The Sabres are set to open training camp in two weeks, and Sabres.com is breaking down the team’s top storylines ahead of the 2024-25 season.
We’ve already taken a look at the forwards, and will continue with the Sabres’ defense corps, which returns nine players who played games for Buffalo last season and was bolstered by the addition of Buffalo native Dennis Gilbert.
Below is a breakdown of the players and storylines to watch on defense as Buffalo kicks off camp.
Returning players: Jacob Bryson, Bowen Byram, Kale Clague, Connor Clifton, Rasmus Dahlin, Ryan Johnson, Henri Jokiharju, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson
Offseason additions: Dennis Gilbert
Storylines to watch
1) Potential pairings
With as many as 10 defensemen vying for a spot on the Buffalo blue line, coach Lindy Ruff and his staff have several options and when it comes to pairing players up.
Rasmus Dahlin has solidified his spot on the top pair, but there are many possibilities from there.
Last season, Mattias Samuelsson and Dahlin played over 438 minutes in 40 games as a pair before Samuelsson underwent season-ending surgery in February. In Samuelsson’s absence, Dahlin saw extra minutes next to Henri Jokiharju, Owen Power, and Bowen Byram.
Dahlin and Jokiharju logged a total of 496:09 of ice time together at 5-on-5 last season (according to Natural Stat Trick), during which the Sabres generating a 545-446 edge in shot attempts. The Sabres saw similar success when Dahlin and Power were on the ice together at 5-on-5, outscoring opponents 15-11 with a 328-217 advantage in shot attempts.
Byram, meanwhile, was paired with Dahlin immediately upon being acquired by the Sabres in March and then went on to see time alongside both Jokiharju and Power.
Camp will offer a first look at who Ruff and his staff see as potential fits, as well as their situational usage.
2) Samuelsson’s return to the lineup
Samuelsson has missed extended periods of time due to injury in each of the last two seasons but went into the offseason with a focus on staying positive and changing his training to bounce back with a healthy 2024-25 campaign. His return to the ice this season could help stabilize the Sabres’ defense corps and give the group more pairing options on the blue line.
Samuelsson appeared in 41 games last season before having surgery to repair a shoulder injury, typically lined up against opposing top lines. He averaged 20:30 of ice time and was a key member of the Sabres’ top penalty-kill unit.
The 24-year-old amassed 114:23 of shorthanded ice time and averaged 2:47 of shorthanded ice time per game, the latter of which ranked third on the team.
3) Byram in Buffalo
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams brought in Byram at the trade deadline last season with the intention of making the team “better now and into the future.” Byram made an immediate impact upon his arrival, recording five points (3+2) in his first four games with the Sabres.
Despite the strong start, Byram felt he struggled down the stretch as he adjusted to a new city and system and expressed his eagerness to get a full training camp under his belt in Buffalo.
“I think it was a little bit of a disappointing season for myself,” Byram said during his end-of-season media availability in April. “I know that I’ve got to work extremely hard this summer and come in the best shape possible and work on my game. … I’m really excited for this summer. I feel like I’ve got lots to work on, lots to improve on, and I’ll be ready to go next season.
“… I want to be part of the solution here. I want to help this team win. That’s definitely the goal moving forward.”
The 23-year-old, who won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, will continue to bring experience to a team looking to take the next steps in 2024-25.
“[He’s got] some experience. He knows how to win,” Dahlin said following the 2023-24 season. “So, he brings a lot of good messages to guys around the room. And he's all on board. He really wants to do something special here. … He knows what it's all about here in this locker room and he's ready for it.”
4) Competition for roster spots
The Sabres added Dennis Gilbert on the opening day of free agency as part of Adams’ effort to make the lineup harder to play against. Gilbert is a proven physical presence on the ice, having fought 12 times in 82 NHL games.
“Last year he really took a big step and turned himself into an NHL defenseman,” Adams said. “He knows what he needs to do to play in this league. He's a big, strong kid who's very, very competitive and continues to work on his game to get better. Not afraid to fight, he's done that a number of times. He competes hard.”
Gilbert will add a different element to the Sabres defense corps, but he will need to prove himself at training camp as he will compete for a roster spot and time in the lineup with Jacob Bryson, Kale Clague, and Ryan Johnson, all of whom played games in both Rochester and Buffalo last season.
