Locked On Sabres - Daily Podcast On The Buffalo Sabres

Can the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings FINALLY snap their historically long playoff droughts? Can the Boston Bruins return to their usual winning ways after a disaster season? And are the Montreal Canadiens the class of this crop of four squads? In a special Atlantic Divison Hopefuls season preview, Joe DiBiase (Locked On Sabres), Brian Fisher (Locked On Red Wings), Ian McLaren (Locked On Br...

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is back practicing and will play in the preseason. So, with UPL back, what is going to happen with the Buffalo Sabres at the goalie position? Is UPL definitely going to start opening night? What is going to happen to Alex Georgiev? Waivers? The AHL? Stay in the NHL as the third string guy? Plus, Ryan Johnson is having a strong camp and is earning a shot at the opening night li...

As we approach the Buffalo Sabres season, we're seeing more and more belief that this could actually be the year they finally make the playoffs. Why the cause of optimism and what are the reasons some analysts think the Sabres could be a team that gets 90 points or more this season? Many are pointing to their added defensive talent, but also overall depth compared to other teams. Sneaky Joe looks...

Alex Tuch and the Buffalo Sabres are reportedly in different ball parks when it comes to his next contract. Pierre LeBrun indicates Tuch could be looking for $10 million per year or more on a long-term deal. While that number might have a lot of sticker-shock, Sneaky Joe argues for it being a perfectly reasonable contract with the increases coming to the salary cap. Will the Buffalo Sabres agree?...

Zach Benson is getting a look on the first line with Tage Thompson and Josh Norris to start the preseason and he impressed versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. Benson had the highlight of the night with a great behind the back pass and his line dominated every time they were on the ice. Is Benson going to run with this chance to play up top in a much bigger role? How many minutes might he play in the...

The Buffalo Sabres went into their first preseason game and left Columbus with a shutout 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets! Michael Kesselring gave Sabres fans a lot to look forward to with a strong performance in his first look with Owen Power. Sneaky Joe looks at Kesselring's chemistry with Power, his passing ability, and skating all being on display in his first game. Radim Mirtka looks good in his...

The Buffalo Sabres hit the ice for day one of training camp on the ice and Alex Tuch reported without a contract extension. After Tuch spoke about the market shifting and being patient about a new deal, Sneaky Joe makes the case from Tuch's angle for a short-term contract extension that sets up a bigger extension in the future, while also giving the Sabres an extra year to prove to Tuch they can w...

The Buffalo Sabres are reporting to training camp and will be on the ice this week! Ahead of practice, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff met with the media to discuss the upcoming 2025-26 season. Adams explains why he believes the team accomplished it's offseason goal of building up the defensive part of their roster. Is Adams' non-concern about the team's ability to score goals conc...

The Buffalo Sabres have a lot of goals to replace in their top-six with the departure of JJ Peterka. Sneaky Joe sees two open spots that will be battled for at training camp and the preseason. There are several candidates to win the two spots including Zach Benson, Jack Quinn, Jason Zucker, Jordan Greenway, Josh Doan, and even Noah Ostlund? How likely is each player to give the Sabres what they wa...

The Buffalo Sabres have signed another NHL goalie, bringing in former Avalanche goalie Alex Georgiev on a one year deal. Georgiev has led the NHL in wins twice in the last three years, but is coming off a terrible season. With the signing, there is also news of a Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen injury before training camp begins. What does the Georgiev signing likely mean for how bad UPL's injury is. Sneaky...

Jiri Kulich had a nice rookie season with the Buffalo Sabres scoring 15 goals, but the team will need him to elevate to a higher level in 2025-26. How many goals can Kulich score for the Sabres this season? Sneaky Joe focuses on what Kulich's game is missing like playmaking, defense, and powerplay production. Why didn't Kulich register a single point on the powerplay in 2024-25? A look at his skil...

The Buffalo Sabres Prospects Challenge opens this week, giving the likes of Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, and others their first crack at impressing the Sabres coaching staff to make the NHL roster at some point in 2025-26. Can any of the Sabres prospects surprise at the NHL level this season? Sneaky Joe runs through Helenius, Ostlund, Anton Wahlberg, Nikita Novikov, and other prospects that are...

The Buffalo Sabres blueline is one of the most talented groups in the NHL, but that talent has yet to manifest itself into results for the team. Who will have to step up this season to end the playoff drought? Sneaky Joe looks at where Owen Power can take steps, how the team can fit Bowen Byram back into the picture, and what Michael Kesselring is going to be for them. Plus, what Rasmus Dahlin has...

