The Buffalo Sabres received a piece of good news on Monday afternoon, as Lindy Ruff gave a good update on Jason Zucker and Conor Timmins. Both veterans could join the Sabres for morning skate on Tuesday, and while they won't be ready to join the lineup just yet, it'll be a great step in the right direction.
Lindy Ruff said there's a chance Jason Zucker and Conor Timmins will join the Sabres for the morning skate tomorrow. They still will have a mix of team and rehab skates, but they're getting closer to skating with the team.
— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) October 5, 2026
The Sabres will be happy to see a couple of their regulars from last season return to the lineup, but it does create a slight dilemma. All three of their healthy scratches from Saturday night — Justin Danforth, Tyson Kozak, and Matt Grzelcyk — would have to pass through waivers to be sent to the minors, and they are the top candidates to go down once Zucker, Timmins, and eventually Alex Lyon are healthy.
Kozak played 46 games for the Sabres last season, and six in the postseason, totaling two goals and five assists. Danforth played just four games last season before breaking a kneecap on a blocked shot early in October, and missed the rest of the season after two surgeries. Grzelcyk played 69 games for the Chicago Blackhawks last season, and 82 for the Pittsburgh Penguins the year before, but was a late addition to the roster after going unsigned through training camp.
Danforth was a key piece for the Columbus Blue Jackets before signing with the Sabres in the 2025 offseason. He will need to prove that his knee surgeries won't affect him, but a team might be willing to take the chance. The same goes for Kozak, who is just 23 and could still have some development left to do as a valuable bottom-six forward.
Grzelcyk could be the best candidate to pass through waivers. He is a reliable offensive defenseman, but teams didn't jump to sign him this offseason, and it's unlikely that they would bother to put in a claim for him now.
Jason Zucker's impending return leaves the Sabres with no perfect answers
Once the Sabres figure out their waivers dilemma, they'll then have to find a spot for Zucker in the lineup. The winger had 45 points in 62 games last season, so they aren't going to just stick him in the press box, but there is a question of where he fits.
How the Sabres forwards are lining up at practice.
— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) October 5, 2026
Norris-Thompson-Doan
Benson-Östlund-Quinn
Krebs-Kulich-Helenius
Malenstyn-McLeod-Carrick
The Sabres had some new-look lines at practice Monday morning, with Zucker figuring to eventually slot in on one of the left-wing spots in the bottom six. If it is Peyton Krebs' spot he takes, the question would be whether Krebs will slide down to take Beck Malenstyn's or Sam Carrick's place in the lineup.
Carrick might've been the favorite to get the nod to stay in the lineup before the season began, in part because of his value in the faceoff circle, but Malenstyn has actually been the more valuable of the two. Carrick's xGA (expected goals against) when on the ice at five-on-five is three goals higher than Malenstyn's, while the latter has been on the ice for two minutes of shorthanded time, while Carrick has only been put out there for 22 seconds.
The Sabres have seven goals over their first two games, but they've allowed nine. Right now, Malenstyn's defensive metrics in the bottom six are much more valuable than Carrick's, which is why Malenstyn has earned the chance to stay in the lineup to this point. With Zucker still having a bit of rehab left to go before re-entering the lineup, there is time for Carrick to prove his worth.
One way or another, Ruff and his staff likely have a few tough decisions to make on the horizon.
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