The Buffalo Sabres opened training camp Thursday with 53 players on the roster, and there’s still plenty to sort out before the regular season begins in Columbus on Oct. 1.
A few names look set for the 23-man group that will break camp, but not every job is settled yet. Over the next couple of weeks, the Sabres will use practices, an intrasquad scrimmage and four preseason games to help determine how the roster takes shape.
For now, the camp roster is loaded with a mix of established NHL players, young pieces trying to force their way in and a handful of players coming from the AHL, NCAA and ECHL.
Up front, the Sabres listed 31 forwards. That group includes Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, Josh Norris, Jack Quinn, Tage Thompson and Jason Zucker, along with veterans like Sam Carrick, Justin Danforth, Conor Sheary and Beck Malenstyn. There are also several younger or depth options in the mix, including Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, Tyson Kozak, Peyton Krebs and Jiri Kulich.
The forward group also features several players with strong numbers from outside the NHL last season, such as Riley Fiddler-Schultz, Trevor Kuntar, Aidan McDonough, Carson Meyer, Matthew Peca, Jason Polin, Graham Slaggert and Liam Valente. Jake Richard comes in after a 38-game NCAA season, while Zac Funk and Mason Geertsen round out the group with ECHL and limited NHL experience, respectively.
On defense, Buffalo brought 15 players into camp. The list is headlined by Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, Olen Zellweger and Conor Timmins, with Louis Crevier, Dennis Gilbert, Ryan Johnson, Jack Rathbone and Zach Metsa also included. The group has a strong mix of NHL regulars and players coming from the AHL, NCAA and WHL, including Vsevolod Komarov, Noah Laaouan, Gavin McCarthy, Radim Mrtka and Maxim Strbak.
The Sabres also entered camp with seven goaltenders. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon are the most established names in the group, while Colten Ellis, Talyn Boyko, Topias Leinonen and Scott Ratzlaff are among the others on the roster.
Here is the full camp roster, sorted alphabetically by position group.
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Eric Staals New Sabres Role Comes As Injury Questions Build
The Sabres are adding a familiar face to their bench-adjacent mix this season, with former center Eric Staal set to take on an on-ice coaching role while also continuing his special assistant work for GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Staals new responsibilities are expected to include helping centermen and lending a hand on the power play, giving Buffalo another veteran voice as the team tries to get its groups organized early.
The timing matters because the lineup picture already has a few health questions attached to it. Jason Zucker is recovering from offseason sports hernia surgery and could miss the first two weeks, while Louis Crevier is on track to be ready for the opener after shoulder surgery, and Justin Danforth is likely to begin camp with the club as he works back from knee surgery. For a team trying to settle roles before the games start counting, Staals added presence may be one of the quieter but more useful developments. [Read more 🡒]
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With Bowen Byram gone from the Sabres blue line, Buffalo already has a vacancy to sort through before training camp even opens, and the competition is starting to take shape. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said the club will have to account for Louis Creviers offseason shoulder surgery, while also setting up a path for Olen Zellweger, who signed a three-year deal with Buffalo and figures to be in the mix from the start.
Creviers recovery creates a temporary wrinkle, even if the Sabres still expect him back for the regular season, and that leaves the door open for someone else to seize momentum early. Zellweger, meanwhile, should have the benefit of being on the ice for camp and preseason work, which could matter in a battle that may be decided as much by timing and availability as by talent. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Face One Big Hellebuyck Question As Trade Talk Lingers
Connor Hellebuycks name has been circling the league for days, and the Sabres are right there among the teams keeping tabs on the Winnipeg situation. Reports say the Jets have fielded trade inquiries for the goaltender, but the offers have not yet met their price, even as Hellebuyck remains out of camp and interested clubs wait for the asking cost to come down. Buffalo is among the teams linked to the talks, alongside Carolina, San Jose and Edmonton, which is enough to keep the speculation alive without moving it any closer to a conclusion.
For the Sabres, the intrigue is obvious because the search for goaltending help is never far from the front-burner in Buffalo. The front office has at least been mentioned as part of the conversation, but the bigger question is whether the market ever lines up cleanly enough for a real pursuit. For now, the Jets are still shopping for the right return and the Sabres are still waiting like everyone else, hoping the next turn in the standoff makes the path a little clearer. [Read more 🡒]