Welcome fantasy managers to another edition of the Eastern Edge. This week we are going to take a closer look at the Buffalo Sabres turnaround, the battleground that is the Atlantic division as well as the Pittsburgh Penguins' refusal to go quietly into the night. Let's get to it!

All stats courtesy of: Dobber's Frozen Tools

The Buffalo Sabres have really shaken things up in the Eastern Conference, let alone the Atlantic division since promoting Jarmo Kekalainen to the role of General Manager.

The Sabres are 7th in the NHL. pic.twitter.com/wGoT370BiQ

— The Charging Buffalo (@TheChargingBUF) January 24, 2026

Since making the transition from former GM Kevyn Adams to Kekalainen on December 15, all the Sabres have done is dominate to the tune of a 15-3-1 record while outscoring their opposition by a staggering 74-46 margin. That's not all, AS the Sabres' 15 wins / 31 points in league standings / +28 goal differential during that same time span top the league in each individual category.

It doesn't end there with Buffalo raising their level of play at both ends of the ice during this incredible run. The Sabres rank second in goals for per game played at 3.89, second only to the vaunted Tampa Bay Lightning offense (3.95 GF/GP) while at the same time showing some responsible defensive play ranking second in goals against per game played at 2.42, second only to the stingy Utah Mammoth (2.33 GA/GP).

Buffalo's goaltenders have been doing more than their fair share as well with both Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen playing their best hockey of the campaign over the course of the last month and a half. Lyon has been on quite a heater with an impeccable 6-0 record accompanied by a 2.00 goals against and .927 save percentage in addition to 6.45 goals saved above expected (GSAx). Meanwhile, Luukkonen has been no slouch himself with an impressive 7-2-1 record accompanied by a 2.67 goals against and .920 save percentage in addition to 11.00 goals saved above expected. That is some high-end fantasy value for what would have essentially been, at best, two Zero G candidates if not directly to the waiver wire.

That being said, as mentioned above, the Sabres netminders are receiving tons of run support as it relates to offense with a number of players contributing to the team's success. It all starts with the big man Tage Thompson who has led the charge offensively with 24 points in his last 19 games played while logging almost 19 minutes a night. Ryan McLeod continues to blossom into a reliable top six forward having putting up 17 points of his own in his last 19 games played while defenseman Mattias Samuelsson has been a revelation offensively during the teams run with 16 points in his last 19 games played in addition to providing some immense coverage across the board for banger/cat leagues. That's without mentioning any of Alex Tuch, Jack Quinn, Rasmus Dahlin, Peyton Krebs, Josh Doan, Bowen Byram, Noah Ostlaund, Josh Norris or Jason Zucker each of whom are at or above the 0.60 point per game threshold.

Suffice to say the Buffalo Sabres have been a wagon both offensively and defensively these last six weeks. Sabres fans rejoice!

Lastly, I wanted to mention the Sabres signing of Josh Doan to a long-term contract. The soon-to-be 24-year-old is an important signing not just for the what he brings to the ice but for me it signals a cultural shift with Doan being exactly what the Sabres needed at this time – a hard-nosed winger with a very underrated skillset who puts in the work each and every shift. A true gamer in every sense of the word.   

This next topic will be rather general in nature, however, it isn't any less intriguing. Upon doing my deep dive on the aforementioned Buffalo Sabres, I came across some interesting stats / numbers as it relates to the Atlantic division and let me say this, the Atlantic division is an absolute arms race this year.

Using the same month and a half timeframe as noted above with the Buffalo Sabres (Dec 15 – Jan 25) the Atlantic is littered atop several league metrics with a number of teams within the division playing some of their best hockey of the campaign. Here are just a few interesting tidbits to chew on when it comes to how competitive it is in the Atlantic.

