Alright, earlier in the summer, I teased fans with a ‘way too early’ projection of the Buffalo Sabres lines for 2024-25. After nearly two months, it’s time to expand on those predictions to see if I changed my mind anywhere or if I kept everything as they were then.
Below, you’ll find my projection for the first line and a detailed look at why I rolled with the following three players, plus a nominal outlook for each.
Tage Thompson
Projecting Tage’s numbers, I don’t quite see him reaching 47 goals again as he did two seasons ago. Even if it’s not out of the question, it's also hard to believe his numbers will tank for a second consecutive year.
But he’s one player who will impress everyone in the preseason as he’s done in years past. And even if he didn’t, it’s still hard to see him losing his spot on the first line to other centers on the Blue and Gold like Ryan McLeod or Dylan Cozens.
Getting off hard shots and finding lanes that allow him to skate behind opponents make up Tage’s game, and it’s why fans expect him to score every time the puck lands on his stick. It’s something we started seeing again late last season, and it should give fans more than enough optimism to believe Tage will stay on form for all 82 games.
Alex Tuch
Alex Tuch has been a focal point of the Sabres top line for two-and-a-half years and that won’t change in 2024-25, but which version of Tuch will we see? In 2021-22 and 2022-23, Tuch totaled 117 points in 124 games and he notched 48 goals, none of which are bad numbers.
But that changed last season when, amidst a dysfunctional season for the Sabres, Tuch scored just 22 times and ended the year with 59 points in 75 contests. Tuch, one of the more physical players on the Sabres top-six, will be productive in all three zones, but he must maximize productivity this season if he plans on resembling the player he was a couple of seasons back. .
Zach Benson
Overall, a lineup featuring Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson, and JJ Peterka on the top trio makes the most logistical sense before training camp. But when camp and the preseason come and go, Jeff Skinner’s ultimate replacement must be someone who possesses a combo of potential and scoring ability, and can help the team out long-term.
Peterka no doubt fits that mold, but Zach Benson gives the Sabres more potential than anyone currently slated to be part of the lineup. While Peterka got a lot of ice time with the Sabres top scoring duo, Benson will ultimately surprise us more than he did during camp and the preseason and snag the final spot on the first line.
