BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres will proceed their coaching camp in Europe beginning on Wednesday, so Lindy Ruff wished to place his NHL gamers into the early preseason video games. That’s why the Sabres performed an NHL-heavy roster of their preseason opener on Saturday towards the Pittsburgh Penguins, who ran out a roster loaded with rookies. The end result, as you’ll count on, was lopsided. After the primary interval ended 1-1, the Sabres opened the floodgates, scoring 5 second-period targets and racing to a 7-3 win.
It was a pleasant tuneup for Buffalo’s prime gamers. JJ Peterka had a hat trick and regarded prepared to choose up the place he left off a season in the past. The Sabres’ energy play, a sore spot a season in the past, scored one aim on three tries. The fourth line introduced the physicality the Sabres have lacked.
We’re not going to attract grand conclusions concerning the 2024-25 Sabres based mostly on a preseason recreation with such uneven rosters, however the Sabres do look like getting nearer to nailing down their opening-night lineup. Right here’s our first preseason depth chart projection. The Sabres are allowed to take 27 gamers to Europe, which buys them time to make selections on the 23-man roster. It is a projection for the opening-night, 20-man lineup with some ideas on the battles for the ultimate roster spots.
First line
This was the group that completed final season collectively, and Ruff doesn’t wish to change it early on. He likes how Peterka could make groups pay if they’re paying an excessive amount of consideration to Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. Peterka’s contemporary off a 28-goal season and has been on a roll to begin coaching camp. He appears to be like stronger and extra assertive and has loads of confidence after his breakout season.
“With confidence, I don’t know what the ceiling is,” Ruff mentioned.
One factor Owen Energy famous towards the Penguins: Peterka scored two of these targets on deflections. That wasn’t a serious a part of his recreation final season. Ruff has emphasised creating extra site visitors in entrance of the opposite crew’s goalie, and Peterka is shopping for in. Given how expert he’s along with his stick, that’s a serious space of untapped potential in his recreation.
That left-wing spot was the variable on the primary line coming into camp, however Thompson and Tuch bouncing again might be key to this line reaching its potential. Each are wholesome and appear to acknowledge the best way they carried out final season wasn’t ok. Ruff is emphasizing getting extra net-front presence and scoring in several methods, and Thompson famous that as one thing he noticed on video watching his recreation over the summer season.
“For me, final 12 months there have been a number of video games the place I used to be a bit too perimeter and will have gone to the web a bit bit extra. I slowed the sport down a bit bit an excessive amount of as a substitute of utilizing my measurement and pace. That’s after I’m at my greatest — after I’m driving the play and taking pucks to the web after which from there I get my time and house.”
Second line
It is a line stuffed with potential. If Jack Quinn can keep wholesome, he might be a difference-maker for the Sabres. Quinn had 2.93 factors per 60 minutes final season at five-on-five, which ranked fifth amongst NHL gamers who performed a minimum of 20 video games. Sadly, Quinn solely performed in 27 video games due to an Achilles damage and a leg damage. He’s absolutely wholesome and appears as comfy as ever on Dylan Cozens’ wing. When these two have been taking part in with Zach Benson final season at five-on-five, the Sabres had 54 p.c of the anticipated targets. Ruff mentioned he’s hardly needed to coach Benson as a result of he’s continually doing the fitting factor on the ice and executing the scheme as it’s drawn up.
That offers Benson the sting over Jiří Kulich, who rotated on this line throughout the first day of follow. Kulich is the higher shooter, however Benson is the extra dependable all-around participant at this level and his tenacious fashion on the forecheck blends effectively with Cozens and Quinn.
Kulich has performed on a line with Peyton Krebs and Lukas Rousek, the 2 different forwards competing for spots on the backside of the depth chart. Kulich will doubtless journey with the crew to Europe, and Rousek might be a part of that group as effectively. However Kulich appears to be like like he’ll begin the season as a first-line AHL participant and be the primary participant known as up if there’s an damage within the prime six.
Third line
This line has been regular all through camp. There’s some query about how Jordan Greenway’s lack of top-end pace will mesh with Jason Zucker and Ryan McLeod, however it is a mixture of skilled gamers who ought to be capable to restrict possibilities towards once they’re on the ice. McLeod has regarded like the kind of participant who can drive that line. He’s sturdy in puck assist within the defensive zone and fast to transition performs.
“These are the kind of guys who can change the dynamic and have been within the wars,” Ruff mentioned.
