Sabres vs. Penguins | How to watch, lineup notes and notable prospects

The Buffalo Sabres conclude the 2025 Prospects Challenge with a final showdown with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday at LECOM Harborcenter.

The Sabres’ prospects opened the three-game set with a pair of defeats to the New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets. They'll look to continue building momentum ahead of training camp after two-point performances from Riley Fiddler-Schultz and Red Savage against Columbus.

Read more about Savage’s two-point performance in Saturday's game recap.

Puck drop for Monday’s game is scheduled for noon, and tickets are available here.

Here’s what you need to know before the prospects take the ice.

• Full Sabres prospect challenge roster

How to watch

All of the Sabres’ Prospect Challenge games can be streamed here on Sabres.com

Balanced Sabres offense

In addition to the Sabres’ five-goal outburst on Saturday, head coach Michael Leone’s group has nine different skaters who have registered at least one point in the first two games.

Fiddler-Schultz, Savage, Noah Ostlund and Radim Mrtka all have multiple points, including a goal.

While Leone wants his group to improve with more positionally sound hockey, fewer turnovers and a more aggressive approach on the power play, the roster’s offensive prowess has the ability to be a force against Pittsburgh.

Leone was also pleased with his team's response to the Blue Jackets’ physicality, and this included skill players Isak Rosen and Ostlund taking exception to a hit from behind on Konsta Helenius, who is “OK” according to Leone.

“It is a different environment,” Leone said of the Prospects Challenge. “Some of the guys that haven’t played before in this, it’s a lot faster, there’s less time and space and it's a lot more physical, so when they go back to their junior teams, they’ve kind of been in the fire before, and I think it's really good. A little bit of adversity is always good for younger players, I think, so a lot of things we can learn from with our younger guys and even our older guys.”

Penguins to watch

The Penguins had a trio of first-round picks in June with Ben Kindel, Bill Zonnon and Will Horcoff. With Zonnon injured and Horcoff at the University of Michigan, Kindel is the lone 2025 first rounder on the Penguins’ roster.

Eight 2025 NHL draft choices are scattered across the Penguins’ group, including third-round choices Brady Peddle on the blue line and goaltender Gabriel D’Aigle. Travis Hayes is a talented winger who shined with the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL, and Ryan Miller is a skilled two-way center.

Ville Koivunen – who scored in the Penguins’ 2-1 win over the Bruins on Friday – is one of two talents who played in the NHL a season ago along with former first-round pick Owen Pickering, who played 25 games.

Top prospects Rutger McGroarty and Peyton Kettles are unavailable due to injury, but former second-round selection Tristan Broz and Avery Hayes – who also scored against Boston – are key forwards.

Pittsburgh’s 2024 second-round pick Harrison Brunicke and 2023 third=round selection Emil Pieniniemi are talented defensemen who haven’t played significant action with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) but possess strong offensive skill.