The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn On Forward Lines And Sabres Goalie Future | Buffalo Sabres

The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn On Forward Lines And Sabres Goalie Future | Buffalo Sabres

As promised, Matthew Fairburn from the Athletic is with us. And not sure if you’re hearing me, Matt, but Yeah, we are. Okay. Well, it was what kind of weekend from a Saber standpoint for you. It was a season saving. I’m not hearing, Matthew. I’m not No, I got it. I Okay. Yeah. Let me move the microphone a little bit forward, but I think you’ll be good right there. I think it was a bit of a It sound good now. Yes. A season saving type of weekend. You know, you’re on the brink. You’re desperate. and they acted like it in that third period against Detroit. They get that that comeback, you know, within back in the mix and then they come back on Monday. You know, you’re not going to win a lot of games when you fall down 4-1 like they did on Saturday against Detroit, but you’re going to win a lot of games if you play like you did against Edmonton. You know, if that Sabres team shows up 80% of the time the rest of the way, they’re they’re in pretty good shape. Even Even with nowhere close to their expected lineup. Exactly. I mean, at this point, the way the young guys are playing, the injuries, I think, are becoming less of an excuse in the room, right? Because you’re getting really good performances from Noah Osland, from Esacho Rosanne. Tyson Kak is, you know, one of Lindy Ruff’s most trusted defensive forwards right now. So, and Josh Dunn, too, I think, has been a really good fit on the fourth line. So all of a sudden these pieces are filling in to the point where not that they’re going to box a Josh Norris out of the lineup, but but they are, I think, lessening that excuse of injuries for this team. Now, one of the big changes that we saw in the Colorado game is having Tae Thompson play back in the middle of the ice as a center. He was on the wing in Utah with Mloud in the middle. Then they swapped Thompson and Mloud. They actually made the change with Josh Don playing on that line in the third period in Detroit. and last night. Um, and Ta had some pretty I want to say significant like quotes after that game Colorado saying, “I feel more like myself in the middle. I feel like I’m moving my feet better and all of that and he responded in Detroit and I thought he was really good last night. Do you think that this is like unless Josh Norris was coming back, but you know this still going to be a little bit of time where we can put the debate winger center for Josh for Ta Thompson. He’s in the middle of the ice and and his significance there has been a positive for the Sabres. I think so. I mean, if Tae Thompson’s more comfortable there and he looks more comfortable, he’s getting more shot attempts. He’s creating a lot more chances. This he needed to be jump started a little bit and I feel like this is doing it. It also it really helps them balance out the lineup a little bit like you saw last night. You can move a few of those centers down the lineup and and maybe spread out your scoring a little bit. It’ll be interesting. I asked Lindy Ruff about it yesterday if there was anything different about Taage at center this time compared to the last time he was playing there. And the way he explained the decision is more so the guys who are out are the guys that make him good on the wing, right? The the lefties, Benson, Koulique, and even Norris, I think to an extent, are the guys that created a lot for Thompson on the wing, but now the optimal thing is to have him in the middle. It’ll be fascinating to see what they do once everybody gets healthy. Is that still the best place to put him? Yeah, if it gets him play him like that, I think it is. Okay. So, on that note, head coach Lindy Ruff on WGR earlier as far as, you know, Tage where he, you know, and but more like what it’s going to look like when Josh Norris comes back. Yeah. You know, I I don’t even think we have to make a decision. I think short term here, just leave him in the middle. uh you know if if he’s going as as well as he’s gone here the last two or three games I think we’ve changed a little bit of structure which has helped him uh but out of necessity putting him back in the middle he has done a good job for us uh skating wise uh skating well you know I think when you go back and look at you know how successful he was on the right side uh playing with uh you know two lefties with uh you a left-handed centerman there for a long period with Khik and then a left-handed winger with Benson. Uh the puck a lot of times will will work his way to the right side. Um I I have no problem if he continues down this path just leaving him there. U when Norris comes back uh he could assume the the number two spot and and we’ll make that it’s a great problem to have. Um I hope he continues