Training camp is quickly approaching for the Buffalo Sabres, and there is plenty of excitement heading into this season. It is a roster with so much potential, with young players (Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich), new faces (Olen Zellweger, Louis Crevier), and familiar stars (Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin).
However, there is a group of players who have gotten lost in the shuffle a bit and might be overlooked going into training camp. That doesn't mean they won't have the chance to play key roles for the Sabres and potentially help them get back to the playoffs.
Tyson Kozak
Tyson Kozak was a key part of the Sabres' fourth line for most of the season and while he appeared in only 46 regular-season games, he was still one of the more physical forwards the team had. He would finish the season fourth on the roster with 120 hits along with six points.
The Sabres right now have several players competing for a spot on the fourth line, with Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn returning with new contracts, along with Sam Carrick and Justin Danforth returning from injuries. Kozak should have a role and could still be a regular on that last line, but he will need to earn it during training camp.
Justin Danforth
Another player who might be overlooked is one who was just mentioned in Justin Danforth. The Sabres signed Danforth last summer to a two-year contract, but his season was over before it really even got started after suffering a broken kneecap in the fourth game of the season.
Danforth plays a similar game to Kozak in that he is a physical, high-energy forward who causes problems for the other team with his forechecking. He was a player who seemed to be on the roster bubble for the Sabres this summer and a possible buyout candidate with an AAV of $1.8 million.
The fact that the Sabres didn't go that route makes it appear that the coaching staff could still envision him having a role. This might be one of the more competitive roster battles over the next few weeks leading up to the season.
Vsevolod Komarov
The Buffalo Sabres blueline is pretty well set at this point, especially after the contract extension for Zach Metsa. While it hopefully doesn't happen, the Sabres are undoubtedly going to deal with injuries at different points in the season. It raises the question of who might be recalled from Rochester in those situations.
While fans would love to see Radim Mrtka be the player elevated, the Sabres would be wise to be patient with the former first-round pick. That is why Vsevolod Komarov is the player to watch during training camp, as he is the one most likely to get the first chance to join Buffalo.
Komarov was a fifth-round pick by the Sabres in the 2022 NHL Draft and has spent the past two seasons in Rochester. He took a slight step backward this past season, with only 11 points in 55 games and a +/- of -2, after 16 points in 69 games and a +/- of +7 in 2024-25.
It also helps that he is a right-handed defenseman, as the Buffalo Sabres have mostly left-handed players currently on their roster. That can't be the only reason, and this training camp could give him a great opportunity to show that he can help in Buffalo when that time comes.
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