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Buffalo Sabres Training Camp: The Position Battles

By Billy Weltzer

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It’s that time of year again, folks. Players filed into Buffalo for Thursday’s physicals and other pre-camp activities before stepping on the ice Friday morning. Fans are giddy with anticipation instead of thinking here comes another stinker of a season, which was the case this time last year. I guarantee fans will follow this year’s training camp more than any other since the Briere-Drury years.

Related – One Defensive Spot Left 

One of the most exciting aspects of this year’s training camp, there are actually position battles. Players are going to be testing and battling each other because there are no guarantees. It’s a clean slate for everyone and it all starts at training camp. There are several positions battles entering training camp.. Here are the ones to pay attention to.

2nd line center/right wing

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    • I combined the two because they are interchangeable. There are a vast amount of combinations for just the two players that I anticipate will be playing with Matt Moulson. Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart could fill out one of these spots seeing as playing wing is generally easier than center. I think Zemgus Girgensons is a good candidate for the 2nd line center, but he could see time on the wing as well.

    3rd line center

    As stated on SabreNoise before, Johan Larsson and David Legwand are in the mix for the 3rd line center position, but I want to add the 3rd out of the trio of Girgensons, Reinhart, and Eichel. Both Eichel and Reinhart make players around them better and Girgensons has the work ethic of a top quality 3rd liner. It’s the young guns against the vet and it’ll be a doozy of a battle.

    3rd line left wing

    Marcus Foligno was in this position plenty of times last season, but with the addition of Jamie McGinn could threaten that. Foligno has an advantage over McGinn coming into camp is McGinn had a lot of problems with injuries last season and Foligno has had time with Gionta before. I want to add Johan Larsson as a dark horse for this spot. He can swoop in and play more of a skilled role for the 3rd line.

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    Top-6 defenseman

    As stated in my last article, there is a gigantic battle for the last defensive position in a likely 6 man rotation for the Sabres. It’s between Weber, McCabe, Donovan, and Colaiacovo. The losers of this battle will likely see them in suits on game days, but McCabe could see time in Rochester if he isn’t playing beside Mark Pysyk for the Buffalo Sabres.

    I advise all Sabres fans to keep a close eye on the names that were mentioned throughout training camp and preseason action. Players might be experimented in other areas of the lineup, but these are the positions and players that will be fully engaged in earning their spot.

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