playing the way he does and and we just leave him in the middle. It’s funny how you get to these points because over the course of the summer there was never a point where we said Taage was going to be the number one center and Norris number two. Like it just never looked like that based on how last year ended and Yuri was there and you were hoping that Norris was going to be fully healthy. Yeah, it’s I give Lindy Ruff some credit for being flexible. You know, it would be easy. He’s been pretty adamant about Tae Thompson being on the wing and it worked better last season when he was on the wing, but things change. You know, like he mentioned, you make a few system tweaks and you adjust to what you have. And right now, they don’t have Benson. They don’t have Koulique, those guys that that Ta had that chemistry with. He’s had some chemistry with Tuck in the past. So, you try to work off of that on the top line. And look, if it gets him going in this way, Yeah. skating wise, I think that was the big thing before that, then, you know, I think it can work. And all of a sudden, you know, a week ago, we were talking about the center spine of this team. You know, you had Greenway up top at one point playing center and now you could have Thompson and Norris won, too. That’s a much better looking lineup. You you work with words, you know, obviously you write articles. Um, you know, there’s things that bug us. We don’t we don’t, but there’s bug us. We just blabber, you know, and like Lindy says, that’s a great problem to have. I’m like, there’s no such thing as having a great problem. It’s it’s it’s the situation you have and you try to manipulate what not. Um so I think it’s funny. It’s like well you know Darene coming back like he hasn’t played he he missed three games. He hadn’t played in a while. Uh but he comes back and you play him you know 24 25 minutes a game. It’s like oh that’s a great problem to have. He got fresh legs but maybe he’s not in timing. Um, what has Dalene’s impact been to you watching it? Uh, just with Samuelson and the rest of the defense core. I feel like the first thing is emotional. You know, like Raasmus Dalene comes back and you can feel a different sense of belief in the group when he’s on the ice. It’s it’s pretty clear. Chris Knobblock mentioned yesterday before the game that one of the most dangerous things about the Sabres that you have to look out for is the way their defenseman get involved and and push the play. And I think that really opened up a lot of things in the defensive zone. And that’s also Byum Power, Samuelson even uh has has really taken a step there. So I I think to your point earlier that the puck possession and the way that he can really, you know, manipulate the game, I think he’s got what four points in these two games. Mhm. Since he’s been back, you know, a couple of, you know, CNI shots from the point that that got deflected in. He’s just he is their best player, but he’s also emotionally such a driver for them. And you saw that, I think, with him returning on Saturday and and just the way they feel as a group, you know, whether it’s playing for him with what he’s going through or just the fact that they have a little bit more belief because they’re best players on the ice. Okay, so they are still missing Benson, Norris, Danforth, Zucker, Khik. We know Yuri’s longer term Kessle Ring, too. Talking specifically about forwards, but yes, all due respect to Michael Kessle Ring. Um, regardless of what happens from the organization when these players are healthy, what would you do with the forward group based on what we’ve seen from those who have been contributing of late, i.e. Dun, Rosanne, Osland? Yeah, those are guys that I would have a hard time sending down, you know, especially Osland and Roseanne. I mean, Dunn just feels like a regular at this point, you know, with the role that he has. He’s so consistent with it. Same goes for Kak, who I believe is is kind of locked in at this point. And so then then you have some decisions to make if you want to find a way to keep Osland and Roseanne up. Then, you know, you’re going to have to make room for a lot of players. You have the three goalie problem, right? So, that’s a roster spot. That’s that’s a roster spot to your point about good problems to have. Not necessarily a good problem to have. I mean, if they’re all this guy, if they’re all, you know, that’s not one that the goalies really like. Yeah, that is just a problem. That’s a good problem. If they were all playing well, then I guess it could fall into that category, but still a roster problem. I think Mason Gearson is the other domino that they probably need to decide on. He hasn’t played for seven or eight games, I think, and when he is out there, he’s been in a a more limited role as far as minutes go, and that limits how much you play guys like Beck Menstein, right? So you want that fourth line to be