# 2024–25 Buffalo Sabres season

The 2024–25 Buffalo Sabres season is the 55th season of play for the Sabres in the National Hockey League (NHL). It is the team's first season with Lindy Ruff back as head coach since 2013. The Sabres will attempt to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and end the longest playoff drought in NHL history.

## Standings
### Divisional standings

Atlantic Division :
| Pos | Team v t e | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Florida Panthers | 68 | 41 | 24 | 3 | 35 | 221 | 184 | +37 | 85 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 66 | 38 | 23 | 5 | 33 | 234 | 179 | +55 | 81 |
| 3 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 66 | 39 | 24 | 3 | 31 | 210 | 197 | +13 | 81 |
| 4 | Ottawa Senators | 66 | 36 | 25 | 5 | 27 | 195 | 187 | +8 | 77 |
| 5 | Montreal Canadiens | 66 | 32 | 27 | 7 | 23 | 197 | 216 | −19 | 71 |
| 6 | Detroit Red Wings | 67 | 32 | 29 | 6 | 24 | 194 | 211 | −17 | 70 |
| 7 | Boston Bruins | 69 | 30 | 30 | 9 | 23 | 186 | 221 | −35 | 69 |
| 8 | Buffalo Sabres | 66 | 27 | 33 | 6 | 21 | 209 | 232 | −23 | 60 |

### Conference standings

Eastern Conference Wild Card :
| Pos | Div | Team v t e | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | AT | Ottawa Senators | 66 | 36 | 25 | 5 | 27 | 195 | 187 | +8 | 77 |
| 2 | ME | New York Rangers | 68 | 33 | 29 | 6 | 30 | 204 | 204 | 0 | 72 |
| 3 | AT | Montreal Canadiens | 66 | 32 | 27 | 7 | 23 | 197 | 216 | −19 | 71 |
| 4 | ME | Columbus Blue Jackets | 66 | 31 | 27 | 8 | 23 | 217 | 221 | −4 | 70 |
| 5 | AT | Detroit Red Wings | 67 | 32 | 29 | 6 | 24 | 194 | 211 | −17 | 70 |
| 6 | ME | New York Islanders | 66 | 30 | 28 | 8 | 24 | 179 | 196 | −17 | 68 |
| 7 | AT | Boston Bruins | 68 | 30 | 30 | 8 | 23 | 184 | 218 | −34 | 68 |
| 8 | ME | Pittsburgh Penguins | 69 | 28 | 31 | 10 | 19 | 202 | 250 | −48 | 66 |
| 9 | ME | Philadelphia Flyers | 68 | 28 | 32 | 8 | 17 | 192 | 232 | −40 | 64 |
| 10 | AT | Buffalo Sabres | 65 | 26 | 33 | 6 | 21 | 206 | 230 | −24 | 58 |

## Preseason

The preseason schedule was published on June 24, 2024.

## Regular season

The regular season schedule was published on July 2, 2024.
2024–25 game log :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)
Notes:
$^A$ Game played at O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic :

