[The Athletic] Suivi des actions des Sabres : hausses, baisses et points d’interrogation après 3 matchs de pré-saison

1 Comment

1. seeldoger47 4 heures ago

   >**Risers:**
   Henri Jokiharju
   In Rasmus Dahlin’s first practice back, he skated alongside Henri Jokiharju. That’s a huge win for Jokiharju, who signed a one-year deal this offseason and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Jokiharju was Dahlin’s most effective partner last season in terms of on-ice expected goal share. The Sabres had 56 percent of the expected goals at five-on-five when Dahlin and Jokiharju played together. And that was with just under 500 minutes played. Playing these two together also helps balance out the other pairs. Mattias Samuelsson playing with Connor Clifton gives the Sabres a physical bottom pair, while Bowen Byram and Owen Power could be an explosive offensive tandem when they’re at their best. This is a great chance for Jokiharju to show how he can fit into coach Lindy Ruff’s system.

   >Zach Benson

   >Mattias Samuelsson

   >**Holding steady:**
   >Peyton Krebs
   Alex Tuch got the night off for the Sabres’ second preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, so Peyton Krebs filled in at right wing on the top line. Krebs took advantage of the opportunity. Tage Thompson set him up with a perfect pass, and Krebs buried the goal. It was a simple goal, but for someone like Krebs, who has been working on his shot and had only four goals last season, it felt significant. Krebs wasn’t auditioning on the top line. With Tuch out, Ruff didn’t want to disturb the other lines. That’s a sign that Krebs is still the 13th forward in the pecking order, especially with how well the fourth line has played throughout camp. But for Krebs to play wing and do it further up the lineup than he’s played the last two seasons shows what he can bring as a depth forward.

   >“I’m going to play the same way wherever I am,” Krebs said. “Bring my work ethic, try to dish the puck around. I think it definitely shows I can play there, but I’m just going to keep momentum going from there and keep working.”

   >**A question mark: Will Jordan Greenway stick on the third line?**
   Jordan Greenway was a player the Sabres targeted because of Don Granato’s familiarity with him. This summer, though, Ruff and general manager Kevyn Adams targeted speed on the third and fourth lines. Greenway isn’t a stylistic match in that regard. His defensive game is a good fit with Ryan McLeod and Jason Zucker, who both excel in that area. But if Ruff is looking to change the lineup at any point, this seems like a spot where he could do it. Krebs would add a quicker playing style and more offense. So would Jiri Kulich, who made the trip to Prague but faces an uphill battle to stick on the 23-man roster. That’s a spot to watch once the Sabres are up against regular-season playing speed and competition.

   >**Those with more to prove:**
   Ryan Johnson and Isak Rosen