Buffalo Sabres: Rookies highlight burning questions for Week 8

The Buffalo Sabres look like they will keep their plethora of rookies in the lineup this week that will kick off tonight in New York City.

The Buffalo Sabres have given their fans way more questions than answers at the moment, so let’s try to answer a few of the most pressing. The injury bug has not been kind to them over the first seven weeks, so they need to make the most out of what they have with their incoming youngsters.

That leads to one burning question, but another focuses on a pair of players who worked their way onto the team earlier in the year. This group is also full of seasoned veterans, meaning that, despite being more youthful than they have been in the last two years at the moment, there is enough experience here for the team to excel.

3 burning questions for the Buffalo Sabres in Week 8

1 – Will the incoming rookies produce?

We saw a sample of Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen, but given the Buffalo Sabres ultra-poor outing against the New Jersey Devils, we can’t judge their respective play just yet. However, if they stick around for the rest of the week, we will have an answer.

Tonight against the Rangers, they may be tough to judge. But the final three games, even that one against the Carolina Hurricanes, could give us more insights.

2 – Can Zach Benson and Ryan Johnson keep progressing?

Zach Benson and Ryan Johnson have produced well despite their relative inexperience. But neither has played for an extended time at the NHL level, with 2023 being Benson’s draft year and Johnson spending four years at the University of Minnesota.

Now that one-quarter of the 2023-24 season has gone, we will get more of a look at these two potential rookie sensations. At the moment, this week should keep the arrow for both of them pointing north since it’s still relatively early.

3 – Will any seasoned veteran on the Sabres step up and take over?

This is the biggest question for the Sabres in Week 8, as despite an influx of youth, there is enough experience in this lineup for someone to take over. Jeff Skinner has looked outstanding productivity-wise in the past two games, scoring a pair of power play goals.

There is also Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Casey Mittelstadt, and at least one of them must start taking over games in the short-term. We will see within the next few hours if there are any takers.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)