The Sabre Report Podcast - A Buffalo Sabres Podcast

Episode 201: A CALIFORNIA SWEEP!

The Buffalo Sabres head out to the west coasts and win ALL THREE games against the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings.

Tage Thompson went OFF for five goals and seven points in his final two games, Zach Benson is on a tear, Jack Quinn keeps on scoring, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen & Colten Ellis gave the Sabres winning performances, and even the power play contributed.

PLUS, in the aftermath of missing out on Connor Hellebuyck, the Sabres have reportedly been trying to get into the mix for a Dylan Larkin trade.

We break that all down and more in this episode!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) JP still in Halloween mode

(3:31) Christian Life Update

(7:37) The Sabres SWEEP the California Road Trip

(20:46) Tage Thompson

(29:37) Zach Benson

(51:28) Jack Quinn

(1:02:14) Power Play

(1:11:11) JP’s rant about fights after clean hits

(1:15:25) Colten Ellis & Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

(1:28:39) Dylan Larkin Rumors

(1:56:12) Jesse’s Debrief

(2:03:07) Christian’s Cafeteria

(2:11:52) TSRP Tendies MVP(s)

(2:26:04) Weekly Preview

(2:36:54) Closing Thoughts

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The Sabre Report Podcast is presented by:⁠

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Episode 200: It’s been one of the most negative weeks in recent online Buffalo Sabres community history.

Two uninspiring losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals, and Connor Hellebuyck being dealt to the New Jersey Devils have caused many fans to hit the panic button. Not just on the Sabres’ season, but the entire window they’ve been building.

Jonah and JP sound off on the current state of the fanbase, before fielding questions from the fans on various team-related topics.

Tune into the 200th edition to The Sabre Report Podcast!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) It’s been a week to forget in Sabres discourse

(1:07:13) The Sabres are in a rough spot

(1:26:34) Jesse's Debrief

(1:33:00) Sabres Mailbag

(2:26:08) Christian’s Cafeteria

(2:33:14) TSRP Tendies MVP

(2:43:11) Weekly Preview

(2:53:26) Closing

Sign up to our Patreon for more ‘The Sabre Report’ content!⁠

https://www.patreon.com/TheSabreReport⁠

The Sabre Report Podcast is presented by:⁠ https://williammattar.com/⁠

The Sabre Report Podcast is sponsored by:

⁠https://www.dawnnowak.com/⁠

https://www.paulasdonuts.com/

Episode 199: No Rasmus Dahlin? No problem for the Sabres.

Despite an injury to Rasmus Dahlin versus the Florida Panthers that kept him out of action the entire week, the Buffalo Sabres had an extremely positive week, going 2-0-2 and picking up six of eight points without their captain.

Owen Power & the defense core stepped up in a big way with Dahlin’s absence, and Jack Quinn had a career-best performance in a 5-4 OT win versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, things such as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and special teams performance are still a hot topic amongst fans.

AND Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors have been reignited with his suspension from the Winnipeg Jets ending this week, and with reports Buffalo and Winnipeg have reengaged in trade negotiations.

Tune in to see Jonah, Christian, and JP break all of this down, and more!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) Dennis Gilbert scored a goal

(4:27) A positive week from the Sabres

(10:25) Special teams are a PROBLEM

(26:55) Power, Samuelsson, Zellweger stepped up bigtime

(32:31) Jack Quinn’s career night versus Toronto

(51:02) Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

(1:09:40) Sabres have re-engaged trade talks with Winnipeg for Connor Hellebuyck

(1:42:08) Jesse’s Debrief

(1:48:32) Christian’s Cafeteria

(2:03:32) TSRP Tendies MVP of the Week

(2:09:21) Weekly Preview

(2:19:07) Closing

Sign up to our Patreon for more ‘The Sabre Report’ content!⁠

https://www.patreon.com/TheSabreReport⁠

The Sabre Report Podcast is presented by:⁠

https://williammattar.com/⁠

The Sabre Report Podcast is sponsored by: ⁠https://www.dawnnowak.com/⁠

https://www.paulasdonuts.com/

Episode 198: The Buffalo Sabres' season has hit an early skid.

