The Sabres and Blue Jackets are set for a Thursday night matchup at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. It will be the season opener for both teams, and both sides are dealing with plenty of change. The Sabres are now without Alex Tuch, who joined the Capitals as a part of a sign-and-trade deal. That's a big loss for Buffalo, as Tuch is a phenomenal 200-foot player who scored 33 goals and dished out 33 assists last season. Buffalo is also without defenseman Bowen Byrum, who is now in Chicago with the Blackhawks. Byrum being gone hurts Buffalo's defensive depth, which was a major strength for them last season.
On the other side, the Blue Jackets made headlines earlier this week by dealing Kirill Marchenko to the Maple Leafs. Marchenko had emerged into a star in Columbus, racking up 74 and 67 points over the last two seasons. Columbus got Matthew Knies back in the deal, and this will be his first game with his new team. Considering those significant losses to both rosters, it may take some time for both teams to find a groove early on this season. Plus, the first two days of the regular season have shown us that the shortened preseason is having an impact on offensive efficiency. Look to the under in this one.
Sabres vs Blue Jackets prediction: Under 6 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -115.
