The good, the bad, and the ugly of the Buffalo Sabres Saturday cutdown
The Buffalo Sabres made what could be their final round of cuts for the 2023-24 season, and it was a mixed bag to say the least.
The Buffalo Sabres opening-night roster could be set with the Blue and Gold waiving the likes of Brandon Biro, Kale Clague, and Riley Stillman. They also assigned Ryan Johnson and Lukas Rousek to Rochester, where they will join what could be a dangerous Amerks team this season and one that will be fun to watch.
Therefore, the Sabres currently have 15 forwards counting Matt Savoie and Jack Quinn, the latter of whom won’t play for at least a few months. Savoie will most likely return to Wenatchee, so that would leave Zach Benson as the 13th forward. And wow, did he enjoy a remarkable preseason that started back at the 2023 Prospects Challenge?
Analyzing the Buffalo Sabres Saturday cutdown
The Good – Keeping Zach Benson
When I wrote this article a few months back, I was purely being my bold, speculative self to pass time in the offseason by trying to create a scenario that would land Zach Benson a role on the Buffalo Sabres. Fast-forward two-and-a-half months, and the Blue and Gold’s 13th overall pick this season made the cut, barring something unforeseen.
And while I don’t like the idea of potentially rushing 18-year-olds, Benson earned the spot, and there’s no denying it. Therefore, he will get nine games to continue showing us that he belongs, and if Benson passes the test, then he’s a Sabre for the entire 2023-24 season.
Benson also has a perfect mentor in Jeff Skinner, who knows a thing or two about playing an entire NHL season at such a young age. Skinner ended up with 63 points in his rookie year, and while no one’s expecting Benson to repeat that, it does mean that 18-year-olds not drafted in the Top 5 can play solid hockey.
The Bad – Rolling with three goaltenders
While we all knew this was going to happen, it still belongs in The Bad Category simply because it comes at the expense of a certain forward. Brandon Biro showed a lot of grit and he played well during camp and the preseason. Therefore, it runs the risk of losing such a talented forward to another organization if he’s claimed by 2 p.m Sunday.
This came on the heels of Eric Comrie showing immense improvement and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen showing zero improvement. However, the latter is a player the Buffalo Sabres would love to see forge a tandem with Levi, and there is no denying Luukkonen’s upside.
Or, if the right offer comes along, the Sabres could always trade Luukkonen elsewhere and probably get something decent in return. This is judging from the fact general manager Kevyn Adams got a third-round pick for Erik Portillo, and a fourth-rounder for the injury-prone Ilya Lyubushkin.
The Ugly – Jacob Bryson? Really?
If there was one regular member of the Buffalo Sabres from last season who I didn’t think would end up making the team, it was Jacob Bryson. As last season stretched on, Kale Clague was getting the nod in Bryson’s favor, so this one stumps me, to say the least.
The Blue and Gold also need to be more physical, and Bryson doesn’t bring that trait while it is an attribute to Stillman’s game. However, Lance Lysowski of Buffalo News may have provided some important insight:
“Bryson is coming off his worst NHL season but possesses two important traits that separated him from the competition. He’s an exceptional skater, understands how to use his strengths to thwart rush chances and he breaks the puck out better than Stillman or Clague.”
Source: Sabres’ latest cuts signal that Zach Benson, Jacob Bryson will be on roster
Okay, point made. But regardless of how well Bryson skated last season and how well he plays with the puck, had those abilities helped him out, he’d have been far more productive.
light. Related Story. Zach Benson was the Buffalo Sabres preseason MVP, but…
But who knows? Maybe Bryson will prove himself and show me and most of the Buffalo Sabres fanbase that it was the right decision – and I hope he does. Don Granato and Kevyn Adams are giving the 25-year-old his chance, so maybe he’ll take advantage of it this year.