## Player statistics

As of March 6, 2025

### Skaters

Regular season :
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
| Tage Thompson | 55 | 31 | 23 | 54 | +4 | 19 |
| JJ Peterka | 59 | 19 | 32 | 51 | −1 | 26 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | 53 | 11 | 40 | 51 | +9 | 44 |
| Alex Tuch | 61 | 24 | 24 | 48 | +13 | 33 |
| Jason Zucker | 54 | 18 | 26 | 44 | +4 | 53 |
| Ryan McLeod | 58 | 14 | 19 | 33 | +9 | 12 |
| Dylan Cozens$^‡$ | 61 | 11 | 20 | 31 | −13 | 62 |
| Owen Power | 61 | 6 | 25 | 31 | −12 | 12 |
| Bowen Byram | 61 | 7 | 22 | 29 | +3 | 26 |
| Jack Quinn | 54 | 10 | 14 | 24 | −17 | 14 |
| Zach Benson | 55 | 9 | 12 | 21 | −3 | 40 |
| Jiri Kulich | 47 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 12 |
| Peyton Krebs | 60 | 5 | 12 | 17 | −7 | 35 |
| Beck Malenstyn | 57 | 4 | 5 | 9 | −12 | 23 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | 41 | 3 | 6 | 9 | +2 | 8 |
| Connor Clifton | 52 | 0 | 9 | 9 | −1 | 31 |
| Jordan Greenway | 27 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 19 |
| Henri Jokiharju$^‡$ | 42 | 3 | 3 | 6 | +6 | 12 |
| Jacob Bryson | 37 | 0 | 6 | 6 | −2 | 10 |
| Sam Lafferty | 43 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −8 | 22 |
| Dennis Gilbert$^‡$ | 25 | 0 | 5 | 5 | −3 | 50 |
| Nicolas Aube-Kubel$^‡$ | 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −4 | 17 |
| Tyson Kozak | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −2 | 0 |
| Ryan Johnson | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 4 |
| Isak Rosen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 |

### Goaltenders

Regular season :
| Player | GP | GS | TOI | W | L | OT | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 45 | 45 | 2,564:05 | 20 | 19 | 4 | 134 | 3.14 | 1,216 | .890 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| James Reimer$^†$ | 11 | 8 | 581:34 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 26 | 2.68 | 267 | .903 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon Levi | 9 | 8 | 480:38 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 33 | 4.12 | 258 | .872 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
$^†$Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Sabres. Stats reflect time with the Sabres only. $^‡$Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Sabres only. Bold/italics denotes franchise record.

## Roster

* view
* talk
Updated March 14, 2025
| No. | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
| 9 | Zach Benson | LW | L | 19 | 2023 | Langley, British Columbia |
| 24 | Jacob Bernard-Docker | D | R | 24 | 2025 | Canmore, Alberta |
| 78 | Jacob Bryson | D | L | 27 | 2017 | London, Ontario |
| 4 | Bowen Byram | D | L | 23 | 2024 | Cranbrook, British Columbia |
| 75 | Connor Clifton | D | R | 29 | 2023 | Long Branch, New Jersey |
| 26 | Rasmus Dahlin (C) | D | L | 24 | 2018 | Trollhättan, Sweden |
| 12 | Jordan Greenway | LW | L | 28 | 2023 | Canton, New York |
| 48 | Tyson Kozak | C | L | 22 | 2021 | Souris, Manitoba |
| 19 | Peyton Krebs | C | L | 24 | 2021 | Okotoks, Alberta |
| 20 | Jiri Kulich | C | L | 20 | 2022 | Kadaň, Czech Republic |
| 81 | Sam Lafferty | C | R | 30 | 2024 | Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania |
| 1 | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | G | L | 26 | 2017 | Espoo, Finland |
| 29 | Beck Malenstyn | LW | L | 27 | 2024 | Delta, British Columbia |
| 71 | Ryan McLeod | C | L | 25 | 2024 | Mississauga, Ontario |
| 13 | Josh Norris | C | L | 25 | 2025 | Oxford, Michigan |
| 77 | JJ Peterka | LW | L | 23 | 2020 | Munich, Germany |
| 25 | Owen Power | D | L | 22 | 2021 | Mississauga, Ontario |
| 22 | Jack Quinn | RW | R | 23 | 2020 | Ottawa, Ontario |
| 47 | James Reimer | G | L | 37 | 2024 | Morweena, Manitoba |
| 23 | Mattias Samuelsson (A) | D | L | 25 | 2018 | Voorhees, New Jersey |
| 72 | Tage Thompson (A) | C | R | 27 | 2018 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 89 | Alex Tuch (A) | RW | R | 28 | 2021 | Syracuse, New York |
| 17 | Jason Zucker | LW | L | 33 | 2024 | Newport Beach, California |

## Transactions

The Sabres have been involved in the following transactions during the 2024–25 season.
Key:  † Contract is entry-level.  ‡ Contract initially takes effect in the 2025–26 season.

