The Buffalo Sabres don’t have a ton of mystery hanging over their Opening Night group, even with Jason Zucker out because of a short-term injury. The real scramble is happening a layer below that, where players trying to crack the depth chart are chasing a chance at an in-season NHL call-up.
That’s where preseason matters for a few Sabres prospects who are expected to start the year with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Their work with the Amerks will still drive the bigger picture, but a strong exhibition showing could give them a much better foothold. Three names stand out.
Jake Richard is one of them, and his path has already taken a few turns. At one point, it looked like the 22-year-old winger was headed back to UConn for his senior season. Instead, he and the Sabres changed course and agreed to a two-year entry-level deal.
There’s still plenty to sort through with Richard. His numbers fell off last season, and that leaves questions after he looked like a possible draft steal in 2024-25.
As a 2022 sixth-round pick, he put up 43 points - 15 goals and 28 assists - in 34 games that season. The follow-up was quieter, with 27 points in 38 games.
Richard’s next step is pretty clear: he has to spend more time in the high-danger areas if he wants his offense to translate against pro competition. His skating is also part of the evaluation, especially when bigger and faster opponents are in the way. He’s still got development time, but a little flash in the preseason would go a long way toward boosting his stock.
Radim Mrtka enters camp with a different kind of pressure. Buffalo took the defenseman No. 9 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, but his first season after being picked didn’t bring the offensive jump the Sabres were hoping for. He finished with one goal in 48 games across the regular season and playoffs for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds.
At 6-foot-6, Mrtka was never projected as a big point producer. Still, one goal against junior competition is not much for a player with that size and draft status, and it naturally slows the conversation about how soon he might be ready for Buffalo.
For comparison, the Sabres’ first-round pick in the 2026 draft, defenseman Daxon Rudolph, scored 28 goals in 68 WHL games last season. They’re not the same kind of player, but the gap helps explain the concern.
Mrtka can still put himself in the mix for an NHL look this season if he leans into the defensive and physical side of the game. Even so, his offense has to start moving in the right direction at some point. The preseason should offer a better read on where he stands.
Ryan Johnson is at a different stage entirely. After turning 25 over the summer, he’s getting close to the point where “prospect” starts to give way to “organizational depth.” Buffalo used a first-round pick on him in 2019, but he hasn’t developed into the player the team was expecting.
Johnson has always been able to move the puck, but that skill has never turned into steady offensive production. He isn’t a physically imposing defender, and he hasn’t established himself as a shutdown presence in the AHL either. That combination has left him without a clear calling card.
The result is a tougher road for Johnson than the one he probably envisioned. He was passed by Zach Metsa for the No. 7 defenseman role last season, and Buffalo also brought in veteran Dennis Gilbert to add more dependable depth heading into this year.
Johnson now finds himself in a tricky spot, and a strong 2026-2027 campaign would do a lot to restore belief in his long-term NHL outlook. For now, he’ll try to build some momentum in preseason as he heads into his fourth year with the Amerks.
In Other News...
Sabres-Senators Just Became A Rivalry Buffalo Can't Ignore
Buffalos schedule already has a few familiar pressure points, but the meetings with Ottawa are starting to feel like something more than just another set of divisional games. The Sabres are coming off a season in which they finished atop the Atlantic Division, and with both clubs gearing up for 2026-27, there is a clear sense that this matchup deserves extra attention from the Buffalo side.
The recent player movement between the organizations has only sharpened the edge, giving every meeting a little more weight than usual. Ottawa also has an extra game against Buffalo this season, which only adds to the sense that these teams will see plenty of each other, and they could end up crossing paths again when the 2027 playoff bracket starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Krebs Is Suddenly At The Center Of Buffalos Next Big Shift
Peyton Krebs has quietly become one of the more interesting pieces in Buffalos evolving lineup. The Sabres center has taken steady steps forward over the past few seasons, and last year brought career-best production while also reinforcing what the staff has long liked about him: the defensive work, the tenacity and the ability to fit into different roles as the lineup changes.
Since Lindy Ruff returned behind the bench, Krebs has earned more trust and more ice time, which is never a small thing for a player trying to carve out a bigger place on a roster with real expectations. The Sabres have made it clear they want contributors who can help at both ends, and Krebs is starting to look like the kind of player who can push well beyond what was once projected for him, with a chance to become part of a much larger shift in how Buffalo builds its forward group. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Preseason Opener Suddenly Puts Seth Appert In The Spotlight
The Sabres opened their preseason with a different face behind the bench, as Seth Appert stepped into the head coaching role for the night and suddenly found himself in a more visible spot than usual. The temporary shift comes at a time when Buffalo is trying to sort through roster decisions and evaluate players in game action, which gives the preseason opener a little more weight than a typical tune-up.
Apperts task is straightforward in theory and tricky in practice: create the best possible setting for players to show what they can do. With the staff adjusting for the night, the focus in this game shifts toward the younger names and fringe roster hopefuls, while Buffalo waits for its regular bench boss to return and reclaim the seat after the brief interruption. [Read more 🡒]