Jason Polin
Jason Polin was placed on waivers by Buffalo on September 25, 2026 for assignment to the AHL's Rochester Americans, so as camp roster cuts were finalized he was ticketed for the minors rather than the Sabres' opening-night lineup.
Role
Per NHL.com's Sabres transactions page (checked around September 25, 2026), Polin was among eight players placed on waivers for assignment to Rochester; if he clears waivers he will play for the Amerks rather than in Buffalo's projected 16 forwards for the regular-season opener (a group that includes Benson, Carrick, Danforth, Doan, Helenius, Kozak, Krebs, Kulich, Malenstyn, McLeod, Norris, Ostlund, Quinn, Sheary, Thompson, and Zucker per Pro Hockey Rumors' camp roster tracker). No current line-combination report from Daily Faceoff places Polin on any Sabres forward line, power-play unit, or in any competition for NHL ice time at this time.
Rochester's own season preview (The Hockey News, checked in coverage from August 20, 2026) called Polin one of the AHL's better depth veterans, and he was fresh off a strong 2025-26 Colorado Eagles playoff run (nine points in 17 games) that suggests he can produce offensively at the AHL level and remains a call-up option if Buffalo needs forward depth during the season.
He has only 13 NHL games across three seasons with averaged ice time around 7 minutes, and being one of the players waived for assignment to the minors on September 25, 2026 signals the Sabres do not view him as part of their NHL forward group entering the 2026-27 season; any path to games in Buffalo would require injuries or trades opening a roster spot.
Where analysts split
There is no analyst disagreement to report here: the reporting is uniform that Polin was assigned outside Buffalo's NHL roster picture for now. The only open question, which no source has yet answered, is whether he clears waivers to Rochester or is claimed by another NHL club.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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