Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast: MSG (Sabres market), Blue Jackets Hockey Network / CBJNHL, ESPN+ (streaming/out-of-market)
This is the season opener for both clubs. The Sabres enter with high expectations after ending their long playoff drought last season, while the Blue Jackets host with a reshaped roster after a late preseason trade.
Projected Lineups / Current Rosters
Sabres projected lineup
Forwards:
Josh Norris – Tage Thompson – Josh Doan
Zach Benson – Noah Östlund – Jack Quinn
Peyton Krebs – Sam Carrick – Konsta Helenius
Jiri Kulich – Ryan McLeod – Beck Malenstyn Defense:
Rasmus Dahlin – Louis Crevier
Owen Power – (pairings fluid; Mattias Samuelsson expected back)
Additional options include Dennis Gilbert (recalled), Zach Metsa, Matt Grzelcyk Goaltenders: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (expected) / Colten Ellis (Alex Lyon day-to-day with upper-body issue)
Blue Jackets projected lineup:
Forwards:
Matthew Knies – Adam Fantilli – Kent Johnson
Valeri Nichushkin – Sean Monahan – Conor Garland
Cole Sillinger – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier
Ryan Lomberg – Danton Heinen / Luca Del Bel Belluz – Dmitri Voronkov Defense:
Zach Werenski – Denton Mateychuk
Carson Soucy – Emil Andrae
Jake Christiansen – Erik Gudbranson Goaltenders: Jet Greaves (expected starter) / Cam Talbot Note: Columbus recently acquired Matthew Knies (and others) in a trade that sent Kirill Marchenko to Toronto.
Injury Reports
Sabres:
Justin Danforth (kneecap) – out for season
Conor Timmins (lower body) – out / IR (mid-October return range)
Olen Zellweger (concussion) – out / IR (misses opener; possible for Saturday)
Jason Zucker (abdomen) – out / IR (mid-October range)
Topias Leinonen (lower body) – out
Mattias Samuelsson (lower body) – expected to play after returning to practice (positive update)
Alex Lyon (upper body) – day-to-day
Blue Jackets:
Isac Lundeström (Achilles) – out / LTIR
Dante Fabbro (upper body/broken hand) – out
Damon Severson (shoulder) – out
Mikael Pyyhtia (lower body) – out
Ivan Provorov (lower body/undisclosed) – day-to-day / week-to-week (not expected for opener in some reports)
Both teams are managing blue-line absences.
Recent Team Forms
Sabres: Coming off a strong 50-23-9 season (109 points, Atlantic Division winners) that ended a 14-year playoff drought. They scored at a high rate (3.45 GF/GP) with Tage Thompson (40 goals, 81 points) leading the way and Rasmus Dahlin producing from the blue line. Expectations are elevated under Lindy Ruff for a better start than last year’s early struggles. Preseason featured some injury setbacks on defense.
Blue Jackets: Finished 40-30-12 (92 points, 5th in Metro) last season. They feature Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski and young talent like Adam Fantilli. A major late trade brought in power forward Matthew Knies. Home opener energy at Nationwide Arena after mixed preseason results. Jet Greaves established himself as a reliable starter.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Tage Thompson / Josh Norris / Josh Doan line vs. Zach Werenski / Denton Mateychuk: Thompson’s elite shooting and size against Columbus’s top defensive pair. Dahlin’s offensive involvement from the point will also factor heavily.
Adam Fantilli / Matthew Knies / Kent Johnson vs. Sabres top defense (Dahlin-Crevier or Power pairings): Young, skilled Columbus top line testing Buffalo’s structure. Knies’ net-front presence is a new element.
Valeri Nichushkin / Sean Monahan / Conor Garland vs. Buffalo’s middle-six (Benson-Östlund-Quinn): Two-way matchups and secondary scoring battles.
Rasmus Dahlin / Owen Power vs. Columbus skill forwards: Buffalo’s dynamic defense pair driving transition against Fantilli’s speed.
Goaltending: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen vs. Jet Greaves. Both capable; Greaves posted solid numbers last year (~2.60 GAA/.908).
Special teams and physicality: Sabres strong PK last season; Columbus looking to establish forecheck with new pieces. Faceoffs and board battles in a potential high-event game.
Series History
Columbus holds a solid all-time and recent edge at home against Buffalo (reports note strong overall record vs. Sabres, including 2-1 last season and multiple wins over the past two years). The Blue Jackets have been competitive in this matchup at Nationwide Arena. Both teams open with motivation after different trajectories last season.
Betting Trends
High-scoring potential given both teams’ offensive output last season (combined averages near or above the total). Sabres strong on the road as favorites in some samples; Blue Jackets solid at home. Early-season variance and injuries (especially defense) create uncertainty. Public betting can split closely.
Game Odds
Buffalo Sabes – 111
Columbus Blue Jackets 6
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, September 30, 2026
