Beck Malenstyn is confident the younger players can step up for the Sabres in 2026-27

One of the big questions for the Buffalo Sabres at this point in the offseason is how they replace some of their big losses. While general manager Jarmo Kekalainen seemingly did the best he could in terms of the value he got in trades for Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, these are now holes they must fill.

The blueline is a little more straightforward, as it likely is a two-person battle between Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier. However, replacing Tuch isn't as straightforward, mainly due to just how many options they have with a young trio of players in Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, and Jiri Kulich.

Recently, Beck Malenstyn was asked by Matt Bove in an interview his thoughts on whether there is anyone who comes to mind to replace Tuch. Malenstyn was quick to note those younger players taking the next step, and it might be a combination of all three replacing Tuch, not just one player.

"I think it's pretty obvious when you look up the middle of our lineup there with Helly [Helenius], Ostie [Ostlund] and then we missed Coolie [Kulich] for most of the year. Coolie was arguably our number one center as a rookie two years ago and had a very unfortunate circumstance that he had to deal with this year. We can't expect anything less than for him to step in during training camp and be back to himself," Malenstyn said.

He went on to recognize what Ostlund and Helenius were also able to do last year in their time on the ice. "I think as you said, we can have a ton of confidence in these young guys stepping in and potentially filling the void."

Buffalo Sabres have yet to have all three players together in the lineup

It certainly may be a risk to rely on unproven players to replace someone like Tuch, but the Sabres are not expecting just one player to do it. At points over the past two seasons, all three players have shown they can be difference makers for the Sabres.

If they are all able to be in the lineup at the same time, there is no reason to think that they aren't talented enough to replace, and if not, exceed the production of just Alex Tuch. The best part for the Sabres is that it doesn't even need to be these three players, as the expectation is that Zach Benson, Josh Doan, and even Jack Quinn still have room to develop.

The Buffalo Sabres' forwards are a big unknown, but there is so much potential from this group that the coaching staff should feel confident with the current players. It creates plenty of intrigue going into training camp as there are so many different line combinations that should help maximize that production.

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