The Buffalo Sabres face plenty of questions as training camp opens. The most obvious: Will this be the year the Sabres finally break the playoff drought?
The second question: Will Alex Tuch re-sign with the Sabres?
For both, it’s too soon to say.
Before any season projections can be made, though, the Sabres have to convene as a group, and they’ll start training camp Thursday at LECOM Harborcenter.
Training camp alone brings questions – here are five the Sabres face:
1. How will Lindy Ruff capitalize on a full training camp in Buffalo?
The second Lindy Ruff Era began in September 2024 with an abbreviated training camp, which opened Sept. 18, before the Sabres relocated to Europe less than a week later to begin last season against the New Jersey Devils in Prague, then returned Oct. 8, days before their home opener against Los Angeles. It became a preparation period interrupted and may have derailed some of Ruff’s plans to establish expectations, culture and consistency in a new group under one roof.
There’s no trip to Europe this year. Ruff and his charges have a season of experience together. Michael Kesselring, acquired from Utah in June as part of a trade for JJ Peterka, said earlier this summer that Ruff gave him some advice about what to expect in training camp this year. “He was joking with me today, saying, ‘Camp will be hard,’” the defenseman said. “I said, ‘That’s no problem, I’ll come in shape.’ ”
2. How quickly does Kesselring mesh with new teammates and step into a top-four role?
Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson gives more details on one of the recent notable transactions: his trade of uniform No. 9 to teammate Josh Norris.
Kesselring is a 6-foot-5 right-handed defenseman who brings something the Sabres sorely need: The toughness quotient. Someone who will stand up for teammates and stand up for the team, who’s willing to give a hit, take a hit and throw the gloves to the ice when necessary.
What will help Kesselring is his versatility, as he can play at any spot among the top-six defensemen. Those two qualities should endear him to both defensive partners and to the locker room at large. He has some familiarity with at least two of his teammates: Josh Doan, also part of the trade with Utah for JJ Peterka – and Kesselring’s roommate in the Salt Lake City area last season – and goalie Devon Levi, his former teammate at Northeastern.
3. What could the opening-night lineup look like?
Picture this:
Forwards
Top line: Zach Benson-Josh Norris-Tage Thompson.
Second line: Jason Zucker-Jiri Kulich-Alex Tuch.
Third line: Josh Doan-Ryan McLeod-Jack Quinn.
Fourth line: Jordan Greenway-Peyton Krebs-Justin Danforth.
Defensemen
Top pairing: Bowen Byram-Rasmus Dahlin.
Second pairing: Owen Power-Michael Kesselring.
Third pairing: Mattias Samuelsson-Conor Timmins.
Seventh defensemen: Zac Jones, Ryan Johnson.
Goalies
No. 1: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
No. 2: Alex Lyon.
Things can change, minimally or drastically, between the start of training camp and the start of the regular season Oct. 9 against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center. Players can get injured. There could be a trade. There could be a surprise roster move or moves, such as a player not expected to make the roster being kept, or vice versa. Put this hypothetical opening-night roster in pencil, not in pen.
4. How will the goalie picture develop?
Luukkonen is the incumbent, but he’s coming off a less-than-stellar 2024-25 season in which he was 24-24-5 with a goals-against average of 3.20 and a saves percentage of .887. Luukkonen, though, was prone to inconsistency, then supplanted by James Reimer late in the season.
Now, it’s a question of if Luukkonen will even start the season healthy. The Sabres answered their contingency-plan question by signing Alex Lyon to a two-year contract at the start of free agency, then added another layer of insurance by signing Alexandar Georgiev after Luukkonen was sidelined with an undisclosed injury prior to training camp. The Sabres have Devon Levi working in the wings, and he signed a two-year, one-way contract in which he is exempt from waivers this season, or until he reaches the 60-NHL-game threshold (he enters the season at 39 games). If Luukkonen is healthy, the starting job is his to lose, so Levi and Lyon likely will compete for the No. 2 spot. Lyon’s advantage? Experience, as he enters his 10th professional season. Expect Levi to return to Rochester for one more year of experience as a starter.
5. Will Alex Tuch have a new contract by the end of training camp?
Don’t hold your breath. Tuch is in the final year of his seven-year contract, and the negotiation window for his next contract with the Sabres opened July 1. Tuch has the upper hand in this process: He can continue to negotiate his contract, which expires June 30, and return to the Sabres on a new contract. He can let his contract expire and become a free agent – a coveted free agent, at that – as of July 1, 2026. He can ask for a trade at the trade deadline later in the season and move to a playoff contender, then become a free agent.
Or, we could all wake up on the final day of training camp and find out Tuch will return to the Sabres on a long-term contract. As of right now, time is not of the essence.
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Rachel Lenzi
News sports reporter
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