Projected Lineups for Sabres vs Blue Jackets – 01/03/26

The Buffalo Sabres take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena today. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others.

SABRES (21-14-4) at BLUE JACKETS (17-16-6)

3 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, MSG-B

Sabres projected lineup

Peyton Krebs — Tage Thompson — Josh Doan
Noah Ostlund — Josh Norris — Alex Tuch
Zach Benson — Ryan McLeod — Jack Quinn
Jordan Greenway — Josh Dunne — Beck Malenstyn

Mattias Samuelsson — Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power — Michael Kesselring
Bowen Byram — Zach Metsa

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Colten Ellis

Scratched: Jacob Bryson

Injured: Tyson Kozak (upper body), Conor Timmins (broken leg), Jason Zucker (upper and lower body), Jiri Kulich (blood clot), Justin Danforth (lower body), Alex Lyon (lower body)

Status report

The Sabres could dress the same lineup they used in a 4-1 win at the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. 

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Blue Jackets projected lineup

Mason Marchment — Adam Fantilli — Kirill Marchenko
Dimitri Voronkov — Cole Sillinger — Danton Heinen
Boone Jenner — Charlie Coyle — Mathieu Olivier
Zach Aston Reese — Brendan Gaunce — Kent Johnson

Zach Werenski — Denton Mateychuk
Ivan Provorov — Damon Severson
Jake Christiansen — Dante Fabbro

Elvis Merzlikins
Jet Greaves

Scratched: Dysin Mayo

Injured: Erik Gudbranson (hip), Isac Lundestrom (lower body), Sean Monahan (undisclosed), Brendan Smith (lower body), Miles Wood (lower body)

Status report

Werenski returns after missing five games with a lower-body injury and will replace Mayo, a defenseman. … Heinen will make his Blue Jackets debut after being acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins for forward Yegor Chinakhov on Monday; he will replace Wood, a forward who was placed on injured reserve Thursday after leaving in the first period of a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday. … Smith, a defenseman, was placed on injured reserve Friday.

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