NHL Training Camp Preview: Bruins, Sabres Heading In Opposite Directions?

The National Hockey League will begin its 106^th season in early October, with a number of clubs looking to unseat the Colorado Avalanche after their Stanley Cup victory earlier this summer, while others are preparing to make a run at getting the best odds to select the presumptive first overall pick, Connor Bedard.

With the NHL salary cap going up only $1 million, many clubs had to make difficult roster decisions. Nearly half the league is currently over the $82.5 million limit and will be using long-term injured reserve to get under the cap ceiling, while budget clubs used their cap space to add draft capital.

Here is a preview of two Atlantic Division clubs, one making perhaps their final run at a title, the other beginning to make progress after over a decade of missing the playoffs:

Boston Bruins (51-26-5 – 4^th place in the Atlantic Division)

Who’s Out – Erik Haula

Who’s In – Pavel Zacha, David Krejci

The Bruins have made the Stanley Cup Final three times in the last 11 seasons and are relying on an aging core group with future Hall of Famers Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand as the centerpieces. After losing in the first round to Carolina, Boston fired head coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with former Dallas coach Jim Montgomery, but their only impactful moves were to swap Haula to New Jersey for Zacha and bring back veteran center Krejci after playing one year in Czechia.

The hurdle that Montogmery will have to clear is that Marchand and half of their blueline (Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk, and Mike Reilly) being unavailable for the first half of next season due to off-season surgeries.

2022-23 Potential impact prospects

W – Fabian Lysell

C – John Beecher

C – Oskar Steen

Lysell had 83 points for Vancouver of the WHL and was Sweden’s most effective forward at the recent World Junior, which could earn him a look depending on how long Marchand will be out. Beecher signed his ELC after three years at Michigan and scored three times in a nine-game AHL stint, while Steen split time between Providence and the Bruins and will likely challenge for a bottom-six NHL role.

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Buffalo Sabres (32-39-11 – 5^th place in the Atlantic Division)

Who’s Out – Colin Miller, Cody Eakin, Mark Pysyk, Will Butcher

Who’s In – Ilya Lyubushkin, Eric Comrie

The Sabres began to show some upward trajectory in the second half with the resurgence of veterans Kyle Okposo and Jeff Skinner, a surprising 38-goal performance from Tage Thompson, and a career year from Rasmus Dahlin. GM Kevyn Adams only dabbled in free agency, signing a tough defensive-minded blueliner in Lyubushkin and adding Comrie (who will split time with Craig Anderson), but Buffalo will mostly be relying on youngsters within the organization for their improvement.

2022-23 Potential impact prospects

D – Owen Power

W – J.J. Peterka

W – Jack Quinn

Power was the top selection in the 2021 NHL Draft and after an excellent year with Michigan, played in the World Junior and the Olympics for Canada, signed with the Sabres, and played eight games at the end of the regular season. He is a pre-season favorite for the Calder Trophy. Peterka nearly scored a point-per-game as a 20-year-old for AHL Rochester and will make the NHL with a good performance at training camp, while Quinn (the Sabres 2020 first-round pick) had 61 points in 45 games with the Amerks.