Standouts From Sabres’ First 2026-27 Preseason Game

Another standout for some lesser reasons was defender Vsevolod Komarov. Being used is a number of different setting throughout the night, Komarov was mostly looking slow, or reactionary instead of being mindful and proactive. He was not creating any chances for anyone besides the other team when he was on the ice, and it was a little difficult to watch.

The third player that just did not have it tonight, was forward Connor Sheary. Despite the Sabres bringing him and many others in to round out the roster for this season, the way he played just was not up to par with how they should be expecting. He was mostly invisible, and on a team that featured mostly minor league players or lower, he should have stood out a lot more as one of the NHL caliber players on the team. If he was trying to make a case to be on the opening night roster, he did not make a good enough impression in Pittsburgh,

Positive Standouts Looked Promising

With the bad comes the good. On the more positive note, the Sabres did have a handful of players that played well, or otherwise stood out for the right reasons last night. Chief among them was goaltender Colten Ellis. His play time was limited, but even with the small sample size, he managed to look sharp, fast, and very in control of his crease. He did not look like the Ellis of last season where his rebound control was terrible, and he looked like he was panicking. No… No last night he looked calm and was reading plays extremely well. It left a smile on my face considering how much potential he has shown.

The second was forward Jack Richard. The lone goal scorer for the Sabres last night, he was a workhorse, and a shooter all night long. He found his way to open ice, challenged pucks along the boards well, and fired a laser shot past Joel Blomqvist. Will he make a case to be on the pro roster with his performance? No, but he definitely earned the attention he got, and will absolutely be watched closely even when he is ultimately sent down to the Rochester Americans for his first pro season of hockey.

The last was forward Jiri Kulich, and boy was it a breath of fresh air to see him back in action. All of his shots, whether they hit the net or not, left an impression. It was obvious when he was taking things easier, and when he was really leaning in to a shot. You could hear the puck hitting off his stick, the opposing goaltender, or the boards every single time. It just sounded like it was coming out of a slingshot it was so hard. He was playing the game right, and not forcing chances. He was taking good shots and not trying to be the hero. All around, he was their best player tonight outside of Ellis.

What Is Next for the Sabres in the Preseason?

They have another game today on home ice against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the roster will likely feature more of the assumed “big club” names. As the preseason goes on, it will be important to see how new young players like Radim Mrtka and even Konsta Helenius perform, and it will be important to see what kind of game shape the veterans like Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson are in. If they both look good, they will likely sit more than they play in preparation for the season. Doing so will give the youngsters more time to prove themselves worthy of an early roster spot, or a chance at being the first call up when injuries happen.