Ahead of the game against the Minnesota Wild, the Buffalo Sabres made significant changes to their forward lines after an ugly performance against the New Jersey Devils. The moves appeared to be in response to a lackluster game, but when taking a closer look, they seemed to be an indication they were preparing for a potential return of a key part of their roster.
For the game against the Wild, these were the lines the Sabres went with:
Wing | Center | Wing |
|---|---|---|
Zach Benson | Tyson Kozak | Tage Thompson |
Jason Zucker | Ryan McLeod | Jack Quinn |
Josh Doan | Noah Ostlund | Alex Tuch |
Josh Dunne | Peyton Krebs | Beck Malenstyn |
There was no question that the big surprise was Tyson Kozak on the top line, as he has primarily been on the third or fourth line most of the season. After the game, Lindy Ruff was asked about the change and said he wanted to have some flexibility in the faceoff circle with a left-handed (Kozak) and right-handed player (Tage Thompson) to take the faceoff.
However, they could have gotten that same flexibility with Noah Ostlund and Peyton Krebs. The decision to put Kozak there seemingly was more so for the team to prepare for the potential return of Josh Norris.
Buffalo Sabres finally will get to see their expected top line together for the first time this season
The decision to put Tyson Kozak on the top line was more so to make the switch easier once Josh Norris returns. He hasn't played since the first game of the season against the New York Rangers when he suffered an injury in the third period.
The hope is that he can return on Monday when the Buffalo Sabres play the Winnipeg Jets, and if he does, he can step right into Tyson Kozak's spot. This will also be the first time all season the Sabres will get the chance to see a line of Zach Benson-Josh Norris-Tage Thompson, which had been their top line through training camp and preseason.
However, Zach Benson missed the start of the season after suffering an injury in practice and by the time he returned, Norris had already suffered his injury.
With Norris set to return, the Sabres are the healthiest they have been all season and it gives the coaching staff the chance to set what should be permanent lines moving forward. While, Josh Doan-Noah Ostlund-Alex Tuch were technically the third line against the Minnesota Wild, this group has the potential to be the second-best line behind Thompson's line.
It then gives them a steady group of Jason Zucker, Ryan McLeod, and Jack Quinn on the third line with the last line being Josh Dunne, Peyton Krebs, and Beck Malenstyn with Jordan Greenway and Justin Danforth (once he is ready to return) rotating in.
The Sabres got a big win against the Minnesota Wild and with the expected addition of Josh Norris, this group should be only better moving forward.