Updated Sabres Organizational Depth Chart (2024)

It’s time for a breakdown of the Buffalo Sabres depth chart, position by position, for a complete picture of the players and prospects in the organization from top to bottom.

General manager Kevyn Adams shed some light on the team’s offseason plans Thursday, giving us a clearer picture of where players stand in the organization. There is bound to be a slew of transactions in the upcoming weeks, with the NHL draft, free agency, and potential trades looming. It’s important to understand where the current roster and prospect pool stand, so we can anticipate the areas that need to be addressed.

Center

NHL

• Tage Thompson
• Dylan Cozens
• Peyton Krebs [RFA]

In the System

• Matthew Savoie
• Jiri Kulich
• Noah Ostlund
• Anton Wahlberg
• Tyson Kozak

Unsigned Drafted

• Matteo Costantini
• William von Barnekow
• Gustav Karlsson
• Linus Sjodin

The glaring hole down the middle is an NHL middle-six center, who can interchange with Dylan Cozens on the second or third line. Casey Mittelstadt was offensively gifted in that role, but the Sabres will likely be looking for someone more defensively responsible to fill out the depth chart this offseason.

Savoie, Kulich, and Ostlund are all on the verge of being NHL-ready, with the safety net option of starting next season in Rochester. Savoie or Kulich may make the shift to the wing as well, whether that be a temporary or permanent adjustment.

Wahlberg marks the fourth prospect center in the system with NHL upside and is much bigger than the former first-rounders in front of him. He’ll continue to harness his skillset and ultimately provide the Sabres with a different dynamic.

Related: Sabres Want Cates, Not Laughton From Flyers

Left Wing

NHL

• JJ Peterka
• Zach Benson
• Jeff Skinner
• Jordan Greenway

In the System

• Alexander Kisakov
• Viktor Neuchev

Unsigned Drafted

• Prokar Poltapov
• Ethan Miedema

Peterka established himself as the top left wing on the team after this past season, pushing Skinner off Thompson’s line. With Benson showing incredible versatility and promise in his rookie season, he’s arguably surpassed Skinner too.

This has led to recent speculation of an upcoming buyout of the Sabres’ highest-paid forward to better allocate his salary. If Skinner regains his scoring touch, he’s one of the most valuable even-strength players in the league. If he’s stuck on the third line again, given his defensive woes, there are better fits on the open market.

Kisakov and Neuchev showed some nice signs in Rochester, as they are developing as NHL hopefuls. Poltapov, whom Adams mentioned on Thursday, will remain in Russia until his contract expires. He was selected ahead of Kisakov and the Sabres are still very high on him.

Miedema also deserves mention, as he’s a skilled, big forward who should earn a contract soon. In terms of quality, the Sabres are strong at left wing on the depth chart.

Right Wing

NHL

• Alex Tuch
• Jack Quinn

In the System

• Isak Rosen
• Lukas Rousek
• Olivier Nadeau

Unsigned Drafted

• Stiven Sardarian
• Aaron Huglen
• Jake Richard
• Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson

With only two right-shot wingers on the NHL roster, there’s room for additions to the right side. Rosen and Rousek (both left-shots) received call-up stints but didn’t show enough to prove they’re ready to fill an everyday role. Savoie is a right-handed shot that could shift to the wing if he proves ready in training camp.

This past season, Nadeau played mostly for Buffalo’s affiliate in the ECHL, Jacksonville. He’ll look to transition to a full-time AHL job and prove he still has some upside. If he develops the power-forward qualities the Sabres saw when they drafted him, it should help the outlook at right wing on the depth chart.

Sardarian is less like the other Russian prospects drafted by the Sabres in that he’s in the NCAA. Hughlen is as well, as his long route to his senior season takes form for the 2019 fourth-round draft pick. Richard’s strong freshman season in the NCAA arguably vaults him ahead of both unsigned prospects, despite being a sixth-round selection.

Left Defense

NHL

• Rasmus Dahlin
• Owen Power
• Bowen Byram
• Mattias Samuelsson
• Ryan Johnson
• Jacob Bryson [RFA]

In the System

• Kale Clague [RFA]
• Nikita Novikov
• Calle Sjalin [RFA]

Unsigned Drafted

• Sean Keohane
• Norwin Panocha

The Sabres’ overload of left-handed shots on defense is a luxury, with Dahlin, Byram, and Samuelsson able to shift to the right side regularly. The promise shown by Johnson in his rookie season ranks him ahead of Bryson, whose contract status is uncertain.

Clague’s status is also up in the air, as the Sabres could look elsewhere to pad the organizational depth chart. Novikov is the only developing left-defense prospect in the pool, marking a potential area of need in the upcoming draft.

With Dahlin, Power, and Samuelsson locked up long-term, the thinness of the prospect system on the backend isn’t a cause for too much concern.

Related:Why the Sabres Are Winning the Mittelstadt Trade

Right Defense

NHL

• Henri Jokiharju [RFA]
• Connor Clifton

In the System

• Vsevolod Komarov

Unsigned Drafted

• Maxim Strbak
• Gavin McCarthy

Speaking of shallowness on the blueline, the Sabres only have five right-shot defensem*n in the organization. That is if Jokiharju re-signs, which is expected after posting his best season in Buffalo. Clifton proved he’s strictly a third-pair defenseman, leaving room for an upgrade on the depth chart if Sabres management so chooses.

While Komarov is the only other right defenseman under contract, he’s coming off an incredible season in the QMJHL. He earned Defenseman of the Year honors after scoring 69 points in 60 games for the Quebec Remparts and Drummondville Voltigeurs. He also won the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the playoff MVP. He’ll look to transition those puck skills to the AHL while rounding out his defensive game.

Strbak and McCarthy are both developing in the NCAA but are expected to sign with Buffalo eventually as second and third-round picks, respectively.

Goaltender

NHL

• Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen [RFA]
• Devon Levi

In the System

• None

Unsigned Drafted

• Scott Ratzlaff
• Topias Leinonen

Goalie is a giant need for the organization, but not necessarily for the big club. Luukkonen is expected to re-sign shortly and team up with Levi to provide a very young, but talented, goaltending tandem.

Ratzlaff and Leinonen are unsigned and not expected to report to Rochester next season, leaving the Sabres searching for a third, fourth, and fifth goalie to round out the depth chart and man the net in Rochester.

The organization’s third goalie could prove invaluable if Adams follows recent trends across the NHL. Alex Lyon claimed the net in Detroit after starting as the team’s third goalie. New Jersey was desperate for quality netminding, causing them to reach fourth on their depth chart for any substance. Injuries vaulted Arturs Silovs into playoff action for Vancouver, and he retained the net over backup Casey DeSmith.

Sabres Depth Chart

For the complete picture of the organization, here’s a table showing the full Buffalo Sabres depth chart. Adjustments will be made after the dust settles on the offseason, as the draft and free agency kick off in the coming weeks.