The Buffalo Sabres are working to get their roster in order for the start of the 2026-27 NHL season.
To do so, they've risked losing eight different players in the process of clearing out some space.
That's because for many players, being sent down to the AHL — in this case, the Rochester Americans — requires passing through waivers first.
The Sabres don't really have a choice, because there are always more players on the preseason roster than the regular season roster. It just comes with some natural risk.
They placed eight players on waivers on Friday, all guys who would go to the AHL if they aren't claimed by other teams.
Those eight guys are Mason Geertsen , Dennis Gilbert , Ryan Johnson , Trevor Kuntar, Aidan McDonough , Carson Meyer , Jason Polin and Matt Villalta .
According to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News, the three guys most notable in that list are Gilbert, Johnson and Kuntar.
Gilbert would appeal to a team in need of a lanky left-shot defenseman who brings serious physicality to the ice.
At 6-foot-2, the Buffalo native has played for the Sabres in the past (25 games in 2024-25) but most recently was with the Ottawa Senators before signing with the Sabres in the offseason.
He has 119 career NHL games with three goals and 18 assists. He also has 158 blocks shots and 269 hits.
Johnson is another left-shot defenseman, and he's got quite the pedigree.
His father Craig was an NHL player, too, and this Johnson is a former first-round pick, taking 31st overall by the Sabres in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Now 25 years old, Johnson has appeared in 47 games across the last three seasons for the Sabres. Of those, 41 of the games came in 2023-24, when he had seven assists. Johnson hasn't had a point in either of the last two seasons.
Kuntar is the most inexperienced of these three notables placed on waivers.
He's a 6-foot tall left-shot center who is originally from Buffalo.
The Boston Bruins chose him in the third round in 2020, and he played collegiately at Boston College.
His father, Les, briefly appeared in the NHL as a goalie.
This Kuntar made his first and so far only NHL appearance with the Sabres during the 2025-26 season, seeing just 5 minutes and 12 seconds and attempting a shot while being a minus-1.
If these guys, or any of the others on waivers, are claimed, it'll be known by the end of Saturday.
If not, they'll report to AHL Rochester to begin the 2026-27 season one step below the NHL.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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