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Buffalo Sabres: 3 MUST WATCH players vs. the Flyers – Preseason

By Sion Fawkes

Sep 25, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals center Connor McMichael (24) battles for the puck with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Lawrence Pilut (20) during the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals center Connor McMichael (24) battles for the puck with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Lawrence Pilut (20) during the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Buffalo Sabres lineup in tonight’s game vs. the Philadelphia Flyers shows an influx of proven players and those trying to make the roster. 

On Sunday, the Buffalo Sabres took it to the Washington Capitals and won 4-3 in overtime. Tonight, they face the Philadelphia Flyers and yes, you will see a few star players in action as well, including the likes of Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, and Alex Tuch.

And while it’s always fun to watch the Skinner-Thompson-Tuch line in the regular season, it’s more interesting to see how the players lining up around them perform. Looking at the roster, there are several who figure to be prospects this season, but several more who want to remove the prospect label.

Below, you will find a high-end prospect, a former first round pick expecting to prove doubters wrong, and an older player looking to show the NHL universe he has at least another year in the tank. Of course, there are several others I could have added, but the following three names jumped off the screen.

Three Buffalo Sabres to watch against the Flyers – Lawrence Pilut

Pilut had an excellent outing against the Capitals on Sunday, and if his stellar play shows up again in tonight’s contest, he just increased his chances to make the opening day roster. Two years removed from the NHL, the Swedish defenseman looks like he never missed a beat, seeing 22:33 of ice time while logging two assists.

Pilut also saw 4:25 on the power play, more than any other defenseman in Sunday’s game. When the Sabres brought him back into the fold, I was cautiously optimistic, stating he would need a strong camp to crack the Sabres lineup. So far, he has done just that.

Player #2 – Casey Mittelstadt

I listed Mittelstadt as one of my players to watch throughout training camp, and tonight, he will see some action. This is one of those contests where he has a chance to translate his on-ice success in camp into a game situation, something he had a hard time doing until late last season.

Injuries took a toll on Mittelstadt, but since March, he managed to stay healthy. Over the season’s final month, he also became one of the more productive players. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues tonight. I’m not expecting much ice time from Mittelstadt, so he needs to make the most of his opportunities.

3 – Craig Anderson

We know Anderson will see some time in the net tonight, but the question is, how much time? The Sabres also have Malcolm Subban and Beck Warm suiting up, so we may see a rotation after Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen played all 60 minutes on Sunday.

Related Story. Sabres: What to expect from the opening day lineup. light

Anderson, 41, didn’t enjoy a great season in 2021-22, with injuries striking him multiple times while many rebounds led to inconsistent production. After thinking about retirement, he returned to the Buffalo Sabres this past summer on a one-year deal. Tonight is Anderson’s first opportunity to show he can still be an NHL goaltender.

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