Lindy Ruff didn’t hesitate when asked about the Sabres’ center depth early in training camp. He’s seen a lot over 18 NHL seasons with Buffalo, New Jersey, and Dallas, but this group clearly stands out to him.
Asked Friday about Ryan McLeod starting camp on the wing, Ruff pointed to the sheer number of options Buffalo has down the middle and then made his stance unmistakable.
"It is the deepest center group ever, like ever," Ruff said with a laugh. "It's hard to take a winger and make him a center, but a lot of times you can take a center and put him over on the wing and he can be pretty effective."
That kind of depth gives the Sabres a lot of flexibility as they sort through camp. Tage Thompson is one of the big reasons that conversation even exists. Buffalo could have started him on the wing, but the team has him at center on the top line for now.
Beyond Thompson, the list keeps going: McLeod, Josh Norris, Peyton Krebs, Sam Carrick, and the younger trio of Noah Ostlund, Konsta Helenius, and Jiri Kulich. Tyson Kozak and Justin Danforth have also spent time there.
That abundance matters for more than just lineup construction. It also gives the coaching staff room to shuffle pieces in real time during games. A line with Ostlund and Helenius, for example, gives Buffalo both a left-handed and a right-handed option to take faceoffs without forcing a bigger change.
The faceoff numbers make that even more important. Buffalo finished last in the league at 45.9%, so center depth could help chip away at a real weakness. Carrick, in particular, looks like a useful piece there after winning 57% of his draws after the Sabres acquired him.
According to Rachel Lenzi with The Buffalo News, Buffalo’s centers on the second day of practice were Thompson, Norris, Ostlund, and Carrick, with Helenius, McLeod, Krebs, and Kulich working on the wings.
How Ruff and his staff deploy all of that depth is going to be one of the more interesting things to watch as preseason rolls on and the regular season gets closer.
In Other News...
Sabres Roster Battle Just Got More Serious Than Fans Realized
The Sabres got a useful look at their roster mix in the Blue & Gold Scrimmage, where NHL regulars and a few AHL players were split into two groups and put through a competitive afternoon that ended with plenty of live reps for everyone involved. Goals came in the scrimmage and again in a postgame shootout, giving Buffalos coaches one more chance to evaluate who can make the next step as the preseason schedule opens Monday in Pittsburgh.
Lindy Ruff also pointed to the new collective bargaining agreement as part of the backdrop here, noting how it changes the way teams have to manage exhibition games and the veterans they dress. For a Sabres group still sorting out the edges of the roster, that makes every practice, scrimmage and preseason appearance matter a little more, because the opportunities to sort out roles are more limited than they used to be. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Just Got A Familiar Rival That Much Tougher
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The Rangers have spent the offseason retooling with an eye toward tightening up the defense and raising the teams overall level, and that matters for a Sabres group that has been able to lean on recent success in the series. Buffalo is still projected to come out ahead over the course of the season, but the path there looks far less comfortable now, with fewer easy nights and a deeper opponent waiting on the other side. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Just Made A Massive Bet On Noah Ostlund
Noah Ostlunds place in Buffalo has moved well beyond promising young forward territory after the Sabres locked him into a long-term extension. It is the kind of commitment that says the organization believes his game already matters, even before the offensive ceiling fully shows up. Ostlund earned a bigger role last season and handled it well, giving the Sabres a dependable presence who could be trusted in important minutes while still leaving room for growth.
The bigger question now is how much upside Buffalo sees beyond the defensive reliability he already brings. There is real belief that his scoring can climb as he settles in, but that sort of projection comes with a cost, and this deal will shape how much flexibility the Sabres have as they build around him. For a team trying to balance present competitiveness with future stability, this is the kind of bet that can define a roster for years. [Read more 🡒]