The Buffalo Sabres’ forward group is heading into the season with a different look, and the biggest change is the departure of Alex Tuch. With limited help available in free agency or on the trade market, Buffalo is banking on its younger forwards to carry more of the load.
That puts the spotlight squarely on Tage Thompson, the team’s top forward and the centerpiece of this group. He has topped 40 goals in three of the past four seasons, and if the Sabres’ power play takes a step forward, a 50-goal season is in play.
Thompson’s career high is 47, set in 2022-23, when he also scored 20 times on the power play. If he can get near 15 power-play goals and still stay around 35 at even strength, that long-awaited 50-goal mark could finally fall.
Jack Quinn looks like the next forward most likely to make a leap. Buffalo needs someone to help replace Tuch’s 33 goals from last season, and Quinn is a strong candidate after posting his first 20-goal campaign.
He had scored 38 total goals over the previous three seasons before last year’s breakout, and the increase in shot volume was a big part of it. Quinn took 191 shots, 65 more than his previous career best, though his shooting percentage dropped to a career-low 10.5%.
If the shots keep coming and the finishing sharpens, 30 goals is within reach.
The Sabres also have a path to serious scoring depth. It’s possible they finish with four forwards at 60 points or more, which would go a long way toward making up for Tuch’s absence.
Thompson and Quinn are obvious candidates, and Josh Doan and Zach Benson are right in the mix after producing 52 and 43 points last season. Both are expected to see more ice time, which could push them to new personal bests.
Ryan McLeod, who had 54 points last season, is another name to watch, along with Noah Ostlund and Josh Norris if he can stay healthy.
There’s even a rookie storyline worth following. Konsta Helenius could emerge as a Calder Trophy finalist.
Buffalo hasn’t had a Calder winner since Tyler Myers in 2010, and while the competition will be fierce, Helenius has put himself in the conversation. He played nine regular-season NHL games last season and scored two goals in four playoff games.
He also was a point-per-game player for Rochester last season and put up six points in six games for Team Finland at the World Championships this summer. That résumé points to a player ready to contribute.
The Sabres’ forward group comes into the season with plenty of questions, but by the time it’s over, the picture could look a lot different.
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Columbus, for its part, is not acting like a team under pressure to move him right away, and the asking framework matters as much as the name itself. If the Blue Jackets decide to listen, they appear to want immediate help rather than a package built around future pieces, which is the kind of price tag that can separate the serious suitors from the curious ones and leave Buffalo weighing how much urgency it should attach to a player it may not have considered a must-have yet. [Read more 🡒]
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That gives the Sabres time to watch the most important part of his growth take shape. Rudolph already knows the areas that have to sharpen if he is going to fit into Buffalos long-term defense picture, and the focus is on the finer details that separate a promising prospect from a reliable NHL regular. For a team that has invested in its back end, that kind of awareness is a good sign, even if the real test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Get Goalie Relief But Opening Night Still Has Two Big Worries
The Sabres at least got one bit of good news as they set their initial 23-man roster, with their goalie situation no longer looking quite as dire as it did earlier in camp. Buffalo does not have any of its top three goaltenders on injured reserve, and that alone gives the coaching staff a little more flexibility heading into the start of the season.
Still, the roster comes with two obvious concerns right at the top of the depth chart. Mattias Samuelsson and Connor Timmins are both on injured reserve, leaving Buffalo short on expected top-six defensemen, and the blue line is not the only spot without a clear answer. The club has not yet settled on a starter for the opener, with Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis all still in the mix. [Read more 🡒]