It is a a lot totally different third line than the Sabres had final season. All three gamers are confirmed defensively. That’s why it seems Kulich’s solely path to the roster is on the highest six. Ruff appears to have a imaginative and prescient for a way he needs the underside six to play, and these veterans match that.
Fourth line
Buffalo’s fourth line has been full of recent additions. Beck Malenstyn, Sam Lafferty and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel appear like they’re going to stay collectively early within the season. Ruff has a transparent imaginative and prescient for the best way he needs that line to play, and all three of these gamers are quick and bodily. Even in a preseason recreation on Saturday, it was clear Aubé-Kubel goes to hit every little thing that strikes. And Lafferty was fast to have interaction after the whistle and stick up for teammates. These are the little issues the Sabres didn’t have sufficient of final season. Ruff beloved their recreation within the preseason opener.
“It’s like a working recreation in soccer,” Ruff mentioned. “They acquired the puck down low, they hung onto it, (the opposite crew) couldn’t take the puck away from them. They made 5 – 6 nice performs for scoring alternatives, however the puck possession was one thing that may put on a crew down.”
Krebs has his work minimize out for him in making an attempt to earn a spot on this line. For now, he appears to be like just like the thirteenth ahead and may wish an damage to get into the lineup. There isn’t a cause to mess with the third and fourth traces given how they’ve regarded early in camp. All three gamers on the fourth line are sooner, extra skilled and hit more durable than Krebs.
Beck Malenstyn is likely one of the new faces on Buffalo’s presumptive fourth line. (Timothy T. Ludwig / Imagn Photographs)
Protection
Till Rasmus Dahlin is on the ice, we gained’t get a transparent image of what the Sabres need their protection to appear like. For now, although, I’m projecting Bowen Byram to play with Dahlin. They performed effectively collectively when Byram first came to visit by way of commerce, and Dahlin is comfy taking part in on the fitting facet. Ruff thought Byram was the perfect participant in Buffalo’s scrimmage on Friday. He had a careless turnover within the preseason recreation however confirmed off what an asset his skating could be on the breakout.
That leaves Energy taking part in with Henri Jokiharju. This pair wasn’t excellent final season, however these two have familiarity with one another and one other 12 months of particular person improvement beckons. Energy nonetheless must get stronger in entrance of the web, however Jokiharju has regarded a bit stronger by way of his bodily play within the first few days of camp.
That would go away Mattias Samuelsson to play with Connor Clifton on the third pair. Samuelsson might simply soar into the highest 4 with any of these 4 gamers, however this provides the Sabres two lefty-righty pairs. Samuelsson and Clifton can each play a heavy defensive recreation and perhaps a third-pair function would restrict the damage and tear on Samuelsson, who has missed lots of time with accidents the final two years.
Proper now, Jacob Bryson and Dennis Gilbert are competing for the seventh spot on protection. Bryson looks like he has the early edge, however Ruff has famous Gilbert can deliver a degree of physicality few others on Buffalo’s blue line can match. That may be sufficient to maintain him on the roster if the Sabres resolve to go together with eight defensemen. However it is a competitors that also must play itself out.
Goalies
The Sabres might maintain three goalies, however that’s not the popular end result, in response to common supervisor Kevyn Adams. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi have been the clear one-two punch initially of camp. James Reimer hasn’t performed within the AHL in additional than a decade, however the Sabres might attempt to go him by waivers when the time involves pave the best way for Levi to play extra video games.
Extras
Krebs appears to be like like a roster lock because the thirteenth ahead. If the Sabres resolve to go together with 14 forwards on the 23-man roster, the choice might come all the way down to Kulich or Rousek. Rousek would want to go by waivers to get to the AHL. Kulich has improved his competitiveness and habits away from the puck, however there’s not a job for him within the prime six when everyone seems to be wholesome, so the Sabres could choose to maintain him in a top-line function within the AHL.
The following choice can be whether or not to maintain seven or eight defensemen, which implies deciding between Bryson or Gilbert or conserving each. There’s at all times the three-goalie wild card as effectively, given Reimer’s expertise and the actual fact he’s on a one-way contract.
Both method, the Sabres can carry 27 gamers on the roster in Europe, so I’d count on Kulich, Rousek, Bryson, Gilbert, Ryan Johnson and Reimer to all be on that journey. However solely two could be on the roster past that. My picks for the ultimate three spots can be Krebs, Rousek and Gilbert in the mean time.
(High photograph of JJ Peterka celebrating considered one of three targets vs. the Penguins: Timothy T. Ludwig / Imagn Photographs)
