Camp Countdown | Which Sabres forwards will provide a boost on offense?

In the days leading into training camp, Sabres.com will be addressing major questions surrounding the 2025-26 Buffalo Sabres. Up next: Which forwards will provide a scoring boost?

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Scoring wasn’t a pressing issue for the 2024-25 Buffalo Sabres, who ranked 10th in the NHL with 3.23 goals per game. And at 5-on-5, Buffalo’s 185 goals ranked fourth.

This year’s Sabres don’t need to drastically improve that offensive output, but they’d love to sustain it. Without forward JJ Peterka, who was traded to Utah after ranking third on the team with 27 goals, others must step up.

By now, Buffalo knows what to expect from Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, who added to their goal-scoring resumes last season with 44 and 36, respectively. Jason Zucker (21 goals) and Ryan McLeod (20) should again be steady middle-six contributors.

Beyond them, though, where will the goals come from? These three forwards appear primed to light the lamp 20-plus times this season and help fill the Peterka-sized void in Buffalo’s lineup.

Jack Quinn

The Sabres re-signed Quinn, a restricted free agent, in June. At two years with a $3.375 million average annual value, the contract speaks to Buffalo’s still-high expectations for the 2020 first-round pick.

In 2024-25, Quinn set career highs in goals (15) and points (39). He rebounded from a slow start to score at a 23-goal, 55-point pace in 50 games from Dec. 15-on.

Quinn’s shot should continue to be a weapon, especially if he sees more first-unit power-play time; three of his 15 goals came on the man advantage. And if the 23-year-old complemented his shot by getting stronger and faster this offseason, as he said he planned to, he could become a mainstay in the top six and one of Buffalo’s leading scorers.

“There’s not a player that I’ve been around in my time here that assesses his own game as honestly as he does,” general manager Kevyn Adams said of Quinn. “The honest conversations that I had with Jack after the season, I know he took to heart and he’s going to come back better. So, this is a contract that puts him in a position to take the next step, and we’re excited about it.

“I think Jack has a huge upside.”

Josh Norris

Acquired from Ottawa on March 7, Norris contributed one goal in three games before a torn oblique ended his season.

Entering his first full season with the Sabres, Norris is expected to make an all-around impact in the top six: win faceoffs, play responsible defense and, yes, score. The center notched 20 goals in 53 games before the trade, and in his career, he’s averaged 31 goals per 82 games.

Norris’ most productive season came in 2021-22, when he totaled 55 points (35+20) in 66 games. With good health, power-play minutes and a consistent role between Buffalo’s top wingers, he should return to those heights – it’d be a massive development for the 2025-26 team.

Jiri Kulich

Kulich’s rookie season, as a 20-year-old, was a success by most measures. He contributed 15 goals and nine assists, earned coach Lindy Ruff’s trust for his defensive play and fit in as the first-line center next to Thompson.

That said, Kulich managed just four goals in his last 25 games. With dangerous linemates and a dangerous shot of his own, the Czech center figures to become a more consistent scoring threat as he matures and gains NHL experience.

He’s not afraid to use that shot, having ranked second on the Sabres behind Thompson in both shot attempts per 60 minutes (17.1) and shots on goal per 60 minutes (8.8) in 2024-25. But while Thompson shot 18.2 percent, Kulich’s shooting percentage was 11.2 percent – slightly above the NHL average of 10.7 percent. It’s reasonable to expect improvement in that department this season.

Kulich’s skillset also makes him a logical candidate to replace Peterka on the right flank of Buffalo’s first power-play unit and score some goals there. Last season, he averaged 1:25 of power-play time per game but didn’t record any man-advantage points. Naturally, 5-on-4 opportunities with Thompson, Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin and Co. would yield stronger numbers.