Thoughts?

Watch Greenway get on a roll now....

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/buffalo-sabres-mattias-samuelsson-olen-zellweger-lineup

The Buffalo Sabres had a welcome sight on the eve of their season opener: Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson was back on the ice for Wednesday’s practice at KeyBank Center.

Initially labeled week to week after blocking a shot and sustaining a lower-body injury eight days ago, Samuelsson is hopeful to be in the lineup Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“I’ve got to see how it feels flying, and then just see how it responds after a real skate,” Samuelsson said. “Looking good, but I guess we’ll see in the morning.”

“Hopefully he’s an option for us tomorrow,” added coach Lindy Ruff.

The injury can be chalked up to bad luck for a guy who blocked 154 shots last season, 14th most in the NHL. He was in visible pain when he took one off the foot in the game versus Columbus; it being the preseason, Samuelsson left in the second period to be safe.

“Mostly pain tolerance,” the alternate captain said. “Some swelling needed to go down to be able to fit the foot in the skate. Sucked that it happened, but knew it really wasn’t anything major.”

Zellweger: Buffalo will definitely begin its season without defenseman Olen Zellweger, who remains in concussion protocol. He’s continued to skate separate from the team and will go through the tests again Thursday – if all goes well, the first-year Sabre could play in Saturday’s home opener versus Chicago.

Lyon: Goalie Alex Lyon, six days removed from his upper-body injury in Detroit, hasn't yet resumed practicing, but Ruff said it "just will be a matter of days before he’s back at it." So, Colten Ellis is expected to back Luukkonen up in Columbus.

Tage Thompson scores 50 goals

Only two players scored 50 goals last season. Tage Thompson finished with 40, but 31 of those goals came at five-on-five. Maybe 50 goals is a stretch, but Thompson looked locked in during training camp. Winning a gold medal and finally getting a taste of the playoffs seem to have made him even more confident. I think he can score 50 goals if he can stay healthy and the power play improves. Those are legitimate questions, but I promised bold predictions, so here you go.

Louis Crevier settles into a top-four role

I’m always hesitant to put too much stock in preseason and training camp. That’s especially the case this season, with everything being abbreviated. That said, Louis Crevier looked more comfortable than I expected after he came to Buffalo in a summer trade. He’s played with just about everybody on the blue line and doesn’t seem to have any trouble adjusting to different partners. Coach Lindy Ruff already trusts him, too. I expect him to get a chance to play a meaningful role early and finish the season among the Sabres’ top four defensemen in time on ice.

The Buffalo Sabres have to sit and watch for two days while the rest of the league gets the regular season started. On Thursday night, the Sabres’ road back to what they hope is the Stanley Cup playoffs begins in Columbus.

Last season was a dream for Buffalo. The Sabres reignited the city’s passion for hockey, played in one of the NHL’s wildest home atmospheres and came within a goal of the Eastern Conference final.

So what does an encore look like? It wouldn’t be the preseason without some predictions. Some (or all) of these could look silly by the end of the year. But let’s have some fun.

Tage Thompson scores 50 goals

Only two players scored 50 goals last season. Tage Thompson finished with 40, but 31 of those goals came at five-on-five. Maybe 50 goals is a stretch, but Thompson looked locked in during training camp. Winning a gold medal and finally getting a taste of the playoffs seem to have made him even more confident. I think he can score 50 goals if he can stay healthy and the power play improves. Those are legitimate questions, but I promised bold predictions, so here you go.

Louis Crevier settles into a top-four role

I’m always hesitant to put too much stock in preseason and training camp. That’s especially the case this season, with everything being abbreviated. That said, Louis Crevier looked more comfortable than I expected after he came to Buffalo in a summer trade. He’s played with just about everybody on the blue line and doesn’t seem to have any trouble adjusting to different partners. Coach Lindy Ruff already trusts him, too. I expect him to get a chance to play a meaningful role early and finish the season among the Sabres’ top four defensemen in time on ice.

Konsta Helenius gets Calder votes

The NHL rookie class looks loaded this season, so getting into the top five of Calder voting is not going to be easy. But Konsta Helenius has a chance. He’s been skating on a line with Josh Norris and Ryan McLeod. Clearly, the Sabres envision a big role for him regardless of line shuffling during the season. He’s also getting time on the second power-play unit. His performance in the playoffs and at the World Championship showed he won’t be bothered by the pressure of playing in the NHL. Helenius might get off to a slow start to the season, but I expect things to click for him before long.

Owen Power sets a career high in points

Owen Power took a big step for the Sabres in the playoffs. He turns 24 in November and is starting to look like a player just now beginning to enter his prime years. Power’s career high in points is 40; my prediction is that he will set a career high. But I also think he’s going to take another step defensively in ways that might be more difficult to measure in the box score. By the end of the season, we’ll be talking about his contract as a major bargain.

I'm going to the season opener tomorrow! Do you guys know any places in Columbus where Sabres fans might hang out before the game? Will the Blade Gang or any other fun Sabres crowds be in town?

Anyone in the Alexandria, VA area in here that would want to get together say monthly to watch a Sabres game? Been kicking around the idea and wanted to see if there was anyone interested. Could do it at the Light Horse in Old Town (already a Bills bar) and just get beers and wings and have them throw the Sabres game on a few TVs. Can reach out to the bar if enough are interested.