What we saw at Sabres scrimmage: Is Jack Quinn ready for a breakout?

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Jack Quinn turned 25 on Saturday, and fittingly, he's looking like a player who is about to hit his prime.

During the Sabres' Blue and Gold scrimmage, Quinn might have been the best player on the ice. He had a goal and an assist along with two other Grade-A chances at the front of the net. A few days ago, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said when he was watching video of last season, he thought Quinn, who scored 20 goals, could have had 35 given all of his chances."

"It's definitely in my head that I probably could have capitalized on more chances last year, so I agree with Lindy that I could have scored a little more," Quinn said. "That was one focus (this summer) was just trying to work on my shot."

Ruff said after the scrimmage that Quinn's line with Zach Benson and Noah Ostlund was the best line on the ice throughout the afternoon. Early on, Ostlund had a prime scoring chance in front of the net. A few minutes later, Quinn entered the zone with speed, circled the net and then found Ostlund to set up the game's first goal.

"They had the puck a lot and made a lot of great plays today," Ruff said. "I think you're looking at three incredibly skilled players with a mixture of speed and then Ostlund sees the ice so well. We got exactly what we thought we were going to get. A lot of opportunities. They were probably the best line on the ice."

As impressive as that group was generating chances, their forechecking stood out just as much. Quinn was relentless on the puck and disrupted multiple breakouts before they got going. If he can add that to his game consistently, he could hit another level offensively.

It's only been three days of training camp. The NHL season is long, lines change a lot and there's no sense rushing to judgment. But Quinn spent a lot of time with Jason Zucker and Ryan McLeod last season, and it's been interesting to see him with new linemates. Having one of the team's best shooters with arguably the two best playmakers in the forward group could develop into an exciting mix.

"They're a treat to play with," Quinn said. "They're both super smart, great playmakers and hunt the puck really well. I feel like they're great linemates for me and we seem to have some chemistry together."

Quinn has a lot riding on this season. This is the final year of his contract before he becomes a restricted free agent. Benson, Ostlund and Doan have all gotten long-term contracts as general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen starts to establish which players are part of Buffalo's long-term core. Quinn's 20-goal season was a nice step forward. If he takes another one, he could be in for a significant raise on his $3.375 million salary.

"I don't know; I'm sure you think about it a little more than if you weren't in (a contract year)," Quinn said. "I think the process is the same. Just try to put the work in, improve your game and see what happens."

Asked about the idea of sticking around Buffalo long term, Quinn said, "I would love it. That would be great. Everyone in here loves the city and loves this group. That would be awesome."

If he can build off his strong start to camp, maybe that will become a reality.

Here's what else we saw at the Sabres' Blue and Gold scrimmage.

1. Other than a first-period goal to Ostlund on a net-front one-timer, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was locked in during the scrimmage. He stopped a few quality chances early in the game and saw the most shots of the three goalies during his two periods of action.

At some point, Kekäläinen and Ruff will have to make a decision on the goalies. The forward group is so deep that it's fair to wonder if carrying three goalies is going to make sense all season. Luukkonen emerging as a consistent No. 1 would help make that decision easier. Colten Ellis allowed three goals on Saturday but also made a few quality saves on high-danger chances. Alex Lyon, meanwhile, didn't allow a single goal.

2. Olen Zellweger is still getting used to the Sabres' system and his new teammates, but there's zero hesitation in his game. He was all over the offensive zone during the scrimmage, which is to be expected. His skating and puck skills are obvious to anyone watching him. But Ruff liked the way he closed on plays defensively. Ruff said there were times Zellweger deferred to too fancy a play when carrying the puck in the offensive zone, but he's been encouraged by what he's seen from the new defenseman.

Zellweger has spent all of camp playing with Owen Power. The two have some familiarity from playing together for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship. Ruff did say after the scrimmage that he and the coaches haven't made a final decision on who will play with Power yet, so that competition is still ongoing. But Zellweger has had some nice moments early.

3. Louis Crevier could factor into that conversation on who plays with Power. For such a big player, Crevier is comfortable defending in space. He hasn't looked limited by his offseason shoulder surgery at all early in training camp. If Ruff feels like he needs a better righty-lefty mix on the blue line, Crevier is an option to move up the lineup. He mixed in for a few shifts with Dahlin during the scrimmage.

4. Ruff said he would have a close eye on Jiri Kulich during the scrimmage and preseason games as he returns from missing a season due to a blood clot. On Saturday, Ruff thought Kulich got more comfortable as the game went on. He did get one solid scoring chance rushing in down the wing, but Lyon turned it away with a quick glove save. Kulich is also playing with Sam Carrick and Beck Malenstyn on the fourth line, and that's not going to be a permanent home for him. Once he gets back up to speed, it will be easier to evaluate Kulich when he's playing higher in the lineup.

5. To fill out two full teams, the Sabres had a few players from their second practice group join the main squad on Saturday. One who stood out was Thomas Bordeleau, who signed an AHL deal with the Rochester Americans over the summer. The 2020 second-round pick was in on a few scoring chances and clearly had the speed to keep up with the pace of the game. Rochester could use some scoring this season, so Bordeleau will be a welcome addition to that lineup.