the franchise ended up shaking things up by parting ways with their general manager in hopes of sparking a historic campaign. Shockingly, that worked, as the Sabres ended the season with a record of 50-23-9, finishing in first place in the Atlantic Division with an incredibly impressive 109 points on the season.
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While they fell short in overtime of Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens in the second round, Buffalo have so much to be proud of following their breakout season, with the hopes that they can be a consistent post-season threat for years to come. One key piece of that success has been head coach Lindy Ruff, who now owns a record of 86-62-16 in his two seasons behind the bench during his second stint with the Sabres.
As a result, the organization has rewarded him in a big way, announcing a two-year extension for the 66-year-old franchise icon on social media.
While they didn't get the job done this season, the Sabres are set up for long-term success with the likes of Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin and Zach Benson leading the way, and with Ruff behind the bench, the team have found something special. It won't be easy to back things up in 2026-27 now that Buffalo have established themselves as a contender, but with a franchise icon like Ruff, there's belief this team can even take a step forward now that he's locked in on a two-year extension.
