Buffalo Sabres training camp is going to put Lindy Ruff on the clock fast.
With four preseason games packed into a six-day stretch beginning Sept. 21, Buffalo won’t have much room to sort through its roster puzzle before the Oct. 1 opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets. And in an Eastern Conference that leaves very little margin for error, the Sabres can’t afford another slow start after last season’s climb back into form.
That makes the coming weeks about more than just getting reps. Ruff and his staff need answers, and they need them early. Three of the biggest questions sit right in the middle of the depth chart.
The first one is the most obvious: who takes over as Buffalo’s first-line center?
Ruff would prefer to use Tage Thompson on the wing, where Buffalo can cover up some of his defensive shortcomings and ease the burden in the faceoff circle. The problem is that nobody has grabbed the job in the middle of the top line and made it stick.
Josh Norris and Jiri Kulich have both gotten looks there, but Norris has had a hard time shaking the injury problems that have followed him for years, while Kulich’s offense took time to catch up before he missed most of last season with a blood clot. Both should get another chance in camp, and prized prospect Konsta Helenius could also see some time next to Thompson and Zach Benson.
Benson, after signing a long-term extension, looks set for a first-line role. Still, if Buffalo wants the cleanest solution, Thompson centering Benson and Josh Doan remains the path of least resistance.
The next roster battle is less about one spot and more about who gets squeezed out.
Right now, the Sabres have 10 centers and wingers fighting for nine top-nine jobs, assuming no major trade shakes things up. A blockbuster move for Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck would likely bring a roster forward back the other way, but until that happens, somebody is headed for the fourth line unless an injury opens space.
Noah Ostlund and Jason Zucker look like the most likely candidates to be pushed down. Ostlund’s defensive game gives him a clear case for a lower-line role, especially if Buffalo wants to lean on him for D-zone starts with Beck Malenstyn and Peyton Krebs or Sam Carrick. The tradeoff is obvious, though: that would slow the offensive growth the Sabres want to see from him this season.
Zucker brings a different kind of dilemma. At 34 and heading toward unrestricted free agency, he’d probably rather be in a bigger role than a fourth-line assignment that trims his ice time and shifts him more toward power-play duty.
Still, that’s one of the possibilities if the numbers force Buffalo into that direction. Kulich could also start with the AHL’s Rochester Americans if he needs more time to get up to speed, but that won’t be clear until practices begin.
The third issue sits on the blue line, where Owen Power still needs a steady partner on the second pair.
Bowen Byram looked like the answer last season before leaving, and Michael Kesselring, another name Buffalo had previously considered for the job, is now gone after being dealt to the San Jose Sharks. That leaves Olen Zellweger as the most natural fit after arriving from the Anaheim Ducks and quickly landing a three-year extension.
Zellweger makes sense on paper, but there are questions. His size - he’s 5-foot-10 - has contributed to defensive issues that keep the matchup from feeling automatic. Ruff may want someone more reliable defensively next to Power, which would allow Power to push harder as a puck carrier and create more in the offensive zone.
That’s where Conor Timmins and Louis Crevier enter the picture. Both came over in the Byram trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, and both offer a more conservative option. Buffalo could also split the job based on situation, using Zellweger with Power when the Sabres are trying to generate offense and turning to Timmins or Crevier when they need to protect a lead.
It may end up as a rotating answer. Then again, if Crevier breaks through or Zellweger tightens things up defensively, the Sabres could settle this one sooner than expected.
In Other News...
Sabres Prospect Suddenly Carries Much Bigger Stakes Into Camp
Konsta Helenius arrives at Sabres camp with far more attention than a typical young forward, and for good reason. The 20-year-old Finn turned heads with a strong run in the AHL and followed it with an eye-catching playoff stretch, enough to put himself in the conversation for a full-time NHL roster spot as Buffalo opens a season looking for more punch down the middle.
What makes Helenius especially intriguing is how quickly the stakes have risen around his development. The Sabres already see him as a player who can matter in their offensive mix, and there is a real sense that his camp performance could determine just how soon he gets a meaningful role at the next level. For a prospect who entered the organization with promise, the path ahead now looks a lot bigger than simply earning another look. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Young Core Suddenly Faces Pressure That Could Define Buffalos Rise
Buffalos next step is going to lean heavily on its young core, and the pressure is already obvious. Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Benson and Tage Thompson are all expected to take on more responsibility in the coming season, with the club asking for more production and more stability from the group as it tries to keep moving forward.
The timing matters because this is no longer just about promising talent, it is about whether those players can become the backbone of a rising team. Dahlin and Thompson are already established pieces, while Benson, Helenius and Kulich are being counted on to grow into larger roles, and Buffalos hopes for the 2026-27 season may depend on how quickly that transition happens. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Still Loom Over The Sabres Playoff Race
Even after Buffalo knocked Boston out of the playoffs last spring, the Bruins still look like the kind of opponent that can shape the Sabres season. The Atlantic Division remains crowded, the rivalry has plenty of recent history, and Boston did not make many sweeping changes to its roster, which keeps the matchup familiar for both sides. Buffalo also knows the regular season told a different story than that postseason upset, so the Sabres cannot lean on last years playoff breakthrough as proof the edge has shifted for good.
The concern for Buffalo is that the Bruins still project as a direct obstacle in the standings, not just a familiar rival on the schedule. With both teams expected to stay in the same thick group of contenders, every head-to-head game can carry extra weight, especially if the race tightens late and the margins get small. Bostons offseason move involving a former Sabres forward only adds another layer to a matchup that already feels like it could decide more than bragging rights. [Read more 🡒]