In need of balanced scoring — and more of it — the Sabres shuffle their lines (2024)

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner and Sam Reinhart are going to show up on the scoresheet. They produce points and, for a short stretch, can lift an entire team.

But having just one line doesn’t work forever. In fact, it hasn’t worked for more than two months. During that time, Buffalo has reclaimed the dubious distinction of being among the NHL’s worst teams.

If the Sabres can lose with Eichel, Skinner and Reinhart together, it’s time to see if they can win apart. Here were the lines coach Phil Housley unveiled Monday.

The idea of wholesale line changes didn’t come easily to Housley. The coach loved sending his first line over the boards, and it rewarded him. Of the Sabres’ 145 goals, Eichel has been on the ice for 75 of them (51.7 percent). Skinner is right behind with 74 celebrations (51 percent), followed by Reinhart with 65 (44.8 percent).

From there, the production drops in a big, big way.

With six consecutive home games that could determine whether Buffalo stays in playoff contention, Housley had little choice but to shake things up.

“It’s always difficult, especially when they were really rolling,” he said. “You try to give them an opportunity to dig themselves out of it. It didn’t work.”

Here’s a look at the scoring lines Housley hopes will work, though the coach cautioned that they are subject to change. Most stats courtesy of NaturalStatTrick.com.

Sheary-Eichel-Okposo

Sheary could use an Eichel boost. After scoring in three straight games in early November, the left winger has potted just two goals in his past 31.

Eichel has had Sheary on his left side for just 85 minutes this season. They’ve created their share of scoring chances (38), but they’ve combined for just two goals.

Despite being the Sabres’ highest-paid players, Eichel and Okposo have rarely played together. During the past three seasons, they’ve skated just 387:46; by comparison, Eichel and Reinhart have been together for 1,238:55. Eichel and Okposo have been outscored 18-10 with a scoring-chance deficit of 158-134.

But Okposo is one of the few players with multiple goals since New Year’s Eve, scoring four times to trail just the five goals by Skinner.

“Jack’s a world-class player, and he’s played at an extremely high level this year,” Okposo said. “Yeah, anytime that you get to play with him, you’d like to take advantage of that opportunity. I’m just looking to go play my game, play hard. I feel like I’ve been going pretty good here the last 15 games, and I like where my game’s at.”

Skinner-Mittelstadt-Pominville

One of the big storylines this month will be whether Buffalo can extend the contract of Skinner, who is a pending unrestricted free agent. Some may worry that splitting him from Eichel will prompt him to split from Buffalo, but the left winger says daily changes don’t impact long-term thinking.

“Jack’s a great player, but I think a lot goes into sort of playing on a team,” Skinner said. “If we’re going to have success, we’re going to have to have success as a unit: all four lines, all six D, both goalies. For me, I just want to try to be a piece of the puzzle and sort of contribute in a way that helps the team win.”

Yet there’s no denying the success of Eichel and Skinner together in terms of goals and scoring chances.

“Throughout the course of a season, lines change all the time,” Skinner said. “Everyone in here is an NHL player, so just go on your new line and get to know your linemates and sort of get the chemistry going as quick as you can.”

Pominville preceded Reinhart as the right winger for Eichel and Skinner, so the reunited wingers have a history of success (24 goals in 197 minutes). Pominville also played alongside Mittelstadt during the rookie’s six-game introduction to the NHL last season. They combined for four goals while attempting 47 shots in 48 minutes.

“I’m excited, for sure,” Mittelstadt said.

During the past nine games, Mittlestadt has seen a reduction in minutes and an uptick in production. He’s skating just 12:55 per night but has two goals and five points.

The rookie gets a great chance to multiply those alongside Skinner and his 31 goals.

“It’s getting better,” Mittelstadt said of his season. “Obviously, it wasn’t an ideal start. It’s not what I wanted, but I think you get more comfortable, start making plays, realize what you can and can’t do.”

Smith-Rodrigues-Reinhart

Reinhart gets another chance to carry a line. During the past three years, he’s played without Eichel almost as much as he’s played with him. There’s a big difference in goal production.

Smith, who leads Rochester of the American Hockey League with 41 points in 41 games, is back after putting up five goals and 12 points in eight games. Smith and Reinhart join the similarly sizzling Rodrigues, who has four goals and seven points in his past nine games.

For the first time in a while, the Sabres could have three scoring lines instead of one. If they keep giving up 3.6 goals per game, which they’ve done since Christmas, they’ll need them.

“When you change lines like that, it can’t distract us from the way that we need to play,” Okposo said. “Different lines are going to be different lines, but we have to play better without the puck and we have to defend better.

“We’re in a decent spot,” he said of sitting three points out of the playoffs. “We’re playing meaningful games at this point of the year, and it’s only going to get harder. We have to really trust the process, trust the identity that we’ve forged because that’s how we’re going to win games.”

(Top photo of Jeff Skinner: Kevin Hoffman / USA Today)

John Vogl is a senior editor for The Athletic on the universal desk. A sports reporter since 1998, he covered the Sabres for over 20 years. An award-winning journalist, he has also covered minor-league hockey in Georgia, Auburn University football and taught copy editing at Buffalo State College. Follow John on Twitter @BuffaloVogl