The Buffalo Sabres will enter training camp in September with a singular goal: End the franchise's miserable 14-year playoff drought to bring the love of hockey back to the 716. They'll attempt that task with a roster that only received modest offseason changes.
Of the 23 players on Buffalo's projected 2025-26 roster, 17 are returning from last year's squad, which missed the postseason by 12 points. In addition, a lot of the lineup already looks set, including all three defense tandems — Bowen Byram and Rasmus Dahlin on the first pair, Owen Power and Michael Kesselring on the second pair, and Mattias Samuelsson and Conor Timmins on the third pair.
As a result, there probably won't be a ton of roster shuffling throughout camp, barring injuries. There are still a couple intriguing battles that will be worth watching, though.
1st Line Left Wing
Zach Benson vs. Jason Zucker vs. Jack Quinn
Some analysts believe the first-line center job is up for grabs between Josh Norris and Jiri Kulich. Although that's possible, it's hard to believe the Sabres would trade Dylan Cozens for Norris, who's now the team's highest-paid forward, just to play him on the second line.
More likely, the question resides in who will join Norris and Tage Thompson on the top line. Buffalo will hope Benson will prove ready for the opportunity because his forechecking and defensive capabilities make him the perfect complement to the offensive-minded Norris and Thompson.
Benson hasn't made a major impact in the attacking zone so far. He's tallied just 58 points (21 goals and 37 assists) in 146 games across his first two seasons. That said, he's still just 20 years old and isn't afraid of getting to the front of the net to create chaos.
If the 2023 first-round pick isn't ready for the task, the Sabres will likely choose between the steady veteran in Zucker or the Hail Mary attempt in Quinn.
Zucker put together a strong first season in Buffalo with 21 goals and 32 assists. His playmaking ability makes him the safe choice alongside two shoot-first players in Norris and Thompson.
Meanwhile, Quinn is facing a make-or-break campaign as he looks to prove he's all the way back to full strength from a 2023 Achilles injury. Getting him back on a 30-goal trajectory would provide a massive boost to the Sabres' outlook, and top-line minutes would surely help his cause.
4th Line Right Wing
Justin Danforth vs. Beck Malenstyn
Buffalo attempted to rebuild its fourth line last offseason with the additions of Malenstyn, Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Sam Lafferty. General manager Kevyn Adams' plan failed miserably. NAK and Lafferty are already gone, and Malenstyn may end up being a healthy scratch to open the season.
The 27-year-old Canadian tallied just 10 points in 76 appearances during his first season in Buffalo. His defensive impacts were equally underwhelming.
In turn, it's no surprise the Sabres brought in some competition in the form of Danforth, who spent the past four seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He previously spent time in the Buffalo organization, playing parts of two seasons with the AHL's Rochester Americans (2016-18).
The Sabres have the potential to have an impactful bottom line with Jordan Greenway and Peyton Krebs, but that would require either Danforth or Malenstyn also playing well.
No. 7 Defenseman
Jacob Bryson vs. Zac Jones
Why the Sabres continue to re-sign Bryson, 27, is one of hockey's greatest mysteries. He's never developed into more than a fringe NHL/AHL defender since the franchise selected him in the 2017 draft. It's a roster spot that could be better used on a young player with upside.
Nevertheless, he'll once again compete to serve as Buffalo's top reserve blue liner. He'll battle for the spot with Jones, who played a similar role for the New York Rangers over the past five years, tallying 28 points across 115 contests.
Neither one projects as a plus-value player, and the Sabres are limited in terms of NHL-ready prospects at the position. So, keeping their six starting defensemen healthy will be vitally important. A few injuries on the blue line could quickly derail the campaign.