The Buffalo Sabres opened training camp Thursday at LECOM Harborcenter with a pace that left players winded and, by the end, looking like they’d already been pushed closer to game speed. That was the point. Coach Lindy Ruff said the group is further along than it was when camp began a year ago, and even farther ahead of where it stood two years ago.
“When you watch just this first practice, I think our level of fitness is even way ahead of where we were at the start of last year - and especially the start of two years ago,” Ruff said.
That sharper start comes with a different tone around the team. Ruff and general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen made it clear Wednesday that this season is about new faces and new standards, and the players have bought into that message as they head toward Monday’s preseason opener and the Oct. 1 opener in Columbus.
Captain Rasmus Dahlin said the expectations inside and outside the room have changed after last season’s climb from last place to the second round of the playoffs.
“If we thought last year was hard, this year is going to be harder, I think,” Dahlin said. “… We have higher expectations on ourselves and higher expectations around the league. We're not the ‘old Sabres’ anymore in other teams' eyes, so I think that's going to be a big bump.”
The Sabres are not pretending last season didn’t happen, either. Their six-month rise gave them a clear outline for what it takes to win more often in the Atlantic Division, and alternate captain Tage Thompson said the lesson is straightforward.
“There’s no gray area; it’s pretty black and white on what we need to do to be successful,” Thompson said. “And I think it all stems from work ethic and doing the little things that just add up over the course of a game.”
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Sabres Blue Line Battle Is Already Tilting Before Camp Begins
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 🡒]