The Buffalo Sabres opened their preseason schedule Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena, and the first thing worth watching was not the scoreboard. It was the lineup. Jiri Kulich and Justin Danforth were both in the mix for a game that marked an early checkpoint for a roster still taking shape, and with only four preseason games in six days, there is very little time for anyone on the bubble to hide.
That compressed schedule matters because Buffalo is not just trying to win exhibition games. The Sabres are using these games to evaluate prospects, two-way players and candidates for bottom-six and seventh-defenseman roles. In that sense, the opener already had a sharper edge than a typical preseason date. Every shift can help clarify where a player fits, and every absence or return changes the picture a little more.
A familiar pair in a new evaluation window
Kulich and Danforth give this opener a different kind of significance. Both were on last year's opening night lineup before their seasons ended early, so their presence immediately linked Monday's preseason start to a longer-term question about availability, role and continuity. For Buffalo, that is meaningful because the club is trying to move beyond simply getting bodies back on the ice and toward figuring out how those bodies fit into a lineup that still needs answers.
The timing adds another layer. Kulich was diagnosed with a blood clot on Nov. 1, while Danforth sustained a broken kneecap during the fourth game of the season. Getting both into the preseason opener does not solve the broader roster puzzle, but it does give the Sabres a chance to see how they look in game speed after difficult setbacks. That is especially important in a shortened exhibition slate where the runway is shorter than usual.
Why the opener matters more than usual
The Sabres are working under the new collective bargaining agreement, which limits teams to four exhibition games. That puts a premium on every available look, especially for a team still sorting through depth roles. Monday's game was also staged while Lindy Ruff was away attending Brent Peterson's memorial service, with Seth Appert coaching in his place. Even that detail speaks to the moment Buffalo is in: the organization is balancing personal circumstances, roster evaluation and the ordinary business of preparing for the regular season.
There are still only so many conclusions to draw from a preseason opener, but that is almost the point. Buffalo does not need perfect answers in early September; it needs useful ones. Who can handle bottom-six minutes? Which defensemen look ready to stay in the conversation? Which returning forwards can reclaim their place after missing significant time? The opener was designed to start sorting those questions out.
If Monday offered anything definitive, it is that the Sabres have very little margin for wasted reps. Four preseason games in six days leaves no room for drifting. For players like Kulich and Danforth, the window is open now. For Buffalo, the task is making sure the first test produces more clarity than noise.
