The Buffalo Sabres will be competing in the NHL’s toughest division, the Atlantic, in the 2025-26 season, but their schedule offers little advantage. According to the Sabres site on Thn.com, which provides team-specific previews of Buffalo’s opponents, one major challenge is facing the Central Division powerhouse, the Colorado Avalanche. Despite finishing third in their division last year, the Avalanche remain an elite team. For the Sabres to end their 14-year Stanley Cup playoff drought, they must overcome formidable squads like Colorado. Let’s evaluate Buffalo’s chances against the Avalanche next season and see if we can predict how well they might perform.
New for the Avalanche is defenseman Brent Burns. In the 2024-25 series, Buffalo recorded 0-1-1 against Colorado’s 2-0-0. They will face off twice in 2025-26: October 13 in Buffalo, and November 13 in Colorado. The Sabres had a close contest with the Avalanche last year, losing both games with a combined score of 11-9. Buffalo managed to secure a point in one of the games but ultimately lost the shootout in their last meeting on January 2. However, the Avalanche they face next year are expected to be even stronger.
Colorado will likely have Captain Gabriel Landeskog for the full season, which should boost their potency, although they performed well without him last year. The Avalanche’s defense corps, already one of the league’s best, has been further strengthened by the addition of Brent Burns. At 40, Burns is the NHL’s oldest player; while his offensive output has declined, his defensive reliability and physical presence will be key assets, especially in Colorado’s third defensive pairing.
The Avalanche’s dominance is underscored by stars like Nathan MacKinnon and defensive ace Cale Makar, two top-five players in the league. The team also retained Mikko Rantanen and added Martin Necas and Brock Nelson, showcasing savvy salary cap management with just $3.3 million left in cap space. This makes it very challenging for the Sabres to best Colorado.
Interestingly, the Sabres will face the Avalanche early in the season, with their first encounter being Buffalo’s third regular-season game. This timing could favor the Sabres since Colorado might still be fine-tuning their lines and chemistry. Playing early games against a strong opponent is preferable to meeting them later when they are fully in sync.
The Sabres’ main goal is to qualify for the 2025-26 Stanley Cup playoffs, ending their prolonged drought. Given Colorado’s strength—ranked in the league’s top 10, and possibly top five when firing on all cylinders—Buffalo faces an uphill battle. Winning at least one of their two matchups against the Avalanche is crucial. Failure to do so could dent their playoff hopes, as they wouldn’t have capitalized on opportunities against one of the best teams. The Avalanche will serve as a tough benchmark, pushing the Sabres to rise or risk falling short again.
Fan Take: This matchup epitomizes the resilience and ambition necessary for an emerging team like the Sabres to break long-standing barriers. For hockey fans, it’s a compelling storyline of underdog determination meeting established excellence, a dynamic that keeps the sport thrilling and unpredictable.
