Buffalo Sabres rookies Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka will both see extended playing time this season and there is a lot to love about this duo.
Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka are arguably two of the more intriguing members of the Buffalo Sabres for 2022-23. Both saw time in five games this preseason, which will allow them to acclimate to the NHL faster.
No, you won’t see them light up the league early, and yes, you will probably see the Sabres finish outside the top eight once again in 2022-23. But really, who cares? When you are a young team, it’s lesser about the W’s and L’s, and more about seeing progress.
"“We’re still a really young team. The negative is we will have growing pains, the positive is they will grow really fast. For all our young guys. We’ve seen that, we’ve witnessed that, we need to stay confident and comfortable in that. There’s no reason not to.” – Don Granato via Sabres.com."
The takeaway? Quinn and Peterka showed immense growth from Game 1 to Game 6. Sure, there were struggles and slow periods, especially with Peterka, but all that matters is that we saw more progress and less stagnation. And that’s a huge win for the organization.
Expect steady increases in production from the Buffalo Sabres rookies
When asked, Peterka noted he saw differences in his overall timing over the course of the preseason. Given Peterka’s growth, it’s farfetched that you will see him reassigned back to Rochester, especially with head coach Don Granato stressing the importance of both Peterka and Quinn to play NHL games against top-caliber lineups.
On Friday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins offered that challenge to the Sabres rooks, throwing them a lineup that comprised NHL lifers like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. While the young and fringe lineup slated to go against Pittsburgh suffered through a disaster of an outing, the rooks mostly looked sharp.
Peterka managed to find three shots on goal, tying Peyton Krebs for the team lead. Quinn, who had three points in five games of preseason action, continued to show creativity and secured a nice pass from an Alex Tuch turnover. Overall, you can expect to see this duo continue to create opportunities for themselves as they become more acclimated to the NHL game.
Article Source: Sabres drop preseason finale in Pittsburgh by Jourdon LaBarber