Senators vs. Sabres: Projected Lineups for October 15, 2025

Buffalo, NY – The Ottawa Senators (1-2-0) face off against the Buffalo Sabres (0-3-0) tonight at KeyBank Center at 7:00 PM EDT. The game will be broadcast on MSG-B, SN1, and RDS. Here's a look at the projected lineups, along with injury updates and key storylines heading into the contest.

Ottawa Senators Projected Lineup

Coach Travis Green is shuffling the lines in the wake of a significant injury to team captain Brady Tkachuk, who is expected to be out for at least four weeks with a hand injury sustained in Monday's game against the Nashville Predators. Drake Batherson will make his season debut after recovering from an upper-body injury sustained during training camp.

The projected lineup is as follows:

• Forwards:
  • Fabian Zetterlund – Tim Stützle – Michael Amadio
  • David Perron – Dylan Cozens – Drake Batherson
  • Ridly Greig – Shane Pinto – Claude Giroux
  • Nick Cousins – Lars Eller – Olle Lycksell
• Defense:
  • Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
  • Thomas Chabot – Nick Jensen
  • Tyler Kleven – Jordan Spence
• Goalies:
  • Leevi Meriläinen
  • Linus Ullmark

Scratched: Kurtis MacDermid, Nikolas Matinpalo Injured: Brady Tkachuk (hand)

Shane Pinto leads the Senators with four goals and five points through the first three games. Jake Sanderson leads the team in average ice time at 23:51. Linus Ullmark has a 3.40 goals-against average and a .842 save percentage.

Buffalo Sabres Projected Lineup

The Sabres are looking to shake off a slow start to the season, currently sitting at 0-3-0 after a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Buffalo has struggled to score, averaging a league-worst .67 goals per game. Zach Benson returns to the lineup after missing the first three games with an upper-body injury. Jiri Kulich is also expected to play.

Here’s the projected Sabres lineup:

• Forwards:

  • Zach Benson – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
  • Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Josh Doan
  • Jack Quinn – Jiri Kulich – Justin Danforth
  • Beck Malenstyn – Tyson Kozak – Peyton Krebs

• Defense:

  • Bowen Byram – Rasmus Dahlin
  • Owen Power – Conor Timmins
  • Jacob Bryson – Ryan Johnson
• Goalies:
  • Alex Lyon
  • Colten Ellis

Scratched: Josh Dunne, Mason Geertsen Injured: Josh Norris (upper body), Mattias Samuelsson (undisclosed), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body), Michael Kesselring (undisclosed), Jordan Greenway (middle body)

Jason Zucker and Tage Thompson have scored the only two goals for the Sabres this season. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jordan Greenway have returned to practice, with Greenway wearing a no-contact jersey. There is no timetable for their return.

Keys to the Game

• Senators: With Tkachuk out, the Senators need other players to step up offensively. Stützle, Batherson, Cozens, and Pinto will need to carry the offensive load. Solid defense from Sanderson and Zub in front of Ullmark is also crucial.
• Sabres: The Sabres need to find a way to generate more offense. Thompson, Tuch and Zucker need to lead the charge. Goaltending will also be key, as Lyon will need to be sharp to keep the Sabres in the game.

Odds and Prediction

The Ottawa Senators are favored to win.