The Buffalo Sabres are heading toward training camp with a forward group that looks crowded on paper and unsettled in practice. Even after a quiet stretch of roster movement, there are 15 forwards with a real case to claim one of the four lines, and that kind of depth usually means somebody important is going to be squeezed.
The biggest pressure points are not all clean one-on-one battles, either. Some players are simply trying to hold off a wave of younger options, and three veterans stand out as the ones who need a strong camp to protect their place.
Ryan McLeod sits right in the middle of the center puzzle. The top of the lineup is still murky, with Jiri Kulich and Josh Norris apparently battling for the first-line job and the runner-up landing on the second line. That leaves McLeod fighting for the third-line center role, and the names chasing him include Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund and even Peyton Krebs.
McLeod gave the Sabres plenty to like last season. He finished with a career-best plus-25, tied for the NHL lead in short-handed goals with five and ranked fourth on the team with 54 points.
But there were also some warning signs. His shooting percentage dropped five points to 15.6%, his faceoff rate fell to 47.7%, his lowest mark since the 2021-22 season, and he went scoreless in the playoffs while posting a minus-7.
He still looks likely to be in the lineup, whether that ends up being on the third line or the fourth. But where he lands will ripple down the depth chart.
That matters for Sam Carrick. The Sabres’ best move at the NHL Trade Deadline came when they landed him from the New York Rangers, and he immediately looked like the kind of fourth-line center every team wants. He forechecked hard, held his own in the faceoff circle and even chipped in offensively, scoring five goals in 13 games after managing four in 60 with the Rangers that season.
Carrick’s run took a hit when an upper-body injury against the New York Islanders knocked him out for the end of the regular season and most of the playoffs. He returned for Game 2 against the Canadiens, but that was the only playoff game he played. If McLeod gets pushed down and one of the younger centers earns a bigger role, Carrick could end up on the outside as a healthy scratch on many nights.
Jason Zucker is in a different spot, but he’s feeling the heat too. During the regular season, he delivered the kind of production the Sabres expected, putting up another 20-plus-goal year and reaching double figures on the power play for the second straight season.
The playoffs told a different story. His role shrank as the games wore on, and in the series against Montreal he logged about 13 minutes per game after sitting around 17 minutes per game against Boston in the first round.
Zucker turns 35 this season, which makes the playoff dip harder to ignore. Was it just a rough stretch, or a sign that he’s starting to come down the back side of his career?
The answer matters because the Sabres could shuffle their younger centers to the wing, with Ostlund or Helenius both mentioned as possibilities. If that happens, Zucker’s place in the Top 9 could be threatened.
For Zucker, the start of the season looms large. He’ll need to get going quickly and put the postseason behind him if he wants to stay secure.
The Sabres’ forward depth is a real asset, especially with a regular season that now stretches two games longer. But depth cuts both ways. It gives the team options, and it also creates a camp where a few veterans are going to have to fight to keep their jobs.
In Other News...
Sabres Could Be Setting Up A Much Bigger 2027 Offseason
The Sabres are staring at a pretty typical NHL problem for a team still trying to build forward: not enough room now, but a potentially much more workable setup not far down the road. Buffalo has limited salary cap space for 2026-27, which means management will have to be careful about every decision as the roster turns over and new contracts come due. The picture changes the following season, though, when a rising league cap and lighter dead-cap hits could give the club a lot more breathing room.
That creates an interesting balancing act for the front office, especially with several unrestricted and restricted free agents in the mix. Some players may not be brought back, others could be moved, and a few are likely to remain part of the core, but the bigger point is that Buffalo may be setting itself up to act more aggressively when the timing is right. If the Sabres can stay patient through the next couple of seasons, 2027-28 could be the offseason when they finally have the flexibility to make a real swing, whether it comes through free agency or a trade. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Fans May Want To Keep An Eye On Jay McKee
Jay McKee has stayed close to the game in a way that should sound familiar to Sabres fans who remember his hard-nosed days in Buffalo. A former member of the 1998-99 and 2005-06 teams, McKee is now the head coach of the AHLs Hamilton Hammers, and his track record has long pointed toward the kind of developmental work NHL clubs value when they are trying to build something sustainable from within.
There is also a natural Buffalo connection in the background: McKee has been mentored by Lindy Ruff, giving him a link to the current coaching tree and the franchises past. If Ruff eventually decides to step aside, McKee is the sort of name that could start surfacing in the conversation, especially with his reputation for working with young players and his familiarity with what it takes to coach in Buffalo. [Read more 🡒]
Zach Benson Already Has One Regret After Sabres Locked Him In
Zach Bensons first big purchase after landing his new Sabres contract was supposed to feel like a reward, but it quickly turned into something else. On the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast, the Buffalo forward talked about signing a seven-year, $52.5 million extension and then splurging on a Porsche Cayenne, a reminder that the off-ice adjustments can arrive just as fast as the on-ice praise.
For Buffalo, the bigger takeaway is what the contract says about Bensons standing in the organization. Jarmo Keklinen has already described him as a core player after Bensons strong showing last season and in the playoffs, which helps explain why the Sabres moved to lock him in so early. The car choice may be the regret for now, but the teams bigger bet is that Bensons value will look a lot better over the life of that deal. [Read more 🡒]