able to do what it did for you last night. So I I’m they have a little bit of runway. You know, Zooker maybe by the weekend. Lindy Ruff said Norris is a little bit farther out and Koulique farther than that. Benson, we’re not really sure. He’s still in that walking boot. So they do have a little bit of runway. You can see how Osland and Roseanne do. But the way they’re playing right now, I’d have a hard time taking them out, especially what they’re giving you on the power play. I I we’ve been talking about the 20 years, you know, reunion of the 0506 season, but I do recall like when Dumont went down with an injury and Briier had an injury and obviously Lee, you know, there was some guys that missed, it opened the door for Palmanville and Roy and Gastad to play bigger minutes and by halfway in the season like, well, these guys aren’t going anywhere. Like, we’re better with them. And unfortunately other guys will you know either get traded put on waiverss send down there’s so I personally would not be moving Dunn Kak Osland and Roseanne I think that those four make the team better. So if Norris comes back Koulik comes back Benson comes back Dan for down the road whatever like that’s four new guys coming in and these four guys are not coming out. I think there’s some decisions that will have to be made uh with guys that have had maybe a roster spot in the past, but so at minimum are both of you moving off of the three goalie situation to accommodate for current. Yeah, that has to be the first domino to fall, I think. And and then Gearson comes in after that for me. Two spots. And then to your point, you might have to think about a trade or you might have to think about, look, it it’s not necessarily the ideal problem because you’re betting on young guys to continue this and we’ve seen it for a few weeks, but these are still developing players. So, so can they keep it up? Particularly in Osceland and Roseanne’s case, I think it’s more of a question because of their size, you know, whether they can hold up to the physical demands. And maybe the bigger thing with Oseland and Rosanne is that like Osceland was a fourthline guy yesterday, but he’s on the top power play. So if you say we got to keep him in his fourth line with Norris and Kulik and Zooker and Ben and Benson back, like does he have power play minutes? Like that’s the probably not presumably. No. So okay. So I would think that maybe for an Osc minutes and no power play, it’s probably not the best situation for him. It’s better off to be on the top line in Rochester playing on the power play, but you get to that point and you think that is the easy thing to do, right? Like these guys don’t have to pass through waivers, so you could put them down and and kind of let them cook that way. It’s good depth to have. I just I think to your point, you know, about that team you played on, like guys in the room know who should be playing and they know who’s helping them win. And I think these guys are are giving them more than really anybody could have expected at this point. How do you alleviate the goalie situation? Who are you moving? What are you doing? I think my first instinct would be to see if there’s a trade partner for Lucinan. And I go to that because you have not just a log jam right now, but you have a log jam in the future with Deon Levi. And so eventually you were going to have to make that decision no matter what. And I recognize that he’s the one with the contract right now. But that might make it a little trickier to move them too unless you, you know, retain some money on that. But the two guys that are going right now are Lion and Ellis, I think, the most. The two the two guys that Lindy Ruff seems to trust the most. And so that would be my instinct. The question is, can you find a trade partner? And that feels like a a problem that has snuck up on them quicker than anticipated when they signed that contract. for sure because I think they always knew you know the Deon Levi Uko Pekalucan you know decision might be coming at some point but you didn’t think it would be coming this soon. Do you like for me I read into so many stupid things and I’m like what like the fact that Lion hasn’t dressed in the last few games it’s like what does that mean like you’re dressing Lucinan as your backup u and that’s after Lion was pulled in Colorado after two goals in six minutes and Lindy Ruff said no that wasn’t on him at all but but he’s so he hasn’t dressed since I’m like is is there maybe more of a market for an Alex Lion out there, a team that’s in I’ll take the veteran, the the guy that is established lesser of a contract as opposed to the Lucin with the still question mark and the bigger ticket. I mean, you I think you could find a quicker trade for sure. I mean, at 1.5 and the track record that Lion has, I don’t think you can afford to to move off of him the way he played earlier in the year. And this