Sabres’ Biggest Storylines Heading Into Training Camp

NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period released an article on players due up for extensions and said he believes that the Sabres and Tuch are not close to finalizing an extension yet.

What could a potential Tuch contract look like? We could be looking at a term around five years worth $9-$10 million per season for the power forward. Given the current upward direction of the salary cap and the market, that would be a fair value. Last season, Tuch recorded 67 points in 82 games played, including tying his career high in goals (36). He is well worth the money, and if no extension gets done before the season, then expect him to put up close to career-high numbers to help himself earn an extra million or two on his next deal.

Sabres’ Goaltending Battle

As previously mentioned, the Sabres signed goaltender Georgiev to a one-year contract worth $825,000 last Thursday, as Luukkonen is battling an injury described as a “tweak”. The goaltending battle is an intriguing one, as not only is there a newly-acquired goaltender in Alex Lyon to watch, but also prospect Devon Levi, who spent most of last season in the American Hockey League. It seems that is the plan for him this season, but if he excels during camp and Georgiev struggles, we could see Levi make the opening-night roster.

Depending on how long Luukkonen is out, as there is still no timetable for his return, I would expect the two goaltenders on the opening night roster to be Georgiev and Lyon. If Luukkonen is going to miss at least the start of the season, it is very intriguing to see which goaltender will be the opening-night starter.

Georgiev has shown he is capable of being a team’s number one goaltender, as he was with the Colorado Avalanche before being traded last season to the San Jose Sharks, where he continued to struggle. During the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, he played 60-plus games in each, excluding playoffs.

As for Lyon, he’s been closer to a career backup but has shown he can step up to be a team’s number-one goaltender if asked. While with the Florida Panthers in the 2022-23 season, despite playing in only 15 games, he took Sergei Bobrovsky’s starting job in the final month and helped the Panthers claim the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference by one point. During the 2023-24 season, he was the Detroit Red Wings’ starter for the majority of the season, playing in 44 games while recording a 3.05 goals against average and a .904 save percentage.

Both goaltenders have some experience being a team’s number one. Who will win the goaltending battle between them, or will Levi steal a spot from Georgiev and Lyon?

How Will Sabres’ New Additions Look?

The Sabres made a few additions over the offseason, most notably defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan, who were the two main pieces coming to Buffalo as a part of the Sabres’ trading J.J. Peterka to the Utah Mammoth.

Kesselring is a big-bodied defenseman who has a heavy shot, shutdown capabilities, and fits one of the Sabres’ top priorities heading into the offseason as a top-four right-shot defenseman. He’s projected to be on a pair with Owen Power, and I’m interested to see how well they can form chemistry during training camp.

Not only will Kesselring help the team night in and night out, but he’s also crucial to help Power take the next step. Power has struggled from time to time over his first few seasons in the NHL, especially defensively. Adding Kesselring to his pair not only gives him a quality defenseman, but it will also allow him to play free and really dominate the game offensively. Power is at his best when he is moving the puck north and south and controlling the puck at the point in the offensive zone.

Doan, on the other hand, has not been allowed to showcase what he can do at the NHL level. The closest we got to seeing it was when he played in 11 games with the Arizona Coyotes to end the 2023-24 season, where he recorded nine points during that span. Last season with Utah he was buried in the bottom six with only 12-13 minutes time on ice per game. I’d expect that to change in Buffalo.

He wasn’t brought here to produce offensively, though — his defensive game is what really stands out. According to Evolving Hockey, last season, he was in the 85th percentile in defense. Outside of a few players, the Sabres have really lacked forwards who can play not only defense but also a 200-foot game, and Doan can do that.

Another name is Conor Timmins, a defenseman acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Timmins, who is expected to slot into the third pair next to Mattias Samuelsson, is a solid two-way guy who can move the puck but also play solid defense. He’s not a player who is going to stand out every night, but he does all the little things right. His hockey IQ is a bit underrated, and I think Sabres fans are going to love seeing Timmins play every night.

Watching Sabres training camp is going to be intriguing, to say the least. Will an extension with Tuch get done? Will we see Georgiev or Lyon be the team’s opening-night starter, and will the new additions make an immediate impact?