The 2025 NHL offseason has been monumental, to say the least. While teams like the New York Islanders had a great draft by picking multiple top prospects, teams like the Florida Panthers have been successful in protecting their key players throughout free agency.
Some other teams have been much more unlucky, failing to secure top prospects while also losing their key players amid the ongoing free agency and trade. But the team that is feeling the brunt of it all is the Buffalo Sabres.
And the fans just had enough with how the franchise is being run currently and how owner Terry Pegula has made the Sabres a second fiddle.
Sabres Fans Are Enraged at Recent Losses Amid Free Agency
The Sabres ended the 2024-25 season seventh in the Atlantic Division. With this, they failed to make the playoffs since the 2010-2011 season. This 14-year playoff drought is the longest across the “Big 4” professional sports leagues, tied with the New York Jets from the NFL.
Not to mention, Pegula and the Sabres haven’t just failed to make it to the playoffs; they have also failed to rebuild the franchise. The Sabres traded JJ Peterka, Connor Clifton, and Sam Lafferty since June 25. They even lost a second-round pick alongside Clifton.
Their draft hasn’t gone their way either. Radim Mrtka is the only player they got from the first round at ninth overall. They have added five players who are 6’1″ or taller. But this move doesn’t seem sensible as the Sabres haven’t been lacking in the physicality factor.
The fans are done with the management and Pegula. As one fan writes, “Terry Pegula is objectively the worst thing to ever happen to Buffalo sports. Congrats on lucking into Josh Allen, I guess. Absolute loser.” Since Pegula acquired the Sabres at the end of 2011, they have been in a drought.
Terry Pegula is objectively the worst thing to ever happen to Buffalo sports. Congrats on lucking into Josh Allen I guess. Absolute loser.
— Ben Mathewson (@Ben_Mathewson) July 1, 2025
Meanwhile, another fan mentions how Pegula can be blamed only for the Sabres. He mentions, “Correction…. Worst thing that’s happened to the Sabres. He runs the bills pretty well, even if he did luck into Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott.”
Correction…. Worst thing that’s happened to the Sabres. He runs the bills pretty well even if he did “luck” into Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott. He still made the decision and it paid off. Just cause yall Sabres fans are butt hurt abt where that franchise is. Leave the bills… https://t.co/joZZsBNmXs
— Ryan (@BuffaloRyann) July 1, 2025
He continued with how the Sabres’ fans shouldn’t drag the Buffalo Bills for this. He says, “He still made the decision, and it paid off. Just cause y’all Sabres fans are butthurt about where that franchise is. Leave the bills out of it.”
Fans Criticise Terry Pegula for His Partiality Against the Buffalo Bills
Another fan mentions how the Bills were as bad until they found Josh Allen as QB. They wrote, “That’s all it was. Bills were garbage also till they lucked into the QB.” Meanwhile, one fan points out how the Bills are the only reason Pegula is still in Buffalo.
They wrote, “The Bills are the only reason he hasn’t been run out of Buffalo. He has ruined the Sabres franchise, sadly!” It is not far-fetched to say Pegula has been completely focused on the NFL franchise and has been ignoring the Sabres.
The Bills are the only reason he hasn’t been run out of Buffalo. He has ruined the Sabres franchise sadly!
— S (@cmoncmonyayaya) July 1, 2025
With his net worth of $7.6 billion, Pegula made most of his fortune from natural gas and oil as the owner of East Resources. He then sold the outfit for $4.7 billion to Royal Dutch Shell in 2010. He then bought the Sabres for $189 million the next year and the Bills for $1.7 billion in 2014.
While some fans are thankful to the billionaire for saving the Sabres, they are still critical of his management. While the Bills have been a top contender in the NFL with Josh Allen going on to win the 2024 MVP, the Sabres have one of the worst records in the Atlantic Division.
As one fan writes, “He definitely is the worst thing to happen to the Sabres. I can agree with that. While the situation with the Bills has been getting better and better, the Sabres have been failing on all fronts, making things rough for the hockey faithful.
Physicality IS a huge problem for the Sabres