Sabres depth chart projection: 6 key questions about Buffalo's forward group

New York Times

3 days ago

BUFFALO, N.Y. — When the Buffalo Sabres opened training camp in September, Lindy Ruff didn't have a lot of time. The team had just two weeks of practice and one preseason game before the NHLers went to Europe for an exhibition game in Germany and the season-opening Global Series in Prague. That meant Ruff started camp with his NHL group already decided, despite the fact he was still getting to know his team as a first-year coach.
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This training camp should be a lot different. Ruff is more familiar with these players, the team is coming off another disappointing season, and there are some new faces sprinkled into the lineup. That should give Ruff time to experiment and create more competition.
At this point, the defensive pairings seem easy to project on paper. There will be competition for the seventh and eighth spots on the depth chart. But when everyone is healthy, the top six on defense should look like this:
Bowen Byram – Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power – Michael Kesselring
Mattias Samuelsson – Conor Timmins
The real intrigue of camp will be how Ruff and his staff put together the forward lines. We won't know exactly what Ruff is thinking until the Sabres take the ice for training camp in mid-September.
Here's my best guess at the forward lines with a look at some of the key questions that will determine the opening-night lineup.
Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Tage Thompson
Jason Zucker – Jiri Kulich – Alex Tuch
Jack Quinn – Ryan McLeod – Josh Doan
Jordan Greenway – Peyton Krebs – Justin Danforth
But right now, here are a few considerations facing Ruff when Buffalo opens the season against the New York Rangers on Oct. 9.
Ruff was clear about two things late last season. One is that he liked Tage Thompson at wing. The other is that he liked Jiri Kulich as a center. As of now, this lineup operates under the assumption Ruff will stick to those two beliefs when he puts together his lineup. The Sabres' center depth hinges on those two decisions.
Thompson excelled at wing last season. His offensive game took off, and it seemed to help him stay fresh. Kulich also looked his best at center. He was better able to use his skating ability to open up scoring opportunities. He was also more than capable of handling the defensive responsibility of the position. Though making Thompson a center could strengthen that position, it would create questions elsewhere in the lineup. Here's a version of what the Sabres could look like if Thompson were a center and Kulich a wing.
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Benson – Thompson – Tuch
Kulich – Norris – Doan
Zucker – McLeod – Quinn
Greenway – Krebs – Danforth
Extra: Beck Malenstyn
Zach Benson handled himself well when he was playing on the top line with Thompson at the end of the season. He's an eager forechecker with playmaking ability and has already proved to be a strong defensive forward. Those skills fit well with the way Thompson plays: The Sabres had a 55 percent expected goal share when Benson and Thompson were on the ice together at five-on-five last season. If training camp started today, Benson would be my first pick to be that top-line left wing.
Beyond Benson, the options are less than perfect. The Sabres could stack the top line with Alex Tuch, Josh Norris and Thompson. They could put Jason Zucker on the top line, but that's higher in the lineup than he should be playing. The other interesting option would be Josh Doan, who brings similar forechecking and defensive ability to Benson but has a better shot. I'd let Benson get the first crack at it, though.
Norris played only three games after the Sabres acquired him at the trade deadline. He was the team's No. 1 center in all of those games. In one game, he centered Thompson and Tuch. In another, he centered Benson and Thompson. In the other, he centered JJ Peterka and Thompson. If Norris is the No. 1 center, it makes sense to pair him up with Thompson to start. But the question of whether Norris is a No. 1 center boils down to whether he can come close to playing 82 games. He entered the offseason healthy, which is a great sign for a player who has dealt with multiple shoulder injuries in his career. He had 21 goals in 56 games last season, a sign that his 30-plus goal potential is still there. When the Sabres acquired Norris, Ruff said he views him as a No. 1 center. I expect him to play there opening night.
Doan is a fascinating player to follow entering training camp. At just 23 years old, he hasn't fully developed into the player he will be. What is Doan's ceiling and how soon can he hit it? We know he is already one of the most efficient forecheckers in the NHL. He also has a dangerous shot and is willing to play at the front of the net. Those skills could make him useful in the top six if Ruff decides to go that route.
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Don't miscast Doan just because he had only seven goals last season. At the very least, he should be a quality third-liner for this team. But as we saw with Zucker last season, the net-front skills can earn a player more ice time in better situations.
A strong forechecker who also has back-to-back 20-point seasons, Danforth played center and wing for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. His experience will be a welcome addition to the locker room. Danforth's career faceoff percentage is just shy of 50 percent. If he plays wing, that allows Peyton Krebs to stay in the lineup. If Danforth is at center, either Krebs could move to the wing or Beck Malenstyn could jump back onto the fourth line.
The beauty of Danforth is his versatility. Injuries and performance will dictate who needs to stay in the lineup, and Danforth can plug a hole at center or wing. I have him starting on the wing because it keeps Krebs in the lineup. But Danforth's presence creates some healthy competition at the bottom of the lineup.
Where Quinn fits in this lineup has been a lingering question all summer. The Sabres signed him to a two-year extension worth more than $3 million per year, so they have some faith in him. I put him on the third line with Ryan McLeod and Doan, but he needs to be a lot better defensively to handle the matchups McLeod was getting. Ideally, the Sabres might want a line that has Zucker playing with McLeod and either Doan or Jordan Greenway. But to do that, Ruff would need to trust Quinn in a top-six role. After the way he struggled in the first half of last season, that's a risk.
The good news is that Quinn still had 39 points last season in what was considered a down year. He is two years removed from the torn Achilles tendon that cost him most of the 2023-24 season and more than a year removed from the broken leg from that same season. His skating suffered last season because of those injuries. If he can regain some of his burst from before the injury, Quinn could give the Sabres some of the scoring they'll need with Peterka gone.
(Top photo of Peyton Krebs, Mattias Samuelsson, Alex Tuch and Zach Benson: Hannah Foslien / Getty Images)
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