feels to me like he’s getting a legitimate rest for the first time all year after he was probably overworked. But it’s it’s good a good thought on your point because I did notice, you know, that that he’s not dressing for a few games and he seems fine at practice. He’s moving around okay and uh he’s in good spirits. So no reason to think there’s anything there. As a guy that did the no dressing, it absolutely is terrible. Like I want to be in the locker room. I want to be in warm up. I want to be in the locker room. I want to listen to what coach is saying like when you’re on the press box for a game it’s maybe okay too and like well I I want that feel and I think that for I I we talked to Alex Lion and he would never say it but I think it’s got to be like I I want to dress I want to be there and so that’s the thing the other thing here the trade option has to be on the front burner because in my opinion there’s no risk in making this deal because you whoever it is because you still have Devin Levi. It’s not like and Gorgi of like you’re not you’re not going to be left exposed like hey make the trade then all of a sudden somebody gets hurt and then you’re like ah shouldn’t have made the trade. You’re not the Cleveland Browns that need to play five quarterbacks in uh in eight games. Like that’s not what it is. Do you do you agree? You have depth but I do think there’s a drop off. I I think you know Devin Levi has had a couple of rough games in Rochester. Gueorgiev had a rough preeason at times. So the other interesting thing like to your point Marty you can read into everything right. Colton Ellis is getting these games. It’s like everybody’s getting a pretty good look at him around the league, right? So there’s you know but and I’ve been told St. Louis is pretty upset in losing him. So this I can understand I can understand like when he had but they did have Bennington and Hoffer and their depth was Coltton Ellis and they lost him because of Weavers and that’s why that’s in place. But he didn’t skate this morning, right? Colton Ellis wasn’t on the ice. Maybe a day of maintenance rest and you go back tomorrow. Maybe it’s Listen, today tomorrow you’re resting and get ready for Friday. like I’m having a hard time reading it because there’s that added like third wheel that keeps coming into my picture and that’s that’s tough. I I try to cut through to Lindy Ruff and think about this from his perspective because he badly wants to get this right. Right. He badly wants to get this team into the playoffs. And when I think about it, who is he trusting the most? Who does he want who does he trust tonight? But who does he trust for the rest of the season? I think it’s Ellison and Lion because in part of the injury that Lucinan had and Lindy Ruff mentioned it he’s like we don’t really know like what if this pops back up again and so trading Lucanin would be somewhat risky and somewhat difficult to do probably but it also opens up some cap space which interesting enough with all the injuries they’ve had they’re kind of up against it because they’re carrying so many more players than they normally would because of injuries. So the cap space might come in handy if you’re trying to make a move to to make this roster better. So which forward is the first to go back to Rochester? Probably Austin maybe. I was going to say Mason Girtson. Well, probably him. He never went so when you say back. Oh, see he’s a word guy. Master of the words. He’s a word guy. I don’t listen. Have to would Gearson would be first for me. Gosh, we have a listener on this show finally. If somebody’s going back, if if somebody’s going back, I think your point about Osland and the the power play, if if he were to get crowded out by Norris, then I could see that happening. But it’s probably would be between him and Dunn, I would think, at this moment. Depends who gets back first, I guess, right? And what role and how quickly they envision for both Zooker and Norris. But Benson, you would think wouldn’t be too much longer, but these injuries, these illnesses, they’ve been a a big mystery. And who knows? I mean, you need the depth. Somebody else will go down at some point that you need to you need to call somebody up. And there may be a trade out there that we’re not thinking of one of these other forwards. Yeah, Matthew, thank you. Great to see you today. Best of the holiday season. And uh we look forward to having Matthew back on the show here. He’s from The Athletic. Check out all his uh daily consistent awesome work at The Athletic. [Music]

The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn joined the Buffalo Sabres’ show, Sabres Live, with Brian Duff and Martin Biron on November 18, 2025. They discussed the Buffalo Sabres’ victory over the Edmonton Oilers, Tage Thompson being the number one center, and the Buffalo Sabres’ goalie future.

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