Sizing Up The Atlantic: How Do The Senators Compare To The Buffalo Sabres?

In our Atlantic Division offseason series, we've already compared the Senators to the:- Toronto Maple Leafs- Montreal Canadiens- Tampa Bay LightningNext up are the Buffalo Sabres, another Atlantic rival that had some big losses this summer. Like Ottawa a year earlier, the Sabres finally broke their playoff drought this past season, although Buffalo's was the longest in NHL history at 14 years.Not only did they break the drought, they won the division. But not by much.Senators Offseason SummaryThe Senators' offseason turned on a dime when captain Brady Tkachuk requested a trade and was eventually sent to Florida for the ninth and 25th picks in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-rounder and a 2029 first-round pick.GM Steve Staios then flipped the ninth pick to San Jose for William Eklund and prospects Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda.Ottawa also acquired Andre Burakovsky and goalie Samuel Ersson, while re-signing Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins, Jordan Spence and Leevi Merilainen.The biggest question remains whether Eklund and Burakovsky can replace enough of Tkachuk's offence.Let's compare that with Buffalo's offseason.Sabres Trades: SubtractionsLike Ottawa, Buffalo's biggest offseason departure was one of its most important forwards.Alex Tuch, the Sabres' third-leading scorer, was dealt to Washington in a sign-and-trade after agreeing to an eight-year, $84 million extension. Buffalo received bottom-six forward David Kämpf and a 2027 third-round pick.The Sabres also traded defenseman Bowen Byram and rugged forward Jordan Greenway to Chicago for the fourth and 45th picks in the 2026 NHL Draft and 6-foot-8 defenseman Louis Crevier.Also gone is Michael Kesselring to San Jose as part of a deal to move up from 27th to 20th in the first round.Goaltender Devon Levi, the former Carleton Place Canadian, was sent to Edmonton along with a 2028 seventh-round pick for a 2028 third-rounder.All told, that's a decent amount of NHL talent heading out the door. And they weren't particularly well replaced...Sabres AdditionsThe Sabres flipped the 45th pick and prospect Anton Wahlberg to Anaheim for 22-year-old defenseman Olen Zellweger.Zellweger should immediately help replace some of the mobility and offence lost with Byram, while Crevier gives Buffalo another young right-shot defenseman.Free agency was relatively quiet. Buffalo re-signed Zellweger, and also brought back veteran Conor Sheary and Sens UFA defenseman Dennis Gilbert.The Sabres also signed Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs, amd Beck Malenstyn to long term extensions.Buffalo also built for the future, using the fourth overall pick acquired from Chicago to select defenseman Daxon Rudolph and the No. 20 pick to select centre Ilia Morozov.Who Had The Better Offseason?Both teams lost an important winger. Ottawa lost Tkachuk while Buffalo lost Tuch.But the Sabres also bid farewell to Byram, Greenway, Kesselring, and Levi.There's plenty to like about Buffalo's return. Zellweger is already an NHL player with considerable upside, while the fourth overall pick could eventually become a major piece.But much of that return is geared toward the future. The Sens' response was a little more focused on the present.Staios turned the ninth pick into Eklund, a 23-year-old established NHL forward who immediately steps into the top six. Burakovsky provides another offensive option and Ersson gives Ottawa a new partner for Linus Ullmark. And 21-year-old winger Kasper Halttunen, acquired with Eklund, is a compelling prospect who might be ready for an NHL look later in the season.The Senators also retained Giroux, Cousins and Spence, keeping several important pieces of last year's team in place.Offseason edge: SenatorsWho's Better Right Now?Buffalo finished ahead of Ottawa last season and still has plenty of talent.Tage Thompson remains as big and elite as ever, while Josh Norris, Zach Benson, Jack Quinn, Josh Doan, Jason Zucker, and Ryan McLeod fill out a strong group of forwards.Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, both former first overall picks, remain the foundation of an excellent blue line.Ottawa counters with Tim Stützle, Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, Giroux and newcomers Eklund and Burakovsky up front, with Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Spence on defence and Ullmark in goal.Also keep in mind that Ottawa's goaltending, injury luck and off-ice drama would be hard-pressed to be worse than they were last season, and the Senators still made the playoffs with 99 points.Buffalo earned the right to enter this comparison with an advantage after finishing ahead of Ottawa last season.But after what happened this summer, that advantage may have disappeared.Better team right now? The Senators. But not by much.By Steve WarneThe Hockey NewsThis article first appeared at The Hockey News Ottawa. For full Senators coverage, check out one of The Hockey News headlines below:- Senators Won't Be Replacing Daniel Alfredsson On Their Coaching Staff- A Member Of The Senators 'One-And-Done' Club Announces His Retirement- 20 Years Later: Three Moves That May Have Cost The Senators A Stanley Cup- Rest Is A Weapon: New NHL Schedule Leaves Senators At A Big DisadvantageReport: Senators Players Grew Tired Of The Noise Around Brady Tkachuk, Including His Podcast Report: Senators Players Grew Tired Of The Noise Around Brady Tkachuk, Including His Podcast According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Sens teammates grew weary of the noise surrounding their former captain.