Despite a big comeback win versus the Minnesota Wild (highlighted by an outstanding Owen Power performance), the Sabres dropped two ugly losses at home against the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild that has people panicking.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is on the struggle bus, people are chanting Connor Hellebuyck’s name, Josh Norris is garnering interest for the wrong reasons, and key contributors are not scoring for the Sabres.

Tune in to see Jonah and JP try to talk Buffalo Sabres fans off of the metaphorical ledge!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) R.I.P. 2026-27 Buffalo Sabres

(12:08) Are people overreacting?

(19:43) The people want Connor Hellebuyck

(37:13) Will the Sabres turn it around?

(50:51) The Minnesota game was fun

(56:43) Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen & Colten Ellis

(1:07:13) Recent Lineup Decisions

(1:21:01) Josh Norris

(1:27:09) Power play

(1:28:36) Jesse’s Brief Debrief

(1:32:43) JP was recognized by a fan

(1:35:16) Should Seth Appert be blamed for the PP?

(1:43:10) Tendies MVP of the Week

(1:57:15) Weekly Preview

(2:14:53) Closing

Sign up to our Patreon for more ‘The Sabre Report’ content!

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The Sabre Report Podcast is presented by: ⁠https://williammattar.com/⁠

The Sabre Report Podcast is sponsored by: ⁠https://www.dawnnowak.com/⁠

https://www.paulasdonuts.com/

Episode 197: The Buffalo Sabres' 2026-27 season is underway!

The team kicked off their season this past Thursday, losing 6-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, before getting their first win of the season, coming back to win 4-3 versus the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

The guys discuss their takeaways, both good and bad. They touch on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's struggles and the power play's incredibly slow start, before jumping into many of the positives: Jack Quinn, Owen Power, Jiri Kulich, and more!

Tune in for the first TSRP episode of the 2026-27 season!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) Thankful the Sabres won a game

(11:20) Are you concerned about Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

(31:26) Power play still stinks

(47:35) 5v5 play has been encouraging

(51:15) Jack Quinn looks fantastic // Benson-Östlund-Quinn

(1:05:14) An incredible moment for Jiri Kulich

(1:12:16) Will we see any lineup shuffling?

(1:19:02) The Chicago Blackhawks are bad

(1:28:18) The Josh Norris + Tage Thompson duo

(1:34:17) Early returns for the 4th line are... not great

(1:39:18) Jesse's Brief Debrief

(1:41:34) Intern Devin was cookin' at the home opener

(1:43:37) Old Friends

(1:45:28) Christian's Cafeteria

(1:51:51) Weekly Preview

(2:03:59) Closing

Sign up to our Patreon for more ‘The Sabre Report’ content!

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The Sabre Report Podcast is presented by: https://williammattar.com/

The Sabre Report Podcast is sponsored by: https://www.dawnnowak.com/

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Episode 196: Griffin Della Penna joins the show!

The Rochester Americans kick off their season tonight, so we decided to sit down and talk with new team broadcaster & multimedia journalist, Griffin Della Penna, to preview their season.

Griffin joins Jonah & JP to discuss his journey as a broadcaster, Rochester's roster/organizational changes during the offseason, young players to watch this year, and his expectations for the season, along with other Amerks related topics!

Tune in for an insightful preview of the Rochester Americans' 2026-27 season!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) Welcome to the show, Griffin Della Penna!

(5:42) Griffin’s journey as a broadcaster

(11:38) Mentors in the industry

(14:22) Preparation for the Rochester Americans season

(16:49) Recapping the 2025-26 season

(19:45) New Rochester GM Stacy Roest

(23:46) Rochester’s new assistant coaching staff

(27:17) Michael Leone

(30:43) Free Agent Additions

(35:46) Who will be in the Leadership Group?

(37:37) Jake Richard’s Rookie Season

(40:50) Radim Mrtka, Maxim Strbak, Gavin McCarthy

(44:57) Vsevolod Komarov

(47:01) Goaltending trio [Ratzlaff, Leinonen, Vilalta]

(49:32) The most “under-the-radar” Amerk

(52:22) Which departure will hurt Rochester the most?

(53:27) What are you looking forward to the most?

(57:19) Season Predictions/Expectations

(1:00:17) Closing Thoughts

Follow Griffin Della Penna on:Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/GriffinDP_

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/griffindellapenna

The Sabre Report Podcast is presented by: https://williammattar.com/

Sign up to our Patreon for more ‘The Sabre Report’ content!

