Sabres depth chart projection: How Zach Benson changes the picture for Buffalo
This week, the Buffalo Sabres have continued to whittle down their roster as they shift the focus of training camp toward preparation for their opening night matchup against the New York Rangers on Oct. 12.
Playing a lineup full of NHLers, the Sabres lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 on Wednesday. But the game featured Zach Benson’s latest bright moment in what has been a preseason full of them for the 18-year-old. After taking an untimely penalty while the Sabres were on the power play, Benson came out of the box and immediately found Lukas Rousek with a perfect backhand pass. Rousek couldn’t finish, but a few seconds later, Benson got a pass from Mattias Samuelsson and showed great patience to find an opening and beat the goalie with a snap shot. That goal tied the game at three and was Benson’s fifth point in five preseason games.
Advertisement
At this point, it’s tough to picture the Sabres roster without Benson on it. The No. 13 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft has been that good the last couple of weeks. The Sabres have one more preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday and then a few tough decisions are looming.
What might the depth chart look like a week from now? Let’s sketch it out.
Forwards (13)
Jeff Skinner – Tage Thompson – Zach Benson
This was not the top line I was expecting at the start of training camp, but it now feels like a strong possibility for opening night. Benson initially got to skate with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner as a development opportunity. But early in camp, it became clear Benson could make an impact playing with those two. We know how effective Skinner, Thompson and Alex Tuch were last season, and coach Don Granato can pivot back to that if he needs to. But Benson playing on this line gives the Sabres a chance to have a lot more balance in their forward lines than they had last season.
Jordan Greenway – Casey Mittelstadt – Alex Tuch
Casey Mittelstadt playing center with Tuch on his wing was a major success down the stretch last season. Granato loves the idea of Mittelstadt playing center, but he can play the wing if the Sabres end up needing the flexibility. If a line like this one could work, the Sabres would be thrilled. That would mean Jordan Greenway finds his place in the top six and Mittelstadt picks up where he left off a season ago. We already know Tuch can be a play-driver and a consistent point producer. The other two players on this line have something still to prove in this type of role.
JJ Peterka – Dylan Cozens – Victor Olofsson
Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka have been playing with one another consistently in practices. They also got a ton of ice together last season, so they’re a natural fit together when the season starts. Cozens and Peterka have both looked excellent during camp and preseason, and I’m expecting both to have an uptick in offensive production. At the moment, Victor Olofsson is a logical placeholder while Jack Quinn recovers from his Achilles injury. If the Sabres feel they need a different type of player on that wing, Tyson Jost could move up and Olofsson could come out of the lineup.

Zemgus Girgensons – Peyton Krebs – Kyle Okposo
Advertisement
Once Peyton Krebs showed he could be a reliable defensive player, this became Buffalo’s go-to energy line. Krebs seems to have embraced that role at this stage in his career, and Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo are two steady veterans. Jost can also center this line if needed and bring a playing style that matches that of the veteran wingers.
Extra (1): Tyson Jost
Injured: Jack Quinn, Matt Savoie
Granato said last week that Matt Savoie could return to practice around midweek. That hasn’t happened as of this writing, but he’s nearing a return. Unfortunately for him, it would be hard to win a roster spot jumping into camp this late. But the Sabres can keep him around to practice on the team if he’s on injured reserve to start the season. Then he can go to the AHL for a conditioning stint. That buys the Sabres some time to make a decision on whether to send him back to junior.
Who’s left out?
The Sabres sent Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen down to the AHL this week. While Benson grabbed hold of his opportunity and never let go, Kulich and Rosen showed some strong flashes but also looked like they will need a bit more time to round out their games. There’s nothing wrong with that, as both are still high-end prospects with plenty of potential. Rousek is left out in this scenario; he would have been a likely candidate to make the team if not for Benson’s strong showing. Since Rousek doesn’t need to clear waivers, it’s simplest from a roster-building standpoint to send him down. The Sabres waived Brett Murray on Wednesday and will wait to see if he clears before assigning him to the AHL. In my depth chart projection, Brandon Biro is on the outside looking in as well. He was terrific in the AHL when healthy last season and there’s a chance he would get claimed if the Sabres waive him. But Benson earned the spot on the opening night roster.
Defense (7)
Rasmus Dahlin – Connor Clifton
Advertisement
Granato has emphasized he will mix up the defensive pairs depending on certain situations. We saw him do it against Columbus on Wednesday night. But since the start of practice, Rasmus Dahlin and Connor Clifton have played together. This would be a big step up in role for Clifton, who got minimal chances to play in Boston’s top four during his career with the Bruins.
“I put the two of them together as a pair a day or two before camp and you could have put any righty with any lefty,” Granato said. “But then they were communicating really well, which is key. They’re talking after each rep and getting on the same page and Rasmus is helping Connor acclimate to how we want to play or re-acclimate to how we want to play. Connor is communicating to him how he sees the situation. So why would I change that right now? There’s a lot of good happening.”
This is a familiar pair. Owen Power and Henri Jokiharju played together plenty last season. Jokiharju could be due for a bounce-back season now that he’s healthy again. He has two goals in the preseason. Power has had some really strong moments in the preseason as well.
Mattias Samuelsson – Erik Johnson
This third pair is quite a bit better than what the Sabres were working with this time a year ago. What stands out about the defensemen as a whole is that this blue line is more balanced. The Sabres might need time to find the pairs that work best, and Granato will mix things up depending on the situation. But there are a lot more options on defense than last season.
Extra: Riley Stillman
Who’s left out?
Riley Stillman has earned the spot as the seventh defenseman after a strong preseason. The physical edge he can bring to the lineup is nice to have in an extra blueliner. But this is a crowded part of the depth chart, and keeping three goalies means Kale Clague and Jacob Bryson will both hit waivers while Ryan Johnson heads to the AHL. Bryson will likely clear waivers given his salary. Clague might even be ahead of him on the depth chart at this point, so the Sabres would like to keep him in the organization. But Ryan Johnson has also made this a more palatable situation. If the Sabres lose one or both of Clague and Bryson, Johnson has shown he’s ready for pro hockey. If called upon, he’s a great depth option to have in the AHL and has the potential to be a regular NHL player before too long.
Advertisement
Goalies (3)
Devon Levi, Eric Comrie, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Granato has said he’s comfortable carrying all three goalies and has “no issue” if that’s how it plays out. Devon Levi has earned the first crack at the starting job given how he played at the end of the season and into training camp. Eric Comrie looked a bit better than Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in preseason, but the Sabres may not want to risk losing the 24-year-old Luukkonen on waivers. Given that all three of these players are unproven at the NHL level, the Sabres may want to keep their options open by having all three on the team.
(Top photo of Zach Benson: Charles LeClaire / USA Today)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k3Jqa2lkbnxzfJFsZmpoX2WCcK7Un52apJ9iwKKu0Z6qZpyVpcGpec%2BrpqOdk6m2sLqMs5icoF2Xsq%2B%2Fzqdm