ROSTER RUNDOWN
Making the cut
The door is open for 19-year-old forward prospects Matt Savoie and Jiri Kulich with Jack Quinn out for the start of the season following June 28 surgery to repair an Achilles tendon injury sustained during training. Savoie’s chances of making the roster may be slimmer after Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams on Thursday said he’s week to week with an upper-body injury sustained three days earlier at Buffalo's Prospects Challenge finale. Imaging revealed what Adams called the "best-case scenario" and there's a possibility Savoie could be on the ice near 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 tie for second in the playoffs. Kulich's nine points (seven goals, two assists) in seven games helped Czechia 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 of the American Hockey League, his first pro 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 cover after the Sabres allowed 3.62 goals per game (seventh most) and were 28th on the penalty kill (73.0 percent) last season. Johnson is a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. His presence helped teach them how to win, a lesson yet to be learned in Buffalo.
Biggest potential surprise
Jordan Greenway had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 45 games for the Minnesota Wild before he was traded to Buffalo on March 3. The 26-year-old forward begins his first full season playing for Granato, his coach with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team from 2013-15. Greenway's final season in Minnesota was impeded by an injury to his surgically repaired shoulder that kept him out of training camp. He scored four goals in 17 games following the trade and had an NHL career-high 32 points (six goals, 26 assists) in the 56-game 2020-21 season. The Sabres are counting on that potential.
Ready to contribute
JJ Peterka is a 21-year-old forward poised to be 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 IIHF World Championship, tied for second in the tournament with Czechia forward Dominik Kubalik (Ottawa Senators). Germany reached the final for the first time since 1930, losing 5-2 to Canada.
Fantasy sleeper
Peterka, RW (undrafted on average in fantasy) -- He only scratched the surface in a secondary role for the Sabres last season and is part of their potent 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 keeper and dynasty leagues and could follow in the footsteps of elite NHL skaters who were born in Germany (e.g. Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle, Moritz Seider). -- Pete Jensen