The 2025-26 NHL season is barely a week old, but it already feels like the clock is ticking for the Buffalo Sabers. While contenders like the Edmonton Oilers fine-tune their rosters for another championship run, the Sabres are stuck in a familiar and frustrating pattern of losing.
After starting the season winless, the team’s biggest star is already signaling that his patience is wearing thin, raising questions about whether Buffalo can fix its deep-rooted issues before its franchise cornerstone decides to leave.
What Does a Rough Start Mean for Tage Thompson’s Future in Buffalo?
Entering the 2025-26 season, the Sabres were desperate to break a 14-year playoff drought. However, Buffalo sits winless three games into the campaign and is already struggling to keep pace in the Atlantic Division standings. The team’s rough start includes a 4-0 shutout loss to the New York Rangers, followed by consecutive 3-1 defeats to the Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins. Making matters worse, star forward Tage Thompson, who finished third in the league in goals last season, is already frustrated with the early results.
Last year, Thompson was Buffalo’s best offensive weapon, posting 72 points in 76 games, but his performance wasn’t enough to end the team’s postseason drought. Speaking to reporter Jonathon Acosta after Sunday’s loss to Colorado, he addressed the locker room’s mindset.
“I mean, it’s not good morale when you’re losing, so that means we just have to find ways to enjoy coming here and make it a positive atmosphere,” Thompson said. “I’m a big believer that negativity breeds negativity, and that’s kind of how we’ve snowballed things in the past.”
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Additionally, Thompson emphasized that the team cannot let three games define its entire season. “No one wants to lose their first three games, but we got an opportunity Wednesday to turn it around,” he told Acosta. “I think that’s all we have to start doing is just look at the next game; we can’t keep looking back.”
He also stressed the importance of moving forward rather than dwelling on past failures. “The last three games, the last four seasons, the last 14 seasons, whatever you want to do, we just have to keep our sights set on what’s next,” Thompson added.
Could the Oilers Make a Move for the Sabres’ Star?
While Thompson was optimistic about Wednesday’s upcoming game against the Ottawa Senators, he clarified that the situation must improve. His comments come amid recent reports linking the 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward to the Oilers, especially after Connor McDavid’s team-friendly contract extension created significant cap flexibility for Edmonton.
On the “32 Thoughts” Podcast, insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that Thompson has indicated to Buffalo’s management that results must improve this season. If they don’t, the Sabres risk losing him and star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
Thompson is currently in the third year of a seven-year contract, a $49.9 million contract, but continued losing could force his hand and lead to a trade request. With back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, Edmonton has a clear championship window and the cap space to acquire him at the trade deadline. Adding a player with 44 goals last season would give the Oilers another elite scoring threat to counter the firepower of teams like the Florida Panthers.
Although neither Thompson nor the Sabres has publicly commented on the trade speculation, his patience is running out in Buffalo.
