LIST OVERVIEW
Make the cut
The door is open for 19-year-old forwards Matt Savoie and Jiri Kulich, while Jack Quinn will be out for the start of the season following June 28 surgery to repair an Achilles tendon injury suffered during training. Savoie’s chances of making the roster may be slimmer after Sabers general manager Kevyn Adams said Thursday he was dealing with a week-to-week upper-body injury sustained three days ago earlier in the finals of the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo. The imaging revealed what Adams called the “best case scenario” and it’s possible Savoie could be on the ice toward the end of camp. Savoie can either make the Sabres’ roster or return to the Western Hockey League. He had a career-high 95 points (38 goals, 57 assists) in 68 regular season games for Winnipeg and 29 (11 goals, 18 assists) in 19 games to finish tied for second in the playoffs. Kulich’s nine points (seven goals, two assists) in seven games helped the Czech Republic win silver at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. He had 46 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in 62 games and 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 12 playoff games for Rochester in the American Hockey League, his first professional season in North America.
Most Intriguing Addition
Defensemen Erik Johnson, 35, and Connor Clifton, 28, each signed free agent contracts to provide leadership, experience and coverage after the Sabers allowed 3.62 goals per game (seventh most) and finished 28th in penalty killing (73.0 percent) last season. Johnson is a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. His presence has helped teach them how to win, a lesson that has yet to be learned in Buffalo.
The biggest potential surprise
Jordan Greenway had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 45 games with the Minnesota Wild before being traded to Buffalo on March 3. The 26-year-old forward begins his first full season playing for Granato, his coach with the USA Hockey team. National Team Development Program under-18 team from 2013 to 2015. Greenway’s final season in Minnesota was hampered by a surgically repaired shoulder injury that kept him out of training camp . He scored four goals in 17 games after the trade and had an NHL career-high 32 points (six goals, 26 assists) during the 56-game 2020-21 season. The Sabers are counting on this potential.
Ready to contribute
JJ Peterka is a 21-year-old striker poised to become another major player in the core group. He had 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 77 games as a rookie last season and a team-high 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 10 games for Germany at the 2023 World Championship of the IIHF, tied for second in the standings. tournament with Czech forward Dominik Kubalik (Ottawa Senators). Germany reached the final for the first time since 1930, losing 5-2 to Canada.
Fantastic sleeper
Peterka, RW (average undrafted in fantasy) — He only scratched the surface in a secondary role for the Sabers last season and is part of their powerful young forward core, which includes Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Casey Mittelstadt and prospects Savoie, Kulich and Zach Benson. Peterka has breakout potential this season, should be prioritized in goalie and dynasty leagues and could follow in the footsteps of elite German-born NHL skaters (e.g. Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle, Moritz Seider). –Pete Jensen
