Sabres release 2023 training camp roster

Several storylines to watch as Buffalo gets going on the 2023-24 season

Buffalo Sabres hockey is back.

The team unveiled the 64 players on its training camp roster Wednesday, a group consisting of 36 forwards, 21 defensemen, and seven goalies.

The Sabres, who will be divided into three groups to start, will first hit the ice for practice Thursday at 10 a.m.,

General manager Kevyn Adams will speak at 9 a.m. and it’s expected he’ll have an update on the status of Matt Savoie, who was injured on the first shift of the Sabres’ final game of the Prospects Challenge on Monday. Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert said after the game that he was “probably expected to miss a little bit of time” at training camp.

Savoie was slated to be among the mix of prospects vying for the open roster spot created by the injury to Jack Quinn. How long Savoie is sidelined will impact his place in a battle that will also include Jiri Kulich, Lukas Rousek, and Isak Rosen.

Who ultimately lands the available spot is one of several storylines to watch as camp begins. Quinn’s absence also begs the question of who will slide into that right wing spot with Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka, if coach Don Granato keeps that duo together after their success last season.

Other things to watch:

How will the goaltending shake out?

Much has been made of the lack of experience among Devon Levi, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Eric Comrie, with the trio combining for 100 NHL games played.

Levi, 21, impressed in his brief showing at the end of the season, going 5-2-0 with a 2.94 goals-against average and .905 save percentage. It’s expected he’ll be on the roster come opening night, and possibly the starter, but there's no guarantee.

Luukkonen’s play while Comrie was injured last season earned him a stay in the NHL even once Comrie was ready to return. Adams has repeatedly noted that they believe in him and has made it a point to ensure the goalie knows it, too.

The 24-year-old played an NHL career-high 33 games last season, winning 17 times. The competition in net should fuel him but if he earns the spot, he’ll need to show he can be more consistent. He’s no longer exempt from waivers.

Comrie, 28, looked solid early last season, standing out notably in a pair of games in Edmonton and Calgary to help the Sabres to victories. But then a spate of injuries on defense followed before Comrie sustained a knee injury in mid-November that sidelined him for seven weeks. He played only eight games after returning from injury, going 5-2-1.

If the Sabres opt for Levi and Luukkonen, Comrie could be placed on waivers but it's far from certain that he'd clear. They're better prepared to handle a potential departure, however, having brought back veteran Dustin Tokarski, who will likely lead the tandem in Rochester.

Casey Mittelstadt: center or wing?

Mittelstadt had a breakout season in 2022-23, putting up 59 points (15 goals, 44 assists) in 82 games. He was the only Sabres player to play in every game, a turnaround from a season prior when injuries limited him to just 40 games.

He alternated between center and wing but impressed in the middle down the stretch, especially when filling in for an injured Tage Thompson between Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch.

Entering the final year of his current contract, can he take another step forward?

Defense

Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson formed the Sabres’ top pair last season, while Owen Power and Henri Jokiharju made up the second unit. The third pair was a revolving door alongside the since-traded Ilya Lyubushkin (when the latter wasn’t out with an injury), and their struggles resulted in Granato shortening that side of the bench in-game later in the season.

Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson were brought in to play. Will Clifton skate with Power or might Johnson, a fellow No. 1 pick back in 2006, get a look alongside him? Jokiharju had a rough time alongside Power last season. Could he re-join Dahlin after finding success with him in the past, leading to Samuelsson on a different pairing?

And what about Jacob Bryson and Riley Stillman? The other five spots are spoken for when the defense is healthy, which leaves the two battling for the one remaining. Can one of them grab a secure hold of it?