Welcome back to another Vancouver Canucks 2025–26 season series preview. In this article series, The Hockey News - Canucks site previews Vancouver’s team series matchups for the season in chronological order. Last time, we looked at what the Canucks will face in the Detroit Red Wings. Today, let’s preview their season matchups against the Buffalo Sabres.
2024–25 Season Stats
Team Stats:
Record: 36–39–7
Points: 79
Standings placement: 7th in Atlantic Division
PP%: 18.8% (24th)
PK%: 76.4% (23rd)
Goals:
Tage Thompson (44)
Alex Tuch (36)
Jason Zucker / Josh Norris (21)
Ryan McLeod (20)
Rasmus Dahlin (17)
Assists:
Rasmus Dahlin (51)
Ryan McLeod / Owen Power (33)
Jason Zucker (32)
Alex Tuch / Bowen Byram (31)
Tage Thompson (28)
Points:
Tage Thompson (72)
Rasmus Dahlin (68)
Alex Tuch (67)
Jason Zucker / Ryan McLeod (53)
Owen Power (40)
Goaltenders:
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Record: 24–24–5
GAA: 3.20
SV%: .887
SO: 2
Points: 1A
Devon Levi
Record: 2–7–0
GAA: 4.12
SV%: .872
SO: N/A
Points: N/A
Alex Lyon
Record: 14–9–1
GAA: 2.81
SV%: .896
SO: 1
Points: N/A
2025 Free Agency Rundown
Buffalo had a big question surrounding them heading into the off-season — one that Vancouver fans were paying a fair amount of attention to. Soon-to-be RFA at the time, JJ Peterka, was looking to move on from the Sabres, and Buffalo needed to find someone who could offer them a fair price in exchange. Flipping Peterka to the Utah Mammoth, Buffalo acquired defenceman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan. The Sabres also tidied up some of their extension business, re-signing former Canuck Jack Rathbone, forwards Jack Quinn and Ryan McLeod, defencemen Bowen Byram and Conor Timmins, and goaltender Devon Levi.
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2025–26 Season Series Preview
The Sabres are a team who have consistently looked promising on paper, but have yet to break the playoff threshold. They have a solid mix of experienced players and skilled young talent, as well as two first-overall draft selections on their blueline. However, there’s still something missing from this Sabres group that finished 26th in the entire NHL’s standings. Not to mention, the Atlantic Division will be tight again, with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning all most likely taking the top three spots.
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.
2025–26 Games Against Vancouver
Game 1: December 11, 7:00pm PT @ Rogers Arena
Game 2: January 6, 4:00pm PT @ KeyBank Center
Season Series Preview Articles
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