Vancouver and Buffalo faced off twice in 2024–25, with both teams winning a game each. However, the Canucks took the Sabres on before they made their Trade Deadline swap of Dylan Cozens and Dennis Gilbert for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker (the latter of whom Buffalo did not give a qualifying offer to). Buffalo will be a desperate team in 2025–26, eager to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Both of these teams’ matchups will occur less than a month between one-another, on both December 11 and January 6.