The injuries go past the goalies. Mattias Samuelsson is out with a lower-body injury on a week-to-week timetable, though Ruff said he could return at the early end of it. Jason Zucker is out too, and Olen Zellweger is day-to-day on the blue line. Team coverage counted 5 significant players lost to injury in 4 preseason games. That leaves a thinner roster than the one that finished last season.
Columbus had a much quieter camp. The Blue Jackets went 2-1 through their first 3 preseason games, and both wins were home shutouts, over Detroit and Pittsburgh. Jet Greaves got the start in the preseason finale against the Red Wings. Columbus hasn't named its opening-night goalie, so treat that as a hint, not a confirmation. The preseason lineups were full NHL-caliber groups, which suggests the opening roster is mostly settled.
Buffalo's most recent competitive hockey was last spring: a 5-game stretch against Montreal that went 2-3. That included an 8-3 blowout and a pair of 6-goal nights allowed. Nothing from May carries over to October, but the Sabres did show they can score in bunches, and they'll likely need to on Thursday.
The question for opening night is simple. If Luukkonen or Lyon is cleared, Buffalo has its normal team, and the board already treats this as close to even. If it's Ellis, Buffalo sends a thinned defense and its third goalie into a building where the home team didn't allow a goal in 2 preseason games. The answer should come on the morning of the game.