Buffalo fans have been here before. For years the Buffalo Sabres Get the headlines every summer with large movements-a coaching shakeup, a large signature or the promise of a hot new prospect. But what did all that sound get them? Not much more than hope followed by disappointment.
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This outside the season looked things differently. No fireworks, no headlines, which caused the hockey world to breathe. Instead, general manager Kevyn Adams doubled on subtlety and added Michael Kesselring, Connor Timmins and Josh Doan. Not flashy, but maybe finally the right kind of movements. These are players built to bring structure and biting, exactly what Buffalo has missed. And if the Sabes can bottles the momentum of the 12-7-1 finish of last season, these quieter adjustments can mark the start of something real.
Let’s comment on the three storylines that warm up when the camp opens.
Item one: Goal tending remains the big question
Every season it seems that Buffalo’s Crease is a soap. This time it is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen who is in the spotlight. The team insists that his current injury is only a “small tweak”, but no Sabres fan wants to hear an injury to their starter in mid-September.
The front office covered itself By adding Alexandar GeorgievievA keeper who once led the NHL in victories but last season cratered with a brutal .875 savings percentage. Add Alex Lyon to the mix and you have depth, sure – but is it quality? If Luukkonen is not ready, the options of head coach Lindy Ruff will quickly become fast.
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Devon Levi now seems like a ticket for more herbs in the American Hockey League. That leaves the Sabres in the hope that Georgiev will find the shape that he showed in Colorado. Otherwise the same old target question could let them sink again.
Item two: The long way of Fiddler-Schultz pays with NHL contract
Here is a story Sabres fans can feel good about. Riley Fiddler-Schultz went from driving on the pines to earning his first NHL deal and he did it in the hard way. He was one of the four players who signed the Sabres out of season this season.
Last year the 23-year-old attacker was scratched from 14-right competitions with the Rochester Americans. Instead of sulking, he put his head down, worked and kept ready. When his chance finally came, he let it count. Towards the end of the season, he had 13 goals, 26 points, and scored in the Calder Cup -Splay -OFLS. Americans head coach Michael Leone now calls him a “daily” and a “Swiss pocket knife”.
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For a player who grinds in the Echl not so long ago, this is a huge leap. His new two-way deal is more than just a contract of proof is that he belongs in the conversation. Don’t be surprised if Fiddler-Schultz receives a call to Buffalo at some point.
Item three: What is the future of Alex Tuch? Will he remain or is going?
The elephant in the room is Alex Tuch’s contract. He is one of the best players of the Sabres since arrival in 2021, but he goes into the last year of his deal.
The Sabres want him to be again signed-no doubt. But what does Tuch want? He came from a winning culture in Vegas and was beaten by Buffalo’s endless rebuilding. He is a leader, a producer and a favorite with fans, but committing his first years to a team that is still figuring out is perhaps not an easy sale.
If Ruff and Adams can finally deliver a season that is worth believing in, Tuch can decide to stay and help finish what he started. But if this season looks more of the same? Do not be shocked if he keeps his options open.
What is the next step for the Sabres?
The Sabres have plagued their fans with potential for years. This season it is not about hope or hype. The point is to prove that they can actually grow victories in the Atlantic Division, the most difficult division in hockey. Ruff was returned to set the tone and Adams tried to give him the players who fit his system. Now it is on the Roster to buy.
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Camp will answer some immediate questions of Luukkonen, the pecking order in the net, whether Fiddler-Schultz can force itself to the image and where Tuch’s head is. But the larger whole is simple: the Sabres build an identity and fight their way back to relevance, or they run the risk that there will be another season in frustration.
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