The Buffalo Sabres didn’t undergo massive changes this summer. Instead, there were tinkers and touch-ups, and possibly a few Band-Aids on the roster.
For some players, this is a necessary rebound year after a season of individual underachieving. For the Sabres’ goalies, it’s about determining a hierarchy, whether that involves Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or brings Devon Levi into the fold. Or it could be assimilating into a new roster.
Here’s a look at five players in training camp with the Sabres who have the most at stake as they try to earn or retain roster spots.
Mattias Samuelsson, defenseman: Samuelsson appeared to be on the way out of Buffalo after a subpar 2024-25 season, either by a trade or a buyout, until general manager Kevyn Adams made it clear that a buyout was never on the table. Still, Samuelsson’s contract ($4.2 million a year for seven years) appeared bloated following a year in which he scored four goals with 10 assists in 62 games – among the 20 games he didn’t play, he sat out 12 games with a lower-body injury and was a healthy scratch for three games in November – and, by many accounts, underachieved. Until he has proven that he has bought in for this season, it’s fair to question whether he has. That means showing up for training camp in shape, with a stronger mentality and with a set of defined personal and team goals.
Alex Lyon, goalie: Lyon, signed as a free agent in July, spent the last two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and begins his 10th professional season. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen returns to the Sabres as the incumbent in goal, but Lyon could take on more work if Luukkonen stumbles during the season. Lyon has the chance to fortify his spot as the No. 2 goalie, though the Sabres haven’t publicly outlined their plans for a pecking order among the goalies, so its unclear if Lyon will compete with Devon Levi for the No. 2 spot behind Luukkonen … or if Levi primarily will play again with Rochester of the American Hockey League.
Devon Levi, goalie: Levi enters his fourth professional season and, again, it remains to be determined if he will compete with Lyon to be the Sabres’ No. 2 goalie behind Luukkonen, or if his developmental path will require him to take on another season-long workload with the Amerks. Levi shined as Rochester’s No. 1 goalie last season and signed a two-year contract with the team in July, with an average annual value of $812,500. Levi’s contract is a one-way deal for both years and he will be exempt from waivers for the 2025-26 season, or until he reaches the 60-game threshold in the NHL.
Josh Norris, center: Norris is a seventh-year pro who can score goals but can’t stay healthy. That trend continued when he joined the Sabres after a trade with Ottawa in March. A torn oblique muscle limited Norris to three games in the final weeks of the season and he scored a goal with an assist for Buffalo. Norris finished with a 21-goal season but needs to regain the form and the physical makeup that made him a 35-goal scorer with Ottawa in 2021-22. If Norris can stay healthy from training camp into the heart of the season, he will provide the Sabres with a sure-fire top-line center and an experienced offensive presence.
Owen Power, defense: Like Norris, the most significant question about Power is the issue of his health. Norris scored a career-best 40 points (seven goals, 33 assists) in 79 games last season but sustained an injury to his left knee April 12 at Florida after his legs were pinned under Panthers’ forward Carter Verhaeghe, and told reporters after the season that he avoided any major structural damage, and would not have to undergo surgery. He will need to play in exhibition games to show that he has no lingering issues following recovery from the knee injury. He also needs to show that he’s ready to carry the weight of being one of the Sabres’ top-four defensemen.
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Rachel Lenzi
News sports reporter
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