The Buffalo Sabres didn’t have to tell many people to leave town after this week’s rookie camp and Prospects Challenge tournament.
The Sabres announced their training camp roster Thursday afternoon, and all but five players who were in the Prospects Challenge tournament will take part in the Sabres training camp, which opens at 9 a.m. Thursday at LECOM Harborcenter.
The Sabres roster is made up of 32 forwards, 21 defensemen and eight goalies. It includes three of the Sabres’ nine selections from the NHL Draft in June: Radim Mrtka, a defenseman from Czechia and the Sabres’ first-round pick; David Bedkowski, a defenseman from Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League and a third-round pick; and Noah Laberge, a defenseman from Newfoundland (formerly Acadie Bathurst) of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and a fifth-round pick.
Trevor Kuntar, a Williamsville resident who signed a one-year deal with Rochester of the American Hockey League in July, is on the training camp roster, as is Matteo Costantini, a St. Catharine’s native who signed a two-year AHL contract with Rochester in July, and Red Savage, a former Michigan State captain who signed a two-year deal with Rochester in August. Savage is the son of former NHL player Brian Savage.
There are also eight goalies on the training camp roster: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alexandar Georgiev, Ryerson Leenders, Topias Leinonen, Devon Levi, Alex Lyon, Samuel Meloche and Scott Ratzlaff.
The Sabres announced earlier Thursday that they had sent five players back to their junior teams, including four of their NHL draft selections in June: Forwards Matous Kucharcik, Melvin Novotny, Ryan Rucinski and Ashton Schultz and defenseman Luke Dragusica.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff and general manager Kevyn Adams will address the local media at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The Sabres play their first preseason game at 7 p.m. Monday at Columbus, then host the Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. Sept. 23 at KeyBank Center. The Sabres have two more preseason home games (3 p.m. Sept. 27 against Detroit, 7 p.m. Oct. 1 against Pittsburgh) and two more preseason road games (7 p.m. Sept. 25 at Detroit, 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at Pittsburgh).
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has not shied away for admitting when his game drops off. But let’s not forget he was at 2.57/.910 in the 2023-24 season, so there is some positive history to go on, too. Bottom line: The Sabres’ goaltending, wherever it comes from, has to be better.
The Sabres open the season at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center.
Here’s the training camp roster, listed numerically and by position:
Forwards (32)
6 Zach Benson, 5-10, 170, May 12, 2005
9 Josh Norris, 6-2, 196, May 5, 1999
12 Jordan Greenway, 6-6, 231, Feb. 16, 1997
13 Jake Leschyshyn, 5-11, 196, March 10, 1999
15 Justin Danforth, 6-0, 191, March 15, 1993
17 Jason Zucker 5-11, 195, Jan. 16, 1992
19 Peyton Krebs, 6-0, 186, Jan. 26, 2001
20 Jiri Kulich, 6-1, 190, April 14, 2004
22 Jack Quinn, 6-1, 190, Sept. 19, 2001
29 Beck Malenstyn, 6-3, 209, Feb. 4, 1998
41 Tyler Kopff, 6-3, 210, April 22, 2003
42 Brendan Warren, 6-0, 191, May 7, 1997
44 Josh Dunne, 6-4, 211, Dec. 8, 1998
45 Riley Fiddler-Schultz, 6-0, 200, May 13, 2002
48 Tyson Kozak, 5-11, 185, Dec. 29, 2002
49 Carson Meyer, 5-11, 187, Aug. 18, 1997
52 Trevor Kuntar, 6-0, 205, June 20, 2001
54 Olivier Nadeau, 6-1, 197, Jan. 15, 2003
55 Mason Geertsen, 6-4, 232, April 19, 1995
59 Matteo Costantini, 6-0, 191, Aug. 16, 2002
63 Isak Rosen, 6-0, 185, March 15, 2003
67 Graham Slaggert, 5-11, 183, April 6, 1999
71 Ryan McLeod, 6-3, 188, Sept. 21, 1999
72 Tage Thompson, 6-6, 220, Oct. 30, 1997
79 Viktor Neuchev, 5-11, 180, Oct. 25, 2003
81 Red Savage, 5-11, 180, May 15, 2003
86 Noah Ostlund, 5-11, 180, March 11, 2004
89 Alex Tuch, 6-4, 219, May 10, 1996
91 Josh Doan, 6-4, 211, Feb. 1, 2002
92 Anton Wahlberg, 6-4, 205, July 4, 2005
94 Konsta Helenius, 5-11, 190, May 11, 2006
95 Jagger Joshua, 6-2, 201, March 29, 1999
Defensemen (21)
3 Jack Rathbone, 5-10, 177, May 20, 1999
4 Bowen Byram, 6-1, 2-5, June 13, 2001
8 Michael Kesselring, 6-5, 215, Jan. 13, 2000
21 Connor Timmins, 6-3, 213, Sept. 18, 1998
23 Mattias Samuelsson, 6-4, 227, March 4, 2000
25 Owen Power, 6-6, 226, Nov. 22, 2002
26 Rasmus Dahlin, 6-3, 204, April 13, 2000
28 Zac Jones, 5-11, 190, Oct. 18, 2000
33 Ryan Johnson, 6-1, 195, July 24, 2001
36 Aidan Fulp, 6-3, 214, Feb. 29, 2000
37 Noah Laberge, 6-1, 187, Oct. 9, 2006
43 Simon-Pier Brunet, 6-2, 199, Oct. 24, 2005
46 Noah Laaouan, 6-0, 185, March 7, 2001
56 Peter Tischke, 6-1, 221, Jan. 3, 1996
57 Radim Mrtka, 6-6, 218, June 9, 2007
73 Zach Metsa, 5-9, 181, Oct. 19, 1988
74 Nikita Novikov, 6-4, 205, July 25, 2003
75 Isaac Belliveau, 6-2, 190, Nov. 26, 2002
76 Vsevolod Komarov 6-4, 208, Jan. 11, 2004
78 Jacob Bryson, 5-9, 177, Nov. 18, 1997
93 David Bedkowski, 6-5, 221, Dec. 7, 2006
Goalies (8)
1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, 6-5, 217, Mar. 9, 1999
27 Devon Levi, 6-0, 192, Dec. 27, 2001
32 Scott Ratzlaff, 6-1, 188, March 9, 2005
34 Alex Lyon, 6-1, 196, Dec. 9, 1992
35 Ryerson Leenders, 6-1, 180, June 1, 2006
40 Alexandar Georgiev, 6-1, 178, Feb. 10, 1996
47 Samuel Meloche, 6-2, 197, July 22, 2007
50 Topias Leinonen, 6-5, 234, Jan. 25, 2004
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Rachel Lenzi
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