Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres are hoping to have their newest player in the lineup on Tuesday in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.
Head coach Don Granato hopes forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby will have all his paperwork out of the way and be able to play on the left wing of a line with Arttu Ruotsalainen and Victor Olofsson.
Jonsson-Fjallby was acquired by the Sabres on Monday when the team claimed him off waivers from the Washington Capitals.
The 23-year-old winger has some familiarity with a few players on the Sabres roster. He said following Tuesday's morning skate he’s been on the same team in Sweden with both Olofsson and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, and has played against the rest of the Swedish players on the Sabres roster.
Jonsson-Fjallby was already in Hershey, Pa. with his girlfriend, getting ready for the upcoming season with the American Hockey League's Bears when he got the news that the Sabres claimed him off waivers.
“At first, I couldn’t really believe it," Jonsson-Fjallby said. "I was sent down to Hershey and I got an apartment, and went to get all my stuff and I got the news in the car.”
Trying to break into the Capitals' lineup is a tall task. Jonsson-Fjallby said he’s glad to be here, and is eager for his opportunity in Buffalo.
“I’m so excited. I’m really happy to be here," he exclaimed. "Just the fact that they claimed me shows that they believe in me, and that’s just a really good feeling for me.”
If you’re expecting Jonsson-Fjallby to come in and be a 25-goal scorer at the NHL level, you will likely be disappointed.
“I’m trying to bring speed to the game," he said of his game. "I don’t see myself as a half-wall power play guy, so I try to bring the speed, good defense and good penalty kill.”
Granato said Tuesday that Casey Mittelstadt and Zemgus Girgensons will be two of their centers when the 2021-22 regular season starts, but he’s not willing to commit just yet to the other two. He mentioned that Dylan Cozens could end up back on the wing. Cozens has been very unimpressive so far in training camp.
Granato said Dustin Tokarski and Aaron Dell will split the goaltending duties on Tuesday. Tokarski has played two periods in the preseason, giving up one goal. Dell has given up three goals in 30 minutes of work.
Tuesday’s lines:
Forwards:
Caggiula – Thompson – Peterka
Murray – Cozens – Quinn
Jonsson-Fjallby – Ruotsalainen – Olofsson
Bjork – Eakin – Hayden
The defense was all over the place at the morning skate. The seven defensemen on the ice were Jacob Bryson, Henri Jokiharju, Will Butcher, Colin Miller, Casey Fitzgerald, Mark Pysyk and Dahlin.
The Rochester Americans have started their training camp, and the Sabres sent down players before Tuesday’s first practice. Down to the AHL includes goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, forwards Linus Weissbach, Matej Pekar, Sean Malone and Ryan MacInnis, and defenseman Oskari Laaksonen.
Join Brian Koziol and me at 6:45 p.m. ET for pregame coverage on WGR Sports Radio 550.
