“I Try To Keep It Simple” | Jason Zucker Expecting To Return To The Lineup | Buffalo Sabres

Jason, what do you want to bring back into the lineup when you return? What are you going to bring back to this lineup? Um, you know, I think just tried to get some, you know, some speed and um some tenacity, kind of play play my game, get around the net. Um, you know, I try to keep it simple majority of the time when I’m playing and uh, you know, just try to try to have a little bit more of a voice on the bench and in the room and and uh, see where that takes us. As one of the veterans on the team, is it hard to be away for a couple weeks, especially when they’re far other side of the country and losing some games or do you stay in touch with the guys remotely? Uh, a little bit, but you also don’t really want to bug the guys. You know, there they’ve got a lot going on. they’re already in their own heads and, you know, worrying about, you know, everything that’s going on there. So, I checked in and talked to a few guys, but, uh, it’s never fun being away. It’s never fun watching, um, you know, watching on TV and it’s, uh, definitely not something you want to be doing for very long. I know the last, at least last year, it was occasionally a point of conversation about just being able to park some of the bad results and flush them. like what have you noticed maybe even just this morning about how guys have kind of been able to do that with the other night and just move on to focus on you know I think there’s a fine line between parking it and moving on and learning from it right and and like understanding what what is happening um especially if it seems to be a trend or something that’s happening more often we’d like so I think there’s kind of a balance between the two and um you know you got to find that balance after every game right whether it’s a win or a loss you’re still trying to find that same balance and figure out what to what to take from games, what to carry forward and what to, you know, just throw away and and leave behind. It’s been a few days since we talked to you on Monday. How do you feel you’ve done getting back up to playing shape, playing weight? Uh, fine. I mean, there’s only so much you can do in practice. Um, you know, you do your best to get back into shape, do your best to to get back up to speed, but until you’re in a game and and it’s it’s real life and you’re, you know, everything’s coming at you, there’s nothing that that replicates it. So, just got to get back into it, keep it simple, get my legs moving, and and uh you know, just go from there. Is there a food you missed most when you couldn’t take in solid meals? Uh, not necessarily. I think uh literally at that point would have been anything. Um, literally anything. Yeah. Jason, you talked about bringing that veteran voice back, the team, back to the bench. Why do you think that’s going to be important, especially for a team looking to rebound after the loss to Calgary? Um, you know, I think for me sometimes it’s just nice hearing a different voice. It doesn’t matter whose it is, honestly. Um, you know, so being out for seven games, they’ve heard me, you know, being an idiot or yelling at them or, you know, saying anything. So, I think, uh, I think that’s honestly half the battle is just hearing something different. Um, you know, it has nothing to do with something profound that I’m going to say or, you know, is going to motivate the guys to a different level. that’s just a a different voice and just, you know, trying to uh, you know, just just be a steady voice and, you know, try to move from there. What’s been your impression of some of the young guys that have filled in your abs since the other last season? I think they’ve done great. I mean, uh, Rosie, Austie, you know, Duner and Coy, I mean, they’re all uh been big parts of especially the wins and and, you know, even even the games that we’ve lost, they were still big parts of, you know, playing well and doing good things. Uh it’s been fun to watch and uh you know I’m looking forward to seeing kind of their development you know moving forward here and um you know especially as we get healthy you know where they slot into the lineup and um you know and how they handle you know if their role changes and things of that sort. It’s just it’s always an interesting dynamic but um you know I think they’ve shown a a uh a very strong presence and I think uh they’ve done really well and they’ve deserve everything that they’ve gotten. Did it create some good competition too throughout the lineup? Just like knowing that these guys are capable of filling in if needed. Um, yeah, I think so. I mean, you know, I think it’s uh it’s always kind of an interesting question, right? It’s like, uh, there there’s always inner competition whether there’s call-ups or not, right? It’s always uh, you know, somebody looking for more ice time, somebody that’s, you know, hoping they have a little bit more power play or penalty kill time. there’s always those inner, you know, u battles, you know, within the lineup, but ultimately the the goal is to win hockey games and it doesn’t matter what role you’re in or what you how many minutes you’re playing, you’re you’re looking to do that and help the team win. So, again, I think for them, you know, I think they’ve done a great job. Uh it’s been fun to watch and uh you know, obviously for me only being here, you know, a year and a bit, you know, I haven’t seen as much of their development from their early on and early years and so it’s been fun to see. They’re they’re great players and um you know, I think they’re going to have great careers. On Wednesday, we heard how much fun you guys had during Benny’s availability. How much energy does he bring on and off the ice to the room? I don’t even know if I’d call it that. I mean, this guy, he’s a disaster is what that is. I don’t even know where to go with that one, honestly. But he’s uh he’s a really really good kid. He’s fun to be around. Um makes some of the most ridiculous comments I’ve ever heard in my entire life. Um but uh makes it fun and you know, try to keep it light. Have you been able to keep up with it in the gym? No. No. He’s just honestly he’s gotten so strong. I don’t think they had to buy new weights. I heard. Yeah. Yeah. They’re uh Yeah. I think GI might he might have a job for life because of it, you know, compared to what he’s doing. Jason, how can you how can you guys be better in the first period off the hop like you were last season? That’s been an issue this year where you’re you’re chasing a lot of games. Uh, I think it’s just, you know, just individual preparation. You know, just making sure that you know the game plan and then making sure that you’re, you know, mentally locked into that game plan and, you know, making sure you’re you’re carrying it out in your first couple shifts. It’s it’s not about going rogue and trying to affect the game, you know, individually or on your own. It’s it’s doing it within the team system for the first 5 10 minutes and then from there plays open up, things happen, and and you start playing your game a little bit. But I think there’s a, you know, needs to be a little bit more of an emphasis on on playing within that team system for the first 5 to 10 minutes and and just putting teams on their heels and then things start opening up from there.

Buffalo Sabres forward Jason Zucker spoke to the media ahead of a matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks on November 21, 2025. He’s expected to rejoin the lineup after missing eight games with an illness. He talked about what he wants to bring to the lineup and how his body is feeling. He also discussed where the team is at and how they can get back in the win column.

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