The Buffalo Sabres open their 2023-24 regular season at home against the New York Rangers on Thursday, and after toying with a variety of line combinations and different defense pairings with players expected to make their roster, head coach Don Granato this week has returned to the units that were successful for the most part last season.
For nearly all of the seven-game exhibition schedule, Granato went with three defense pairings of lefty-and-righty shooters, with defenseman Rasmus Dahlin playing with newcomer Connor Clifton, and Mattias Samuelsson paired with veteran Erik Johnson, but after Dahlin went -4 in a 7-4 loss to Pittsburgh last Friday, the experiment was ended and Dahlin was reunited with last year’s top-pairing partner Samuelsson.
“I had Clifton and Johnson paired with guys that were familiar with all our drills and all our systems and they could walk them through practice day in and day out and build them and acquaint them to what we're doing," Granato said. "I think as we move into the home opener, based on watching games and information and I take it in, I feel that we're best to start right now with the pairing of Dahlin and Samuelsson and (Henri Jokiharju and (Owen) Power.
Up front, after playing rookie Zach Benson with veterans Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner for most of the last two weeks, Alex Tuch rejoined the club’s top line, while the impressive 18-year-old winger shifted to the third line with Jordan Greenway and Casey Mittelstadt, who returned on Wednesday after missing Tuesday’s practice with an upper-body injury.
Granato indicated that he does not have a goaltending rotation planned out for the opening of the season. All signs point to rookie Devon Levi starting against the Rangers. With Buffalo not playing back-to-back nights until October 23 – 24, the Sabres will be keeping their options open based on how things go.