Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Can The Buffalo Sabres Take ANOTHER Step This Season?? | BB Clips

Episode Date: September 8, 2026

Boomer, Pinder and Rhett preview the Buffalo Sabres heading into the 2026-27 season and ask whether last year was just the beginning for one of the NHL’s most exciting young teams. Buffalo finally snapped its 14-season playoff drought and came within one overtime goal in Game 7 of reaching the Eastern Conference Final, completely changing the expectations around this group. Now the question is whether they can take another step despite losing Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram during the offseason. The guys break down Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin leading the way, the continued development of young players like Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Noah Ostlund and Konsta Helenius, and whether Buffalo has enough in net to make another legitimate playoff run. The Sabres finally proved they can win — now can they prove last season wasn’t a fluke and establish themselves as a real contender in the Atlantic?Video Link: https://youtu.be/oEIba8c742I#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #tampabaylightning CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTS https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's go to the Buffalo Sabres, shall we? Sabers had the incredible breakout year, 14 years and no playoffs all the way to a long playoff run where they lost in heartbreaking fashion. Two rounds isn't long, folks. Don't listen to Ryan. We want at least the semifinals. That's a long run.

If you're not into two months of playoff hockey, it's a short stint. If you've been out for 14 years, that two rounds might feel like to look at a lot of time. Because we're quantifiers. I didn't play in the league. I did. Let's look at the first.

editions. Olin Zellwiger comes in. That was part of a swap they made after Bowen Byram went out. They got Louis Crevier coming in. He's a monstrous de man from Chicago in the Byron. Doesn't that sound like a old school, like a explorer from back in the 1800s? A French explorer that came over

and was a ship on the coast. Hudson's Bay. Yeah, he was a fur trader for sure. Maybe. Anyway. Connor Shiri, David Camp coming as well. The deletion list is interesting because Alex Tuck's a very good player and Bowen Byram's a good player. I think it was a smart move. Tuck is good player, but you've got to have room for these

kids. Too much money. I agree. They still have $5 million in cap space. They are the team that I think is mentioned the most in the same breath as Connor Hellibuck. It doesn't mean a deal gets done. I talked to a guy that's near and dear to that he lives in the area. He said they're very quiet.

Yeah. Yeah. It's a very quiet. There's no, uh, nothing, nothing close. Not a lot being said. I think that's why Connor Helibuck's agent made the statement because it was very quiet.

This man's opinion was Connor's agent should shut the, uh, usually that's a good call play out. Because now it's embarrassing to go to Winnipeg and right. It's going to be tough to show up now when there isn't a deal Winnipeg likes. Like we just talked about Peturca on the flip side is Josh Dane. What a season. And love them.

I think most people would take Donne. That was the deal, right? There was the Castle Ring or whatever it was. I think it was. Castle Ring was a big part of that. They moved him out. I think that's one of their deletions. Jordan Greenway's gone,

but he was brutal and overpaid last year. Oh, I've never. I feel terrible saying it. Oh, I'm not going to say anything. Oh, yeah, Pima. Yeah. Yeah, Don's 24. Still, Tage Thompson is just 28 years old.

Feels like he's been doing this for a long time already. Dahline. Power. They like the Samuelson kid on the back end as well. Power is 23. I know that power needs to show something. And I still have hopes and thoughts. I have 23 is about when you start coming into it. It's the motivator cuff sometimes looks like it might be turned a little lower than it needs to. Can they make another step?

That's my question for them. They're projected at 95 and a half points. I was just going to say another step from last year when they had 107 is a big step. Like, they make another step of the playoffs, I believe. So I think they pissed themselves in round two against Montreal and they should have beat them. I agree. I think Tampa should be Montreal as well. But there you are.

The thing that's going to hang around this team until it happens is, are you getting Connor Helva? Yeah, it's hard to. Because it's like, he's that good. And then just starts playing well enough for you're like, screw this. We don't need Connor Helva. I'm not saying that it shouldn't be part of the conversation, but it's up to him now. He's got to know the rumors are out there.

Go play. And maybe a few PL shows while when it's like, yep, okay, but yeah, if I think the ball flow would be like, why are we doing this? Yeah.

So do we feel bubble, bubble team? 95 is a wild cardish territory. The flames missed with 96 and an atrocious. Well, and I'm not. Tough division. Exactly.

What's everyone, like what's everyone? one expecting because I think 95 in that division probably gets you in because it's going to be, you know, you can't have all the teams. That's all I mean when I say Bob was because of the the project to be fourth in the division

tied with another team at the same total. So that's kind of wild cardish. And I think there's a lot of really good young players we'll see more of like the Coolidge, Hellenius, is Mercuretti Ossland. I don't think they love this Mercka guy. Yeah. And maybe he's just trade bait, but They have picked so high for so long.

They are not done graduating prospects. Who's the kid they drafted this year? Fourth overall. That's right. Rudolf. Daxon, he'll need a year. He's off the D.U. I believe.

Oh, is he? Yeah. I wonder about the room. Byram, Tuck gone. Those are. I freaked out when Tuck got 12 and a half, or Byron got 12 and a half thinking this is insanity. Now it doesn't look as bad.

And then after talks to some people, Buffalo, they're like, he was a very important part of that room, like a massive part of the room. We'll see how it goes to the Sabres after they ended the 14-year drove. It's odd because you think back, sorry. You're good. This is what we do. I know, but I like talking more about the Sabres than I do about the Bruins. If you go back to the start of last year, who's their superstar goals?

Thompson was literally in the paper like, quit booing us. Yeah, it was ugly. We're off to a slow start. quit booing us. And the fans are like, Kiss our, we're spending money for 14. Like,

yeah, October was not a great time. No, they came here in December. It was a hell of a five-month window. It was that night in Calgary had all clicked for them. They went on the massive run

from there. They didn't look back. It's because Warner had the big, big pre-game speech. Speech. Yeah. And they've heard that you.