At long last, the Buffalo Sabres ended their 15-year Stanley Cup playoff drought last season, earning top spot in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division last year. And the Sabres won their first-round series against the Boston Bruins before they lost to the up-and-coming Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
Buffalo’s successes inform TheHockeyNews.com’s annual grades for Buffalo players. And in today’s “Sabres Grades” file, we’re focusing on one of the Sabres’ most experienced players – winger Jason Zucker. The 34-year-old turns 35 in January, and although Zucker’s numbers fell off last season, that had more to do with him dealing with injuries than it did about his effectiveness.
Zucker’s 24-goal, 45-point season came in only 62 games this past season. And though staying healthy has proved to be a problem for Zucker, his salary of $4.75-million makes him a solid bargain for Buffalo.
Let’s look at Zucker and see what should be expected from him in the final season of his current contract:
Jason Zucker
Position: Left Wing
Grade: B+
The Skinny: Zucker’s 2025-26 numbers mark the seventh time in his 14-year NHL career that he’s generated at least 21 goals and 41 points. What Zucker lacks in physical size, he makes up for with finishing touch, and his experience and professionalism is something Sabres coach Lindy Ruff relies on to help set the tone for Buffalo’s younger players.
Zucker had two goals and four points in Buffalo’s 13 playoff games, and while he was one of Buffalo’s most-experienced playoff players, Zucker is never going to be the true needle-moving veteran a team needs in order to go on a long and successful post-season run. Zucker is past his prime, and he’s unlikely to match or improve on his recent offensive totals. But so long as his minutes are managed appropriately, Zucker can be an effective contributor on a playoff team.’
Zucker is headed into a contract year, and for all he knows, his next NHL contract could be his last. So he has every motivation to stay healthy and put in an above-average performance in 2026-27.
Zucker isn’t going to knock your socks off by imposing his will on opponents. But in the right situation – namely, as a third-liner paid well to produce secondary scoring – Zucker has a niche he can rely on to stay an NHLer for at least a few more years.
Zucker’s 2025-26 showing was strong, but if he wants an A+ in next year’s Sabres Grades file, Zucker is going to have to squeeze every last drop of effectiveness out of his body and contribute more than 20 goals and 40 points.
As you move close to your forties as an NHL player, you’re fighting Father Time – and Father Time is still undefeated, so Zucker has to do his utmost to defy him and help Buffalo stay a playoff team in 2026-27 and get out of the Atlantic Division in next spring’s post-season.
Zucker is now in greybeard territory, but he still has something left to give. And if he thrives next season the way he did this year, Zucker will get into the ‘A’ grade area and set himself up for perhaps one final contract extension.