Our Buffalo Sabres vs Columbus Blue Jackets preview covers the odds, puck line, total, puck drop time, TV channel and where to watch on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9 in 2025-26) visit the Columbus Blue Jackets (40-30-12) at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local). TV: CBJNHL / CBJHN / MSG-B (U.S. regional).

Season-opener storyline: This is the first game of the 2026-27 season for both teams. Buffalo won the Atlantic Division last season and ended an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought, while Columbus missed the playoffs for a sixth straight season. The Blue Jackets look different than they did a week ago: they signed center Adam Fantilli to a six-year, $82.5 million contract on Sept. 24 and acquired Matthew Knies from Toronto in a Sept. 28 trade that sent leading goal-scorer Kirill Marchenko to the Maple Leafs. DraftKings lists Columbus at -112 and Buffalo at -108 on the moneyline, with the total at 6.5.

Buffalo Sabres vs Columbus Blue Jackets Odds, Puck Line & Game Info

Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN), cross-checked on Action Network, as of Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, ~6:21 PM ET. Totals varied by book at research time (5.5 to 6.5). Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. Starting goalies were not confirmed at research time.

Buffalo Sabres Preview: Last Season, Offseason & Goalies

2025-26 recap: Buffalo went 50-23-9 (109 points), won the Atlantic Division and ranked fifth in the NHL in scoring at 3.45 goals per game (NHL.com). The Sabres beat Boston in six games in the first round before losing to Montreal in seven in the second round. Tage Thompson led the team with 40 goals and 81 points, and Rasmus Dahlin had 74 points.

Offseason moves: Defenseman Bowen Byram (career-high 42 points) was traded to Chicago with forward Jordan Greenway for the No. 4 and No. 45 picks in the 2026 draft and defenseman Louis Crevier, and forward Alex Tuch (33 goals) was sent to Washington in a sign-and-trade. GM Jarmo Kekalainen acquired defenseman Olen Zellweger from Anaheim and signed him to a three-year deal, traded goalie Devon Levi to Edmonton and sent defenseman Michael Kesselring to San Jose.

Key players & coach: Thompson, Josh Doan (25 goals), Ryan McLeod (54 points), Jack Quinn and Josh Norris lead the forwards, and Jiri Kulich is back after a blood clot limited him to 12 games last season. Dahlin and Owen Power anchor the defense. Lindy Ruff is in his third season of his second stint as coach.

Goalies: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (22-9-3, 2.52 GAA, .910 save percentage) is expected to start Thursday after a minor lower-body issue in the preseason (NHL.com Status Report, Sept. 30). Alex Lyon (20-10-4, 2.77 GAA, three shutouts) is day to day with an upper-body injury, and Colten Ellis is also on the roster.

Injuries: Zellweger will not play Thursday. He has been in concussion protocol since Sept. 22. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (lower body) is on injured reserve but practiced Wednesday, and coach Lindy Ruff said he was hopeful Samuelsson would be an option. Conor Timmins (lower body) is on IR with no timeline, and Jason Zucker and Topias Leinonen are also listed as injured or non-roster (NHL.com, ESPN).

Columbus Blue Jackets Preview: Fantilli Signed, Knies Arrives

2025-26 recap: Columbus went 40-30-12 (92 points), finished fifth in the Metropolitan and missed the playoffs by seven points after losing nine of its last 11 games. The Blue Jackets went 19-19-7 under Dean Evason and then 19-4-4 in their first 27 games after Rick Bowness took over on Jan. 12. Their power play ranked 22nd (18.9 percent) and their penalty kill 28th (76.0 percent) (NHL.com). Zach Werenski led the team with 81 points (22 goals, 59 assists).

Offseason moves: Former captain Boone Jenner signed with Washington and Mason Marchment signed with San Jose. Columbus acquired forward Valeri Nichushkin (49 points) from Colorado and signed Ryan Lomberg. Fantilli, a restricted free agent who missed training camp, signed his six-year deal on Sept. 24 (BlueJackets.com). On Sept. 28, the Blue Jackets traded Marchenko (team-high 27 goals), Miles Wood and injured goalie Elvis Merzlikins to Toronto for Knies (23 goals, 66 points), Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round pick. Goalie Cam Talbot signed a one-year deal on Sept. 15, and defenseman Carson Soucy signed on Sept. 29.

Key players & coach: Werenski, Fantilli (24 goals, 59 points), Charlie Coyle (58 points), Knies, Nichushkin, Sean Monahan, Kent Johnson and Denton Mateychuk are central to the lineup. Bowness has said changing the culture is the top priority.

Goalies: Jet Greaves went 26-19-9 with a 2.60 GAA and .908 save percentage in 55 games last season and signed a three-year contract in July. Talbot, who has 567 career NHL games, is the backup. Columbus had not confirmed a starter at research time.

Injuries: Defenseman Damon Severson (shoulder) will miss at least the first two games; Bowness said the most optimistic target is Oct. 9 against Pittsburgh (BlueJackets.com, The Columbus Dispatch via CBS Sports). Defenseman Ivan Provorov (lower body) is day-to-day (ESPN), and forward Isac Lundestrom (Achilles) is out for the start of the season (NHL.com).

Key Matchup Notes: Sabres vs Blue Jackets

• Season opener for both: Thursday is the first game of 2026-27 for both Buffalo and Columbus.
• Offense vs. special teams: Buffalo ranked fifth in scoring last season (3.45 goals per game). Columbus ranked 22nd on the power play and 28th on the penalty kill (NHL.com).
• Roster turnover: Columbus has had Fantilli back for one week and acquired Knies three days before the opener. Buffalo is replacing Byram and Tuch, who combined for 108 points last season.
• Blue lines: Buffalo is without Zellweger (concussion protocol), and Samuelsson’s status was uncertain. Columbus is without Severson, and Provorov is day-to-day.
• In goal: Luukkonen posted a .910 save percentage last season, and Greaves posted a .908 in his first year as Columbus’ No. 1.
• Odds snapshot: Columbus -112 / Buffalo -108 on the moneyline, Sabres -1.5 (+225) on the puck line, total 6.5 (DraftKings).

How to Watch Buffalo Sabres vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Puck drop: 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local)
Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
TV: In the U.S., CBJNHL and CBJHN carry the game in the Blue Jackets’ market and MSG-B in the Sabres’ market (NHL.com). ESPN also lists ESPN+ streaming. No national TV broadcast is listed in the U.S. or Canada at research time.

Check the puck line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 1, 2026 puck drop, and look for confirmed starting goalies closer to game time.