Peterka nets 3rd preseason goal in win over Red Wings

JJ Peterka spent his first NHL training camp enticing fans with his offensive skill and impressing coaches with his aptitude for adjustments. The performance was enough to keep the 19-year-old around until the very end, with the regular-season opener just five days away.
What happens next will be an organizational decision, Sabres coach Don Granato said. Peterka continued to make his case for a spot on the NHL roster, deflecting a Tage Thompson shot for his third goal in five preseason games during Buffalo's 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
"I just tried to play the best I can and tried to have fun out there," Peterka said. "It's out of my hands, but I tried to do my best out there."

The Sabres have 26 healthy players on their training camp roster (including Victor Olofsson and Rasmus Dahlin, both of whom missed Saturday's game but are expected back at practice on Monday). That number will be whittled down to 23 by 5 p.m. on Monday, the deadline for regular-season rosters.
Sixteen of those 26 players are forwards, meaning the Sabres will likely need to assign at least two to Rochester. Granato said he was set to meet on the roster after the game Saturday, though he added that extra players could remain with the team through practice on Monday.
The decision on where Peterka begins the season will come down to what the organization deems best for his development, a conversation that will include the coaching staff and front office. Two factors will be at the forefront of the discussion: confidence and physical preparedness.
"You don't want a player to lose confidence and you don't want them to physically not be able to handle it," Granato said. "If they can do both of those things, they can probably learn in the NHL, but is it the best-case scenario? That's really a case-to-case factor."

The Sabres have been high on Peterka since the 2020 NHL Draft, when they selected him with the third pick of the second round. General manager Kevyn Adams admitted then that the team had spent the night prior trying to trade into the first round to draft him earlier.
Peterka spent the following year playing professionally in Austria and Germany and standing out amongst his peers at the World Junior Championship. He has created offense with every opportunity since arriving in Buffalo in September, tallying a pair of goals in as many games during the Prospects Challenge and scoring three goals and an assist in five preseason contests.
What impressed Granato about the 19-year-old was his ability to learn small details as camp progressed.
"He absorbs what's in front of him, whether that be the opposition, his linemate, information from the coaches," Granato said. "He internalizes it and he goes to work at it. He's very advanced in that regard but he's still young. I say all this and that is very exciting, but you also do see his age in there as well. I'd say for his age, he's advanced.
"Now, is he advanced enough to be a full-time NHL player? There's going to be ups and downs with any young player. That's just the way the league is, it's the best in the world. But he's advanced for his age, definitely, and he seems to have shown us more of that as camp's progressed."
Whether or not he begins the season in Buffalo, it's fair to say Peterka has positioned himself to be called upon when the time is right.
"Even the last guys who are removed, they're here," Granato said. "We wanted to keep them here as long as we could because we know we're going to use them and they're going to help us."
Here are more takeaways from Saturday's preseason finale.

Sabres take a step toward identity

With a roster resembling the one that will take the ice on opening night, the Sabres turned in their most complete effort of the preseason against the Red Wings.
Buffalo dominated a scoreless first period before Peterka opened the scoring in the second. Detroit tied the game on a goal from Sam Gagner, but Zemgus Girgensons capitalized on a misplay by goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic for a shorthanded goal with 12.4 seconds left before intermission. Vinnie Hinostroza added an empty-net goal in the third.

The Sabres finished with decisive 5-on-5 edges in shot attempts (52-29) and high-danger attempts (15-3), according to Natural Stat Trick. They routinely moved the puck cleanly up ice and managed to sustain pressure inside the Detroit zone.
"I think they're starting to feel an identity, which is everything," Granato said. "When a team starts feeling an identifying with what they should be and what they could become, it's important."
And what is that identity?
"We want to play with some pace, we want to stretch the ice, we want to think offense, we want to close defensively quick, pressure on the puck," Granato said. "Just more of a high-tempo, high-paced, high-energy game, which takes a lot of confidence."

Thompson to move forward at center

Granato spoke to Thompson during the summer about potentially seeing time at center this season. He made the move prior to Buffalo's game against Columbus on Monday after Arttu Ruotsalainen was a late scratch.
Thompson, a winger throughout his young career, has remained at center ever since. Granato said the plan is for the 6-foot-7 forward to continue playing down the middle into the regular season.
"I think the potential is just too great to shift him to the side," Granato said. "All the early tests or indicators, the intrigue is still high with him there."

Jonsson-Fjallby scratched late

The Sabres intended for winger Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, claimed off waivers from the Washington Capitals on Monday, to make his preseason debut against the Red Wings. He was scratched prior to puck drop due to visa issues.
"It's tough on him, first," Granato said. "He comes to a team, he thinks he has a chance. We had him penciled in the first game and then tonight it was after warmups, and we just had to pull the plug on it. So, yeah, that's a tough one for him. It's unfortunate. The situation and circumstances were out of our control. In that sense, they dictated the situation."

Up next

The Sabres open the regular season at home against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, Oct. 14. Tickets are available here. A pregame party in Alumni Plaza begins at 5 p.m. featuring live music, food and beverage, fan activations and more. All fans will receive a commemorative T-shirt.
Find info on Opening Weekend - which continues with Harvest Fest against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, Oct. 16 - here.