This is not a prediction, but instead, what the Buffalo Sabres lineup should look like going into Opening Night vs. the New York Rangers.
The Buffalo Sabres have some serious decisions to make, and this is why I don’t envy head coaches and general managers. We may all envision working in an NHL front office, but crafting the perfect lineup is one of the most stressful parts of the job.
And if it goes wrong, then an entire fanbase will be pointing the finger at you, even if your lineup looks good in foresight. So if I were the decision-maker, what lineup would I roll with and why. Here is the 23-man roster that I would craft for the 2023-24 season’s early stages.
What should the Buffalo Sabres 2023-24 lineup look like?
Forwards
- Skinner – Tage – Tuch
- Greenway – Cozens – Peterka
- Biro – Mittelstadt – Olofsson
- Girgensons – Krebs – Okposo
- Jost
For the first line, I’m rolling with the, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” mentality. There is no reason to break up the Tage line given their offensive prowess, and they should once again lead the team in scoring.
Jordan Greenway showed enough in the preseason to convince me that he can be used on the top-six, so he’s getting the nod beside Cozens and Peterka with Jack Quinn on the mend. Meanwhile, Brandon Biro did more than enough to gain an edge over the other prospects, and he will slide in next to Casey Mittelstadt and Victor Olofsson.
Once again, if things aren’t broken, they don’t need to be fixed, so the fourth line stays the same as it did last season, with Tyson Jost taking the role as an extra. The fourth line played sound defense last season, and the same will be the case here.
Defense
- Dahlin – Samuelsson
- Power – Clifton
- Stillman – E. Johnson
- Jokiharju
I’m enthralled at the idea of and even endorsed a Dahlin-Clifton pairing, but I’m rolling with Dahlin-Samuelsson. Once again, it worked, so there is no need to break it up. Power and Clifton are complementary, and would make for a potentially lethal second pair.
Riley Stillman has climbed at least a rung in the preseason, so he’s earned the nod alongside Erik Johnson. Henri Jokiharju, however, will see ample time rotating in with those on the bottom pair.
Goaltenders
- Levi
- Comrie
- Luukkonen
Devon Levi is the obvious number one, and it might make more sense for some to place either Eric Comrie or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on waivers. But Comrie also has the potential to be a sound backup while Luukkonen’s upside will entice some NHL executives.
In the season’s early stages, I’m not waiving and risking getting nothing for them. They will get their ice time early, allowing the Buffalo Sabres to keep their 1A in Levi on a “pitch count” during the season’s first stages. But sooner than later, someone will come calling, which will ultimately leave just two goaltenders in the lineup. At this point, we will also see more of Levi as the early stages of the playoff race take shape.