Buffalo Sabres: 3 players who could replace Alex Tuch on top line
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres were dealt a major blow on Saturday when they were forced to put star winger Alex Tuch on injured reserve.
This couldn’t have happened at a worse time, but as it stands, the Buffalo Sabres need to use the ‘next man up’ mentality in lieu of Alex Tuch’s injury that he sustained against the Florida Panthers. The winger didn’t play for the final 12 minutes in Buffalo’s win over the Florida Panthers, and now he will miss at least a week after the team put him on injured reserve.
As of 7:00 am on Sunday, The Morning Puck still has Tuch projected to start on the first line vs. the Washington Capitals, something that will obviously change at some point today. So who will replace the 26-year-old in the upcoming games? Here are three forwards to watch.
1 – Victor Olofsson
Victor Olofsson saw time playing alongside winger Jeff Skinner and center Tage Thompson late last season when Tuch bumped down to the second line. Some preseason projections also slated the power play specialist to start alongside them once more at right wing, so he may be the likeliest candidate here.
He has 32 points and 23 goals in 57 contests this season, and Olofsson looked good last year when given the chance to line up with Skinner and Tage. However, Olofsson has mainly played on the bottom six this season and has done well with Tyson Jost and Casey Mittelstadt as primary linemates.
2 – Jack Quinn
Had Tuch’s injury occurred one week ago, I’d have scoffed at the idea. But Quinn has also been the Buffalo Sabres best rookie over the past five contests, with four points and two goals to show for it.
His game may elevate further playing alongside two of the Blue and Gold’s best scorers. So while the experienced Olofsson may get the nod in this situation, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Quinn ultimately snagged the spot until Tuch returns.
3 – Casey Mittelstadt
Odd as it sounds, Mittelstadt hasn’t been having a half-bad season, with 35 points in 57 contests. Though he’s still dramatically underperformed for an eighth overall pick and has had his lean games, Mittelstadt did line up at right wing alongside Tage Thompson during the Buffalo Sabres loss to the LA Kings, so he may get the nod as a stopgap.
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While his game still has flaws and probably always will, Mittelstadt, like Quinn, could see his game elevate lining up with Skinner and Tage. One thing about Mittelstadt that jumps out are his 34 takeaways, meaning he could be the catalyst to create opportunities on the first line when the Sabres are in the neutral or defensive zones.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
Source: Sabres put Alex Tuch on injured reserve by Bill Hoppe, BuffaloHockeyBeat.com
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