Buffalo Sabres Season Kickoff
The Buffalo Sabres are set to kick off their regular season with Alex Lyon as their starting goaltender, complemented by recent addition Colten Ellis as the backup. Ellis, who was picked up off waivers from the St. Louis Blues earlier this week, fills a critical role following the Sabres’ decision to place veteran goalie Alexandar Georgiev on waivers. Georgiev cleared the waivers on Wednesday, and he is expected to join the AHL’s Rochester Americans, whose season commences this Friday against the Toronto Marlies at Blue Cross Arena.
Player Updates
As the team prepares for the openers, head coach Lindy Ruff provided updates on several players. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is on the mend from a lower-body injury sustained in a recent game against Pittsburgh, although there’s no specified timeline for when he might return to full practice. Defenseman Michael Kesselring is in a similar situation, uncertain to return soon.
The Sabres have a favorable schedule to begin the season, with six out of their first eight games hosted at home and only one pair of back-to-back contests in October. This scenario allows Lyon to be heavily relied upon in goal. On the blue line, defensemen Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson, who participated in practice this week, are expected to feature in the season opener against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center. Meanwhile, with Kesselring sidelined, either Jacob Bryson or Ryan Johnson will fill his position.
Injury News
In other injury news, winger Zach Benson encountered a minor setback in practice due to a puck striking his face, leaving him with a cut on his left cheek. However, Ruff noted that this injury shouldn’t prevent him from participating in the matchup against New York.
Former Players Update
In other developments regarding former Sabres players, Jack Eichel has committed to the Vegas Golden Knights by signing an extensive eight-year contract worth $13.5 million annually, securing his future with the franchise.
