Even with the Buffalo Sabres getting blasted 8-3 by the Tampa Bay Lightning this week, the blue line still stands out as the club’s deepest area. That’s exactly why a player like Caleb Jones is starting to look like a real option for a call-up.
Jones has put together seven points in nine games for the Rochester Americans, and that kind of production is hard to ignore. Since arriving in Rochester after being traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Sabres in October, he has looked sharp and has the kind of NHL background that can make him useful right away if Buffalo needs help on the back end.
The case for Jones is pretty straightforward: he can skate, he has experience, and the Sabres may need fresh legs. If Buffalo decides to take a look, a third-pair role could be the opening, with a possible window for a recall in December or January.
There’s also a practical side to this. The Sabres have already dealt with injuries on defense.
Matt Grzelcyk is on injured reserve after a lower-body injury, while captain Rasmus Dahlin is back after dealing with injury setbacks. Buffalo may need to manage the workload of players like Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson if it wants them healthy in March, and that could create an opening for Jones to step in for a few games.
Jones’ path to this point has not been a straight line. Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2015, he has moved around the NHL and has also dealt with injuries. Earlier this year, he served a suspension for a violation of the league’s Performance Enhancing Substances Program.
Still, the Sabres are looking for depth wherever they can find it, even on a defense corps that is supposed to be a strength. Jones’ 255 games of NHL experience gives him a real chance to be ready if Buffalo comes calling. For now, the best thing he can do is keep producing in Rochester and keep giving the Sabres a reason to notice.
In Other News...
Alex Tuch Shares Emotional Message Buffalo Fans Will Appreciate
Alex Tuchs ties to Buffalo still run deeper than hockey, and that was clear in a recent public message thanking the medical staff at Sisters Hospital. The former Sabres forward, now with the Washington Capitals, expressed his appreciation for the care his family received when his son Teller was born prematurely and needed immediate help in Buffalo.
Tuch said the hospital staff saved his sons life, and he made it clear the gratitude extends beyond one moment. He and his wife also gave back to the hospital, a gesture that underscores how much the Buffalo community still means to him even after moving on from the Sabres. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Keep Running Into The Same Problem At The Worst Time
Buffalos season has been defined by the same frustrating rhythm: a burst of good hockey, then a slide right back into familiar trouble. The Sabres had built some momentum with a run of wins, only to see it evaporate in a three-game skid, and the timing could hardly be worse with the club four points out of a playoff spot. There have been bright spots along the way, including Tage Thompsons impact and some steadier work in goal from Alex Lyon, but the bigger issues keep showing up in the same places.
Defense remains a problem, the middle of the lineup has not supplied enough scoring, and overtime has become another sore spot in a season that has too often felt like a missed opportunity. For a team trying to stay in the race, the challenge is not just finding another hot stretch, but making it last long enough to matter. Until Buffalo tightens up at the back and gets more from the supporting cast, the margin for error will keep shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Fans Just Got A Nostalgia Jolt They Needed
Hall of Fame Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek made a return trip to Western New York on a night when Buffalo fans could use a lift, joining supporters at a free watch party at Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino during the teams game against the Chicago Blackhawks. For a fan base that still measures its hockey memories against the best eras in franchise history, seeing Hasek back in the area where he played for nine seasons carried the kind of nostalgic pull that only a true legend can deliver.
Hasek said he was happy to be back in the region and spoke about his hopes for the Sabres future success, a reminder that his connection to Buffalo has never really faded. With the Sabres set to face the Dallas Stars next, the timing of his visit added a little extra buzz to a season that still has plenty of room to build something meaningful. [Read more 🡒]