While there is still time to make moves this offseason, the roster for the Buffalo Sabres feels largely set. At this point, Lindy Ruff and the rest of the coaching staff have a fairly good idea of who is on the roster, and they can shift their focus to what their lines and defensive pairs might be.
While parts of the lineup are locked in, like Tage Thompson on the top line and the Sabres' first defensive pair of Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson, there is plenty to be decided during training camp. With that in mind, this is an early look at three key training camp battles worth watching at Buffalo Sabres' training camp.
Josh Norris vs. Jiri Kulich
Last season, Tage Thompson spent a majority of the time at center but with how deep the Sabres are at the position, it feels almost certain that he will move back to wing for this season. This opens up arguably the biggest training camp battle for 1C.
While Ruff won't limit the players who can compete for it, which means Noah Ostlund or Konsta Helenius could be a factor, it likely will come down to Josh Norris and Jiri Kulich battling it out. One of the reasons that Thompson moved to center was due to Jiri Kulich and Josh Norris missing extended periods of time last season due to injuries.
Kulich did a great job filling in that role down the stretch in the 2024-25 season and gave the Sabres a boost for their top line with Thompson on one side and Zach Benson on the other. However, a blood clot ended last season for him after 12 games.
As for Norris, he had an up-and-down season, with him playing only 44 games and securing 34 points. The biggest question for him has always been whether or not he can stay on the ice, and it is certainly a risk for the Sabres to put him in such a big role with his injury history.
This is one position that has a lot of moving parts and might take some time to figure out exactly who is the best player for this spot.
Olen Zellweger vs. Louis Crevier
The Buffalo Sabres traded away Bowen Byram this offseason, and now they will be looking for a player to pair with Owen Power for this season. This past season was arguably the most well-rounded of Power's career as he had 29 points, a +/- of +9, and a career-best xG% of 50.57%.
It will be important to find Power a partner who can help him continue to develop and improve. Right now, they likely have two options in Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier, two players who joined the Sabres this offseason.
Crevier was part of the return for Bowen Byram from the Chicago Blackhawks and this past season was the best in his career with 25 points and 124 hits in 78 games. He is a big defenseman at 6'8" who should be able to use his strength to make plays in the defensive zone.
As for Olen Zellweger, he is more of an offensive-minded defenseman and plays a similar game to Byram. He does not have the size that Crevier but is a much better skater and be better suited for what Lindy Ruff wants from his defensemen.
Colten Ellis vs. Alex Lyon
Right now, the goalie position is unchanged, and the Sabres are expected to go into the season with the same three goalies from last year in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis. However, we can't assume that all three are going to have the same roles.
Luukkonen is the favorite to be the starter, but it wouldn't be all that surprising if Ellis moved past Lyon on the depth chart to be the primary backup. It feels like the Sabres believe Ellis is a key part of the long-term plan at the position with Lyon set to be a free agent after this season and much older as he will turn 34 this season.
If Ellis is able to prove during training camp and preseason that he can handle being the backup, the Sabres might explore trading Lyon. It could open up a roster spot for a skater while getting some return before he hits free agency.
With training camp still a month away, there are things that could certainly change but right now these are three key position battles to have in mind for the Buffalo Sabres.
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