The Sabres are expected to dress Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson and most of their regulars Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets at KeyBank Center, a preseason game that should look far more like Buffalo’s opening-night lineup than its first exhibition did. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
That is why the search around Sabres is different today. Buffalo opened the preseason Monday with a 4-1 loss in Pittsburgh using mostly depth players and prospects, but this game should give the club its first look at a group that closely resembles the one it plans to use when the regular season opens in Columbus on Oct. 1. The Blue Jackets are bringing a game-night roster with a mix of NHL and minor-league players, so the test for Buffalo’s regulars is not only whether they are ready, but how much of the expected opening-night structure already fits.
The list of skaters points to that plan. Buffalo’s forwards are expected to include Zach Benson, Sam Carrick, Josh Doan, Konsta Helenius, Peyton Krebs, Jiri Kulich, Beck Malenstyn, Ryan McLeod, Josh Norris, Noah Ostlund, Jack Quinn and Tage Thompson, while the defense group is set to feature Louis Crevier, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, Conor Timmins and Olen Zellweger. Colten Ellis and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the listed goaltenders, giving Buffalo a near-regular-season group for its second preseason outing.
Jiri Kulich is the one skater carrying over from Monday. The 22-year-old played 19:39 and took six shot attempts in the loss, the most among Sabres forwards, and Lindy Ruff said he would “in all likelihood” dress Kulich for all four exhibitions. That makes Kulich the clearest bridge between Buffalo’s first preseason lineup and the one it is expected to unveil Tuesday.
There is also a reason the roster looks this firm so early. The Sabres have a shortened preseason, and the new collective bargaining agreement limits veterans with 100 or more career NHL games to a maximum of two preseason contests. Buffalo did not start with its usual blend of prospects and established players, so this game arrives as the first real checkpoint for a group that needs to settle quickly. It also lets Buffalo evaluate offseason additions Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier in game action, with Zellweger opening camp beside Owen Power and Crevier skating with Conor Timmins.
The earlier signs already point toward a lineup that has some rhythm. Zach Benson, Noah Ostlund and Jack Quinn were Buffalo’s best forward line in Saturday’s Blue and Gold Scrimmage, and Ostlund and Quinn both scored. If Tuesday holds to plan, the Sabres will leave KeyBank Center with a clearer idea of whether their regulars are ready to carry that form into Columbus on Oct. 1, or whether the opening-night shape still needs work.
