After signing Rasmus Ristolainen to a substantial new deal, it feels like the future is now for the Buffalo Sabres. That doesn’t mean they’re rushing things.
The Sabres announced their 23-man roster in accordance with the league deadline, and two especially noteworthy teams didn’t make the cut: Alexander Nylander and Brendan Guhle.
Nylander, the eighth pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, will ply his trade in the AHL. Guhle (51st overall in 2015) returns to the junior level.
Overall, it’s sensible enough for Buffalo to send Nylander to the AHL at 18. The logic would likely be that he’s far more likely to get needed reps at that level rather than being a depth piece in the NHL.
Buffalo sent three other players to the AHL on Tuesday: Nicholas Baptiste, Daniel Catenacci and Justin Falk. Meanwhile, Hudson Fasching, Derek Grant and Casey Nelson managed to make the cut (for now?).
You can view the full Game 1 roster (14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies) right here.