Overview

• General manager Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff have avoided public guarantees, emphasizing measured messaging before Game 1.
• The Hockey News frames this season as one of the most pressure-packed in franchise history, with virtually no margin for error in the Atlantic Division.
• Coverage stresses the need to bank standings points wherever possible because a single loss could ultimately decide a playoff berth.
• Fans, exhausted by years without progress, are expected to react swiftly to any slow start, heightening scrutiny on core players and depth.
• A player-by-player assessment highlights close evaluation of first-line winger Zach Benson and newcomer defenseman Jones, while some outside predictions speculate Buffalo could still lag in the division and face decisions on veterans.