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The division preview is complete!The guys have officially previewed every single Atlantic Division team ahead of the 2026-27 season (although the Toronto Maple Leafs episode may be outdated). And the final episode brings us to the Tampa Bay Lightning.Despite surrendering the division title to the Buffalo Sabres, they are coming off a season where Nikita Kucherov won the Hart Trophy, Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Vezina, and Jon Cooper (somehow) won his first Jack Adams. However, they had quite a bit of roster turnover during the summer.So tune in to find out where we think they are headed this season!(0:00) Recapping Tampa's 2025-26 season(11:58) Key Departures/Additions(17:12) Key Storylines(21:49) Lineup Comparison(31:11) Lightning Predictions/Projection(34:38) Closing ThoughtsThanks for watching!

Episode 195: The Buffalo Sabres’ 2026-27 Season is here!

The team kicks off their season this Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

The guys discuss preseason takeaways, if the forward group can truly replace Alex Tuch, if the defense group can replace Bowen Byram, their expectations for certain players/coaches, their season hot takes, and are even joined by a special guest for a surprise job interview.

Tune in for three hours of Sabres talk!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) WE MADE IT

(8:54) Preseason Takeaways

(22:47) Should Jiri Kulich make the Sabres’ roster?

(34:33) The Power Play

(43:22) What does a successful Buffalo Sabres season look like?

(49:59) Can they replace Alex Tuch’s production?

(1:04:25) Is Jack Quinn the X-Factor of this team?

(1:08:57) Tage Thompson

(1:14:33) Can Olen Zellweger replace Bowen Byram?

(1:19:20) Louis Crevier

(1:21:55) Is this Rasmus Dahlin’s Norris year?

(1:27:07) Goaltending Trio

(1:35:57) Connor Hellebuyck

(1:39:38) Lindy Ruff

(1:45:31) Seth Appert/Power Play

(1:53:13) Jarmo Kekalainen

(1:55:24) Will the Buffalo Sabres make the playoffs?

(2:02:22) Devin Kowalski returns to the show for a job interview

(2:25:08) Buffalo Sabres Over/Unders

(2:36:14) Buffalo Sabres Hot Takes

(2:44:22) Stanley Cup Picks

(2:50:00) Weekly Preview

(2:57:35) Christian’s Cafeteria Season Preview

(3:06:39) Closing Thoughts

The Sabre Report Podcast is presented by: https://williammattar.com/

Sign up to our Patreon for more The Sabre Report content!

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In this week's installment, we preview a Montreal Canadiens team that sent the Buffalo Sabres packing in the 2nd round of the playoffs and made their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. We discuss their late season addition of Chris Kreider, and whether or not their linear progression in the standings will continue this season.

(0:00) Intro

(6:16) Key Adds/Departures

(11:57) Key Storylines

(17:49) Lineup Comparison

(33:50) Predictions/Closing

In this episode, the guys prepare for their first week of Sabres hockey since May! They discuss the Jarmo Kekalainen & Lindy Ruff pressers, training camp lines & pairs, Connor Hellebuyck not reporting to camp, and much more!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) There’s Buffalo Sabres hockey this week

(18:09) JP rallies for support for his music taste

(22:13) Jarmo Kekalainen & Lindy Ruff Pressers

(1:13:28) Training Camp Lines & Pairs

(1:32:47) Changes to KeyBank Center

(1:44:44) Connor Hellebuyck refuses to report to training camp

(1:55:34) Preseason Games Preview

(1:57:39) Closing

In this episode, the guys discuss the latest in Connor Hellebuyck news, Noah Östlund signing an eight-year contract extension with the Sabres, preview Sabres training camp, and more!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) Hockey is (almost) back

(3:23) Connor Hellebuyck: still a Jet

(13:29) Prospects Showcase

(33:13) NOAH ÖSTLUND EIGHT-YEAR EXTENSION

(56:45) Goal songs

(1:08:12) Sabres Trivia

(1:10:52) Zach Metsa Extension

(1:17:18) Chris Kreider signs with Montreal

(1:21:47) Martin St. Louis Extension

(1:26:21) Training Camp Preview

(1:49:43) Closing Thoughts

In this week's installment, we preview a Boston Bruins team that the Buffalo Sabres sent home in May after a very successful regular season. We preview their offseason swings and whether last year can be repeated.

