The Buffalo Sabres made a significant roster reduction a on fter a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. The club’s roster was decreased to 31 players after the club waived Zach Jones, and forward Jake Leschyshyn on Sunday. Jones and Leschyshyn will be demoted to AHL Rochester if they are not claimed by another NHL club by Monday afternoon. With two preseason games remaining and a week remaining in training camp, GM Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff will need to make some choices before the roster is set at 23 players early next week.
Goaltender - With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen practicing on Friday and Saturday, it appears the Sabres starter is on schedule to play at least one and perhaps both of the games against Pittsburgh on Wednesday and Friday. There is not really a battle between Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev, as Lyon will be the primary backup to Luukkonen. The question is whether Adams chooses to carry three goalies or place Georgiev on waivers to send down to the AHL. Buffalo lost James Reimer when they attempted to do that at the end of camp last season and it could occur again with the NHL goaltending market so thin.
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Defense - The injury to Mattias Samuelsson was not described as being serious in nature by Ruff late last week, but durability has been an issue with the veteran blueliner throughout his career. The top four is set with Rasmus Dahlin and Bowen Byram on the top pairing, Owen Power and Michael Kesselring on the second pair, and Conor Timmins playing the right side on the bottom pairing. If Samuelsson is unavailable, then Ryan Johnson, who had a solid defensive season in Rochester, would be the leading candidate to step in over Jacob Bryson. 2025 first-rounder Radim Mrtka is still with the club, but the only drama with him is whether he will be assigned to AHL Rochester or back to his WHL junior club in Seattle.
Forward - The assumption at this point is that Buffalo will carry 13 forwards, but the goaltending scenario and carry eight D could augment that. Jordan Greenway has been out with a recurrence of his mid-body injury all training camp, so it is likely he will start the season on injured reserve. With Alex Tuch back, the top three lines appear to be set, with Josh Norris centering Zach Benson and Tage Thompson, Ryan McLeod up the middle with Jason Zucker and Tuch, and Jiri Kulich centering Josh Doan and Jack Quinn. Kulich has an upper body that has kept him out of the last few practices.
The fourth line appears to be Justin Danforth and Beck Malenstyn centered by Peyton Krebs, leaving one spot that could be occupied by Tyson Kozak or enforcer Mason Geersten.
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