The Buffalo Sabres are preparing for their fourth preseason game on Saturday afternoon, with a home matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. After this game, the Sabres are going to have a few days off before they play again on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Through the first four preseason games, the Sabres have split the roster to try to get as many players ice time to help them evaluate what they have. With only two games left in the preseason, the focus turns more from evaluation to preparation for the regular season. It would make sense that Lindy Ruff wants to shorten his bench, and it may be time to really cut down the roster.
With that in mind, these are three players who could be playing in their final preseason game of the season with the Buffalo Sabres.
3 Buffalo Sabres who could be playing their final preseason game against the Red Wings
Radim Mrtka
The Buffalo Sabres are going to be without Mattias Samuelsson as he deals with an upper-body injury. The absence gives a player like Radim Mrtka another chance to skate against NHL-caliber players.
The first round pick from this past June will be playing in his third preseason game of the year, and he put together two impressive performances considering his youth and only playing 43 games in the WHL. He has gotten plenty of ice time in these two preseason games, with an average of about 19 minutes and has been productive with six hits and one assist.
The thought was that Mrtka would go back to the WHL this season, but with how he has looked, the thought process might have changed. He has certainly held his own, and he could be better suited to playing in the AHL. This game could go a long way to determining where the Sabres want him.
Isak Rosen
This was expected to be a pivotal training camp and preseason for Isak Rosen, who was the 14th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. However, he hasn't been able to make the jump to the NHL and show he should have a consistent role with only 15 games and one point over the past two seasons.
He will be playing in his third preseason on Saturday, and the first two games have been more of the same with no points yet this year. At this point, it is a guarantee that he will begin the season in Rochester, but Rosen still has something to gain.
If he can put a strong performance together, the coaching staff will remember this when it comes time during the season to call players up.
Tyson Kozak
There may not be a player who has played more this preseason for the Buffalo Sabres than Tyson Kozak. The seventh-round pick from the 2021 NHL Draft has appeared in all three preseason games and will be playing once again this afternoon.
Kozak is one of those players that does the little things that go a long way to helping a team be successful. He only has one point through the three games, but contributes in other ways with six hits over this period. Kozak has also been really good on the face-offs with a face-off percentage of 59% this preseason.
Last season he made his NHL debut and played in 21 games for the Sabres, and it's clear the coaching staff has a lot of faith in him. It wouldn't be surprising to see the center up in Buffalo at some point this season.