

He stands at 6-foot and weighs in at 176 pounds, so he will need to bulk up a bit in order to compete properly at the NHL level. His skating is smooth and quick, but where he needs improvement is in his defensive awareness and size. Touted for his speed and offensive creativity, he projects to be a top-four defenseman that can move the puck and quarterback a power play. Lindgren was taken by Buffalo at this past summer’s draft in 2022 during the fourth round. All positions are being considered here, and the players’ individual talents, team fit, and gameplay are the main criteria for the rankings on this list. Some are closer than others, and do have the ability to make the Sabres’ roster right away, but likely will not due to depth chart issues.

These are the players that will need a season or more of development in order to strengthen their skills or body in order to make the NHL roster some day. This list will be comprised of players with no NHL experience. This season will possibly feature the likes of Power, Quinn, and even JJ Peterka in the NHL spotlight, so they will not be included on this list, as it is reserved for a different type of prospect. Names like Owen Power and Jack Quinn already have shown the value of a first-round pick, and players like Mattias Samuelsson and Jacob Bryson have shown how rewarding it is to see a non-first-round pick grow.

To close out the exhibition slate, the Sabres will play a pair of home-and-home series against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins, concluding with a home matchup with the Penguins on October 6. The Sabres will then travel to Ontario on September 27 to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Joe Thornton Community Centre as part of Kraft Hockeyville celebrations. The team will open up its preseason schedule in Washington on September 24 before returning home to host the Boston Bruins on September 26.
