3 – Who ultimately fills in for Jack Quinn?
This is a question I asked several times over the offseason and even addressed earlier in the summer. Jack Quinn isn’t someone you can replace entirely, since he’s developing a complete game and could have made The Jump this season, but there are a few consolation prizes.
Casey Mittelstadt remains the preseason frontrunner, and that will be the case unless a winger proves they can beat him out. As implied earlier, Victor Olofsson is a strong candidate thanks to his scoring ability, as are several prospects.
If it is Mittelstadt, then the former first round pick will have officially become the most versatile forward on the Buffalo Sabres capable of playing on almost any line. However, prospects like Lukas Rousek, Brandon Biro, Jiri Kulich, and Matt Savoie will also get their respective chances. And the gig will go to the best player Don Granato feels will put the Blue and Gold into the best possible position to win.