(0:00) Intro

(8:13) Key Departures/Additions

(16:35) Key Storylines

(25:01) Lineup Comparison

(35:55) Predictions/Closing

In this week's installment of Sabres vs the Atlantic, the guys preview an Ottawa Senators fresh off of dealing their captain in the summer and trying to stabilize the situation heading into next NHL season.

(0:00) Intro

(6:44) Key Adds/Losses

(19:36) Key Storylines

(30:07) Lineup Comparison

(38:27) Closing

In this week's installment of Sabres vs the Atlantic, the guys preview a Detroit Red Wings team caught in the middle of hiring a new GM, attempting to trade their captain Dylan Larkin, and attempting to break the longest active playoff drought in the NHL.

(0:00) Intro

(11:47) Key Adds/Losses

(18:17) Key Storylines

(28:16) Lineup Comparison

(41:14) Closing

In this episode, the guys discuss EVERYTHING surrounding Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request. They touch on the Sabres’ chances, who else could be involved, what a package could look like, and more!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) Connor Hellebuyck goes public with his trade request

(14:04) Do they finally land the “big fish”?

(27:07) Who else could trade for Hellebuyck?

(36:46) What does a package even look like now?

(46:28) Jonah’s three mock trades

(55:52) Fan-submitted mock trades

(1:08:07) Hellebuyck’s playoff track record

(1:16:40) How does this end?

(1:23:57) JP reviews Bills Stadium Tendies

(1:30:47) KeyBank Center renovations underway?

(1:33:02) Closing

In this week's installment of Sabres vs the Atlantic, the guys preview a Florida Panthers team looking to rebound after an injury-riddled 2025-26 season.

(0:00) Intro

(7:49) Key Adds/Losses

(16:13) Key Storylines

(29:24) Lineup Comparison

(39:59) Closing

In this episode, the guys discuss the Buffalo Sabres for the first time since early July! They touch on some news that has happened over the past month, their feelings about the roster/season at this point in time, Zach Benson’s weird U23 ranking, and more!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) Hockey is approaching

(2:32) Patrick Kane chooses Chicago

(9:27) Turdburger vs Nickel City Jerseys

(16:05) Big expectations for this year?

(19:07) Become a TSR Patron!

(24:45) Peyton Krebs Re-Signed

(36:22) Are satisfied with the Sabres offseason?

(1:01:42) Zach Benson’s U23 Ranking

(1:13:31) New Sabres jersey coming

(1:24:07) Christian’s Cafeteria: Bills Stadium Edition

(1:31:07) Closing

The first installment of the 2026 Atlantic Division preview series is here! As always, we work ourselves from the bottom to the top, so the Toronto Maple Leafs are up first.

(0:00) Intro

(7:30) Key Departures/Additions

(23:33) Key Storylines

(31:59) Lineup Comparison

(46:45) Closing

In this episode, the guys discuss the Sabres’ offseason as the dog days of the summer start to begin. They touch on the Devon Levi trade, Olen Zellweger’s extension, how they feel about the Sabres’ overall offseason, and whether or not Patrick Kane will finally sign.

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) What are the Anaheim Ducks doing?

(15:33) It’s been a great year

(18:00) A quiet Sabres free agency

(28:29) Devon Levi traded to Edmonton

(43:06) Olen Zellweger extension

(47:08) Rochester signings

(52:07) How do you feel about the Sabres’ offseason?

(1:12:48) Will Patrick Kane sign with the Sabres?

(1:28:49) Peyton Krebs files for arbitration

(1:31:59) Final Thoughts

In this episode, the guys break down a busy last couple of days for the Buffalo Sabres prior to free agency. They discuss a questionable hire for the organization, the Connor Hellebuyck rumors, Beck Malenstyn extending, and give a quick preview of NHL Free Agency!

(0:00) Intro

(0:32) Weird couple of days for the Sabres

(10:23) Sabres announce new hires/promotions

(16:03) Milan Lucic is a pro scout… for the Sabres

(26:48) Connor Hellebuyck

(59:45) Beck Malenstyn extends

(1:26:10) Peyton Krebs remains an RFA

(1:31:40) Patrick Kane? // Free Agency

(1:38:58) What is next year shaping up to be?

(1:50:34) Closing