Over the course of the last month and a half teams within the division own five of the top ten spots as it relates to team records with the Sabres leading the way with a 15-3-1 (first) record followed by the Lightning 15-3-1 (second), Red Wings 14-4-2 (third), Panthers 12-7-1 (seventh) and Montreal Canadiens 11-6-3 (tenth). When it comes to offense the Atlantic has five of the top ten scoring teams during that same time frame as well with the Ottawa Senators who are tied for the league lead with Edmonton at 76 goals scored (first) followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning with 75 goals scored (third), Buffalo Sabres with 74 goals scored (fifth), Montreal Canadiens with a total of 72 goals scored (seventh) and Pittsburgh Penguins with a total of 70 goals scored (tenth)

The Atlantic has been flexing their muscle on the defensive side of the puck as well with three of the top five teams in goals against residing within the division. The Buffalo Sabres have allowed a total of 46 goals against (second), Tampa Bay Lightning 47 goals against (third) and Detroit Red Wings 50 goals against (fifth) demonstrating that their success is not a one trick pony.

Want a few extra notes on the Atlantic division? I've got you covered.

• Each team in the division is playing at or above a .529 points percentage this year
• No team within the division has a goal differential lower than -8 (Florida) over the course of the 2025-2026 campaign
• Each team is playing .500 hockey at home and away safe for (Toronto 8-11-3 away / Boston 11-12-2 away) to this point in 2025-2026
• No team playing under .500 in their last 10 games played

As a staunch supporter of the Montreal Canadiens, I cannot wait to see how the remainder of the season plays out for the Atlantic division. One thing is for sure, each of these teams will have been battle tested come the postseason and in doing so will prove to be a tough out in this year’s playoffs.

Let's be honest, most if not all of us had pretty much written off the Pittsburgh Penguins this year with the manner in which the team was currently constructed. However, we all continue to learn a valuable lesson when it comes to the team and more importantly its legendary captain.

Never bet against Sidney Crosby.

The Penguins are quite simply enjoying a stellar campaign with a 26-14-11 record placing them second in the Metro division (eighth overall) all while owning a +17 goal differential (tied for sixth overall).

The good news doesn't end there with Pittsburgh ranking ninth offensively at 3.29 goals per game played while maintaining some strong defensive metrics ranking eighth overall at 2.84 goals against per game played. Special teams have been a huge boost to the team with the Penguins ranking fourth overall with the man advantage at 27.4% efficiency. Meanwhile, the team’s penalty kill won’t be outdone, ranking seventh overall at 83.6% efficiency.

The team’s goaltending, once thought to be a team weakness, has been the club's backbone of late with both Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs performing at a high level. Skinner has been on fire recently with a 7-1 record accompanied by a miniscule 1.63 goals against and phenomenal .933 save percentage in addition to 11.88 goals saved above expected in his last eight games played.

Stuart Skinner's last eight starts with the @penguins:

7-1-0
1.63 GAA
.934 Sv% pic.twitter.com/dfrnbhQ5Cj

— NHL (@NHL) January 26, 2026

Arturs Silovs has been on a nice run as well posting a 5-1-2 record accompanied by a solid 2.63 goals against and .902 save percentage in addition to a -0.90 goals saved above expected. The Penguins have to be pleased with the club's goaltending situation as each netminder is giving them a chance on a nightly basis.

Pittsburgh continues to receive contributions throughout the lineup led by none other than Crosby himself with (8PTS in his last 6GP), Malkin (5PTS in his last 3GP), Bryan Rust (39PTS in 47GP), Mantha (16 goals on the year in a secondary role), Erik Karlsson (0.72PPG) and Justin Brazeau (25PTS in 37GP) rounding out what is a very balanced offensive attack.

Many of us had written off the Pittsburgh Penguins this season with the direction management had been taking, however, Sid & Co. look to be rewriting that narrative while reminding us all that it is never a fruitful endeavor to bet against Sid………….ever!

That's it for this week folks, keep an eye out for my Weekend Waiver Wire column every Friday morning over at the Goalie Post for streaming options as it relates to upcoming games this coming weekend.

Thanks for reading and feel free to follow me on X @mikeouellet9 or BlueSky @mikeouellet9.bsky.social

See you all again next Tuesday!