The Buffalo Sabres are wrapping up their preseason on Friday night on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They are going to be looking to avenge the loss the Penguins handed them on Wednesday night by a final score of 5-3.
However, the bigger story entering this game is the health of the Sabres as they are dealing with more than their fair share of injuries right now. It remains to be seen who will be available for this game, but that will give some players fighting for a spot on the roster or a role in the lineup a chance to make their case.
When looking ahead to this game, these are five players to keep an eye on for the Buffalo Sabres.
Alex Lyon
With the recent news about Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's injury, Alex Lyon quickly becomes one of the most important players for the Buffalo Sabres. If Luukkonen does miss the start of the season, it will be Lyon who likely steps in as the starter with Alexandar Georgiev as the backup.
On Thursday, Lindy Ruff said that Lyon would start the game, but it wasn't clear if he would play the full game or the first two periods. It will be interesting to see what they do at the position and, particularly, how Lyon does, as it could be a sign of where the coaching staff might be leaning for the position.
Peyton Krebs
The Buffalo Sabres were without Zach Benson for the game on Wednesday, and it seems likely he won't be available for the game on Friday night. If he is not available, then Peyton Krebs should once again get a chance to play on the top line, where he fit in perfectly in the first game against the Penguins.
Krebs has played in 283 games with the Sabres and while he hasn't developed into a dynamic playmaker. However, he has found a role that he excels in as that fourth-line center but showed given the opportunity can still make plays.
If Krebs has another strong performance, it makes the roster more dynamic as Krebs shows his versatility and can slide into other spots.
Mason Geertsen
Mason Geersten has been a great story this training camp and has a chance to appear in an NHL game for the first time since the 2021-22 season, when he played in 25 games for the New Jersey Devils. As the preseason has gone along, his chances have actually gone up because of the injuries.
Geertsen is another player who can benefit from showing his versatility as he can play up with the forwards, but with the injuries on defense, he has seen time on the blue line. It will be interesting to see where he lines up against the Penguins and if it is defense, and if he has a good game, his chances only go up as he can help pretty much anywhere in the lineup.
Ryan Johnson/Jacob Bryson
Right now, there really is only one roster spot that seems to be truly up for grabs, and that is the seventh defenseman spot for the Buffalo Sabres. It is a battle that is going to be between Ryan Johnson and Jacob Bryson.
At this point, it appears that Johnson has pulled ahead based on the fact that he essentially took Mattias Samuelsson's spot on Wednesday and paired with Connor Timmins. However, Bryson has been with the team for the past four seasons and has been servicable on this defense.
If Johnson is paired with Timmins again and he has another good performance, the spot is likely going to be his.