Sabres at Penguins | Metsa set to make preseason debut in Pittsburgh

After captaining the Quinnipiac Bobcats to a national championship in the Frozen Four, defenseman Zach Metsa signed a two-year contract with the Rochester Americans and has since enjoyed being a part of the Sabres’ rookie camp and NHL training camp.

The 24-year-old, who served as an alternate captain for Buffalo during the Prospects Challenge, is set to make his preseason debut when the Sabres take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday.

“Yeah, I’m excited. It should be a lot of fun,” Metsa said. “It’s been a good experience so far, so it’s just kind of another great part of it.”

The Delafield, Wisconsin native appeared in 13 playoff games with the Amerks during their Calder Cup playoff run and will be a strong addition to the team in 2023-24.

Throughout training camp, Metsa has focused on watching the veterans to learn more about how they handle themselves day to day and what it takes to play at the pro level.

He has paid special attention to rest and recovery while playing with confidence.

“Obviously, coming from college you’re only playing 40 games a year, you’re playing 82 here or 70-some in the American League” Metsa said. “So, everyone takes very good care of their body. But at the same time, you’ve just got to be confident in your abilities. Go out there and play your game. Just kind of have that belief in yourself.”

As Metsa continues to take in knowledge at camp and work on getting better every day, he has admired the coaching staff for their honesty and advice over the past week.

“They’re very easy to talk to if you have any questions or you want to know where you stand. They’re very open, they’re very honest,” Metsa said. “And those are all things I care about that the coaching staff has. It’s nice to have that honesty, even though sometimes it’s maybe tough to hear. But it’s what you want, it helps you know where you are and what you need to work on.”

The Sabres’ fourth preseason contest will be streamed live on Sabres.com (Pittsburgh feed with Penguins commentators) at 7 p.m. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the radio call on WGR 550.

Here are five things to know before the matchup.

1. The lineup

The lineup will feature a mix of veteran players, Rochester Americans, and prospects. Here's how the group lined up during morning skate minus Jacob Bryson and Ryan Johnson, who are on tonight's roster but had the morning off after playing Wednesday against Toronto.

Forwards:

12 Jordan Greenway - 72 Tage Thompson - 9 Zach Benson

77 JJ Peterka - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 15 Brandon Biro

28 Zemgus Girgensons - 20 Jiri Kulich - 63 Isak Rosen

79 - Viktor Neuchev - 48 Tyson Kozak - 49 Filip Cederqvist

Defensemen:

61 Riley Stillman - 38 Kale Clague

91 Nikita Novikov - 73 Zach Metsa

Goalies:

31 Eric Comrie

32 Michael Houser

62 Devin Cooley

2. Savoie update

Sabres coach Don Granato provided an update on forward Matt Savoie, who sustained an upper-body injury during Buffalo's Prospects Challenge finale against Pittsburgh. 

"Good news - he has progressed well, and we project him in practice next week," Granato said. "I would say midweek is the hope. That's the hope and we'll continue to gauge."

Savoie will be expected to hit certain markers before making his return, but the news is good for the forward who was considered week to week heading into camp.

3. Power-play units

The Sabres practiced with the following power-play groups for their morning skate:

12 Jordan Greenway

72 Tage Thompson - 9 Zach Benson - 20 Jiri Kulich

38 Kale Clague

49 Filip Cederqvist 

37 Casey Mittelstadt - 15 Brandon Biro - 77 JJ Peterka

73 Zach Metsa

4. Neuchev's debut

Forward Viktor Neuchev will also be making his preseason debut against the Penguins. Following practice, Granato spoke about his excitement to watch the 2022 third-round pick, who is readying for his first North American season.

"He’s got a real good feel for the game – his size, presence. I’m excited to see him," Granato said. "I think he’s got the athletic package but also that hockey sense, positional awareness. This will be a great venue for him because he’s playing against some very elite and reputable NHL players.”

5. Scouting the Penguins

Pittsburgh will be playing with an NHL lineup as Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson are among the players expected to be making their preseason debuts. 

Below is the Penguins' full roster.