Buffalo Sabres: Top 3 performers in first half of preseason

The Buffalo Sabres finished the first half of their 2022 preseason with a 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night. 

Wednesday evening was not a happy time to be a fan of the Buffalo Sabres as they looked like an AHL squad facing a team that had its fair share of NHL regulars. At least until you realize everyone but Eric Comrie, Peyton Krebs, and Victor Olofsson will probably end up in the AHL.

Uh, what about Jacob Bryson? Hey, from what I’ve seen, Lawrence Pilut easily outclassed the third-year defenseman. But did Pilut make my list of top three performers of the preseason’s first half? Keep reading to find out.

Buffalo Sabres top performers: Player #1 – Linus Weissbach

Since the Prospects Challenge, we have seen nothing but good things from Weissbach. And even when the Sabres are looking like the far worse team, Weissbach is still somehow coming up with scoring chances.

Nothing converted, but showing the ability to create at multiple points during the game and taking care of the puck will surely garner the coaching staff’s attention. Weissbach wants to see time in the NHL this year, and if he looks good during the back half of preseason, he will get some games at the top level.

Player #2 – Eric Comrie

When you look at the statistics of each Buffalo Sabres goaltender, you will think Comrie was the worst of the bunch. Then go back and watch the first three games, and you will quickly realize how unbelievably bad the defensive rotation looked in front of Comrie as opposed to what the other goalies had.

Yet he never flinched, showing poise all evening and allowing far fewer goals than he probably should have. On paper, his 0.871 save percentage looks bleak, but statistics can be misleading. For Comrie, this is one of those cases, given the number of breakaways he had to face. Of his four allowed goals, only the power play goal in the first period was on him.

Player #3 – Lawrence Pilut

This one was a toss-up between Pilut and Chase Priskie, with the latter showing two-way tendencies. However, Pilut’s performance against the Philadelphia Flyers was outstanding, considering he played on a rotation featuring NHL regulars and fit in perfectly.

While nothing is set in stone, Pilut could wind up with Ilya Lyubushkin on the third pairing considering the chemistry the duo built. What’s more amazing is that they probably had about 20 minutes of ice time as a pairing before that game against Philadelphia, as opposed to the top four in the lineup who saw time as a unit during the regular season in April 2022.

It is still too early to speculate whether Comrie will be the starter in the net on October 13th or if Weissbach and Pilut will become regulars at the NHL level. But their respective stocks have risen as of late. If they have a good back half, look for at least a few big moments this season.