Lindy Ruff is heading toward training camp with a forward group that looks crowded, talented and not quite sorted out yet.
As the Sabres sit right now, they have 14 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies, with Peyton Krebs still unsigned. That leaves Ruff and general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen staring at a roster that already looks tight before camp even begins. Alex Tuch’s 19 minutes a night are gone from the forward mix, and Buffalo may still need another move just to clear the traffic.
“It’s a 23-man roster,” Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen said last week. “With the players we have right now, it’s going to be a heck of a battle in training camp, and there’s going to be some disappointed players that are probably NHL players but can’t fit on the 23-man roster. That creates another challenge, but I think it’s a good challenge and a great problem to have.”
One early look at the forward lines shows just how much is still up in the air:
Zach Benson - Jiri Kulich - Tage Thompson
Noah Östlund - Josh Norris - Josh Doan
Konsta Helenius - Ryan McLeod - Jack Quinn
Jason Zucker - Peyton Krebs - Beck Malenstyn
Extras: Sam Carrick, Tyson Kozak, Justin Danforth
The biggest question starts with Thompson. He finished the playoffs on the wing, and that move seemed to wake up his offense.
At the same time, he spent most of the season at center, and Ruff has bounced him between those spots over the last two years. If Thompson stays in the middle, Buffalo’s center group looks much stronger.
If he stays on the wing, he may stay fresher over the long haul and potentially extend his career as he nears 30. There’s also the possibility of pairing him with a passer like Östlund, which could help take some of the defensive load off Thompson.
Kulich is another major piece of the puzzle. Ruff has repeatedly pointed to the late-season line of Benson, Kulich and Thompson as a strong one, and for good reason.
Kulich missed most of last season because of a blood clot issue, so there’s some uncertainty there, but among Buffalo’s young forwards, he still looks like the cleanest fit at center. His skating lets him control games, and he looks more comfortable driving things from the middle of the ice.
If he’s healthy and ready when camp opens, he could be a top-line option right away. If not, the Sabres have enough depth to bring him along more slowly.
The same kind of question applies to the younger wave behind him. Helenius and Östlund both looked ready for full-time NHL roles in the playoffs, and they did it with offense, effort and maturity away from the puck.
They handled the pressure and belonged in the top nine. Kulich belongs in that conversation too if he’s fully healthy.
“I think they’ve all proven they’re NHL ready,” Kekäläinen said. “They still have to earn their spot in training camp. Together with the coaching staff, we’ll decide who gets on the opening night roster.”
That’s where the squeeze really starts. If Kulich, Helenius and Östlund all land in the top nine and Buffalo doesn’t make another trade, someone established would have to slide down.
McLeod, Zucker or Quinn would be the most obvious candidates, with Zucker probably the easiest fit for a lower-line role because of his age and the traits he could bring to a fourth line. Even so, the roster math points toward another move.
Krebs adds another layer. He chose arbitration over the weekend, which takes offer sheets off the table.
His hearing will fall sometime between July 20 and Aug. 1, and that date becomes the deadline for a deal between him and the Sabres. If they don’t agree by then, the arbiter will set the salary on his next contract and Buffalo will decide the term.
His award could land north of $4 million, which is the kind of number usually reserved for a player in the lineup every night. Krebs has been that for Buffalo over the last two seasons, and he even spent a good chunk of last season on the top line. In this projected group, he’s part of the battle for fourth-line minutes along with Malenstyn, Carrick, Kozak and Danforth, though he’s also the one who can move up the lineup if injuries hit.
And then there’s the possibility of one more addition. Patrick Kane remains on the free-agent market, which naturally has fans wondering about a fit.
The issue is simple: where would he play? Buffalo still has about $8.6 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia, so there’s room to do something.
But in the lineup as it stands, Carrick - the team’s best faceoff man - gets squeezed out, and Zucker ends up on the fourth line. That’s useful depth, but it doesn’t leave much room for a player like Kane, who only makes sense as a top-nine forward.
So the Sabres may still need a trade to open things up. If not, the answer could come at the end of preseason, when one or two forwards are waived just to make the roster fit.
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