The Buffalo Sabres brought in goaltender Alex Lyon this offseason, who has had better production than Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen over the last three seasons. Will he unseat UPL as the team's #1 goalie and play the most games in 2025-26? Sneaky Joe looks at how the Sabres may treat the situation early in the season, what happens to UPL if he loses his job, and how Devon Levi effects this mix. Plus, new j...

The Buffalo Sabres don't have the best group of centers heading into 2025-26 season and Josh Norris is the most accomplished of them. Can Norris stay healthy? How many goals would you take from Norris?   Sneaky Joe breaks down why he believes Norris will help a lot on the powerplay, but also why he is not a good fit to play with Tage Thompson to start the season. What about the contract? If Norris...

If the Buffalo Sabres end their 14-year playoff drought this season, it'll most likely come from a Wild Card position. Which means, fighting with teams from the Metro Division like the Rangers, Blue Jackets, Islanders, and Devils. How likely are the Sabres to beat out all but three of the teams in the Metro? A quiet offseason from everyone, except the Hurricanes, gives the Sabres an opportunity. A...

Everyone in the NHL struggles against the back-to-back Stanley Cup Florida Panthers, but no one struggles more than the Buffalo Sabres. Sneaky Joe looks at the Sabres over the last four seasons against Florida, how many Sabres' matchups Matthew Tkachuk is in line to miss, and whether Sergei Bobrovsky is the one part of the Panthers that could take a step back. Are the Panthers a superteam? How man...

The Toronto Maple Leafs have finished top-three in the Atlantic Division every season since 2017, but now will have to do it again, this time without Mitch Marner, who has left for Vegas. Do the Maple Leafs have the depth up front to replace a 100 point player? Sneaky Joe points to some of the Leafs 5v5 numbers in 2024-25 that indicate a team that is going to have trouble matching what they did la...

Next up in our look through the Atlantic Division, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who showed signs of decline last season, but are still built to be a playoff team every single season. A group of superstars at the top of the lineup featuring Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel, and Andrei Vasilevskiy is enough to lift up a horrible group of depth players. Can just...

The Sabres and Senators struck a big trade last season sending Dylan Cozens to Ottawa. In 21 games, Cozens put up good numbers with the Sens... or did he? Sneaky Joe argues that Cozens is the same lost player we saw in Buffalo the last two years, and he is not in line for success in Ottawa. HOWEVER, the Senators should have more than enough talent with the likes of Tim Stuzle, Jake Sanderson, and...

The Buffalo Sabres have been passed by the Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division after Montreal found a way to make the playoffs last season, despite not being great at 5-on-5, powerplay, or goaltending. Despite having, what was maybe, a lucky season, the Habs added this offseason with Noah Dobson and Zack Bolduc to offset any possible regression. Will Montreal come back to the pack? Or are...

Last season, the Boston Bruins finished dead last in the Atlantic Division, behind even the Buffalo Sabres for the first time since 2010. Was this just a fluke year for Boston, or is this a sign of an era of bad Bruins hockey? Sneaky Joe believes the latter is more likely. A look into a thin roster, a GM that has been unable to replace Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and David Krejci, and a goalie...

It's been over a month since Alex Tuch was eligible to sign a contract extension with the Buffalo Sabres, and so far... no deal. Should we be worried no deal has been struck? At what point should we be? Sneaky Joe goes through Tuch's past comments about a deal, what he's worth to the Sabres, and what could be motivating him going forward. Plus, a new comparison for Zach Benson.   Support Us By Sup...

What would the Buffalo Sabres have accomplished if Daniel Briere and Chris Drury never left the team? What happens if the team didn't have all it's defensemen get hurt in 2006? What about if the Sabres never tanked in 2015? Sneaky Joe asks AI some of the biggest 'what ifs' in Buffalo Sabres history, including a long ripple effect that would've started with a Stanley Cup in 2006. Plus, what AI thin...

Can Tage Thompson rise to MVP status and claim the Hart Trophy in 2025-26? Once considered a long-term project, Thompson has evolved into one of the league’s most dynamic offensive forces. We explore his journey, assess his impact on the Buffalo Sabres, and ask whether individual brilliance is enough without deep team success. The conversation touches on his scoring consistency, power-play dominan...