### Trades

| Date | Details | Details |
| June 29, 2024 (2024-06-29) | To Washington Capitals2nd-round pick in 2024 | To Buffalo SabresBeck Malenstyn |
| July 5, 2024 (2024-07-05) | To Edmonton OilersMatthew Savoie | To Buffalo SabresRyan McLeod Tyler Tullio |
| January 3, 2025 (2025-01-03) | To Pittsburgh PenguinsColton Poolman | To Buffalo SabresBennett MacArthur |
| March 7, 2025 (2025-03-07) | To Ottawa SenatorsDylan Cozens Dennis Gilbert 2nd-round pick in 2026 | To Buffalo SabresJacob Bernard-Docker Josh Norris |

### Players acquired

| Date | Player | Former team | Term | Via |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Nicolas Aube-Kubel | Washington Capitals | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Josh Dunne | Columbus Blue Jackets | 2-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Dennis Gilbert | Calgary Flames | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Sam Lafferty | Vancouver Canucks | 2-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Jack Rathbone | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Felix Sandstrom | Philadelphia Flyers | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Jason Zucker | Nashville Predators | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 2, 2024 (2024-07-02) | Colton Poolman | Calgary Flames | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 2, 2024 (2024-07-02) | James Reimer | Detroit Red Wings | 1-year | Free agency |
| November 13, 2024 (2024-11-13) | James Reimer | Anaheim Ducks | | Waivers |

### Players lost

| Date | Player | New team | Term | Via |
| June 30, 2024 (2024-06-30) | Jeff Skinner | Edmonton Oilers | 1-year | Buyout |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Brandon Biro | Seattle Kraken | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Joseph Cecconi | Minnesota Wild | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Eric Comrie | Winnipeg Jets | 2-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Jeremy Davies | Ottawa Senators | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Zemgus Girgensons | Tampa Bay Lightning | 3-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Tyson Jost | Carolina Hurricanes | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Eric Robinson | Carolina Hurricanes | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 2, 2024 (2024-07-02) | Victor Olofsson | Vegas Golden Knights | 1-year | Free agency |
| July 3, 2024 (2024-07-03) | Riley Stillman | Carolina Hurricanes | 1-year | Free agency |
| October 7, 2024 (2024-10-07) | James Reimer | Anaheim Ducks | | Waivers |

### Signings

| Date | Player | Term |
| June 28, 2024 (2024-06-28) | Kale Clague | 1-year |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Jacob Bryson | 1-year |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Mason Jobst | 1-year |
| July 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) | Brett Murray | 1-year |
| July 5, 2024 (2024-07-05) | Henri Jokiharju | 1-year |
| July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08) | Konsta Helenius | 3-year† |
| July 23, 2024 (2024-07-23) | Beck Malenstyn | 2-year |
| July 24, 2024 (2024-07-24) | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 5-year |
| September 17, 2024 (2024-09-17) | Peyton Krebs | 2-year |
| October 19, 2024 (2024-10-19) | Scott Ratzlaff | 3-year† |
| March 5, 2025 (2025-03-05) | Jordan Greenway | 2-year |

## Draft picks

Below are the Buffalo Sabres selections at the 2024 NHL entry draft, which was held on June 28 and 29, 2024, at Sphere in Paradise, Nevada.
| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
| 1 | 14 | Konsta Helenius | C | Finland | Mikkelin Jukurit (Liiga) |
| 2 | 42 | Adam Kleber | D | United States | Lincoln Stars (USHL) |
| 3 | 71 | Brodie Ziemer | RW | United States | U.S. NTDP (USHL) |
| 4 | 108 | Luke Osburn | D | United States | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 4 | 123 | Simon-Pier Brunet | D | Canada | Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) |
| 6 | 172 | Patrick Geary | D | United States | Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten) |
| 7 | 204 | Vasili Zelenov | RW | Russia | Red Bull Hockey Juniors (AlpsHL) |
| 7 | 219 | Ryerson Leenders | G | Canada | Mississauga Steelheads (OHL) |