Sabres Prospects 2022-2023

[Hank]

54 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Nadeau traded to Gatineau 

 

 

Is this good or bad?

[French Collection]

9 hours ago, Hank said:

Is this good or bad?

Shawinigan was built to compete this year. Most of their best players are ‘02 (Bourque, Bourgault and goalies) Dube, Has and Massicotte were good overage players.

My guess is they are going into rebuild mode and Nadeau might get another playoff run elsewhere. Gatineau has a lot of ‘03 and ‘04 players so they will probably be a team to watch this year.

[shrader]

On 6/30/2022 at 8:11 PM, Digger said:

Yes, kind of a strange statement, He’s still got a bit of a pitchfork in his skating.........

Thanks to this picture, the inkman in me thinks it means he has a third leg.

[inkman]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

Thanks to this picture, the inkman in me thinks it means he has a third leg.

Feel free to tag me in these so I can enjoy others perviness

[shrader]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

Feel free to tag me in these so I can enjoy others perviness

Everyone has a little inkman in them.

 

Have fun with that one.

[GASabresIUFAN]

I was playing with my list of prospects trying to put some order to them before the draft and found it surprisingly difficult so far.  There are 30 prospects currently in the system ranging from Power to Pekar and ranging in age from 19 to 24.  I wrote earlier that I wasn’t going to rank the kids until after the draft, but i found it helpful to help prepare for the draft.

When I rank the prospects I look at upside potential as well as years to the NHL.

The top of the list is well obvious - Power, Quinn, Krebs, JJP, Levi and Samuelsson, but after that it gets tricky.  

Where do you place older prospects like Murray, Weissbach, Biro and Rousek?

How high do you place CHL breakout players like Nadeau, Bloom, and Kozak?

Do you lower the ranking for the Russian kids because of the political situation?  In the end I discounted all the Russians due to the uncertainty in their availability.  

Where do you place AHL prospects who didn’t quite live up to expectations like UPL, Laaksonen and Pekar? Also how do you judge Novikov vs Laaksonen?

So here is my pre-draft preliminary list

1. Power - Played 23 minutes a night in his 8 games after leading Mich deep into the NCAA championships and representing Canada twice.

2. Quinn - 1.35 pts per game in the AHL last year @ 20.  NHL this fall.

3. Krebs - 22 pts in 48 NHL games last year

4. Peterka - 68 pts in 70 AHL games as a 19 year old rookie.  Amerks leading scorer. 7g in 10 playoff games. Likely a Sabre this fall.

5. Levi - 1.54 gaa and .952 save % in first NCAA season. One more college season before joining the pro ranks.

6. Samuelsson - Ended up as Dahlin’s partner on the Sabres top pair. 

7. Johnson - Gopher D going back for one more shot at an NCAA championship.  Probably NHL ready.  Could become a UFA

8. Portillo - like Levi and Johnson, going back for another championship shot.  Was Michigan’s backbone in net.   Could become a UFA. Reminds me of Cal Petersen.

9. Rosen - C/W - 2021 1st rd pick, floated between leagues last year, but joining Amerks in the Fall. 

10. UPL - played his best in the NHL games last year, but still struggled in the AHL. Likely one more year in Rochester.

11. Nadeau - RW stepped up with 78 pts in 65 games in the Q.  Great in Memorial Cup.  Signed, but one more year in the Q. 

12. Laaksonen - originally had him 17th, but with 2 solid pro seasons under his belt, if his D improves, he’ll be our first D callup. 

13. Kisakov - LW; 26g and 51 pts in the MHL.  Signed by the Sabres, but will he be in Rochester next season?  If not, drop him next to Poltapov.

14. Bloom - 6’2” LW scored 61 pts in 67 OHL games. Also signed but ineligible for the Amerks this season.

15. Kozak - C; 32g and 69 pts in 66 WHL games was a huge breakout for the former 7th rd pick.  Eligible for the AHL next year, but as of yet unsigned.

16. Cederqvist -AHL bound LW after a stellar SHL season with 32 pts in 49 games at only 21.  

17. Poltapov - LW; like Rosen bounced around last year and did ok in the VHL with 7 pts in 25 games. 

18.  Biro - impressed in first pro season and earned a call up. 41 pts in 48 AHL games is hard to ignore, but is already 24.   

19. Rousek -The RW missed most of last season with an injury but was excellent in AHL playoffs w 6 pts in 10 games.  Should have a bigger role next season.

20. Novikov - Big strong D who held his own in the KHL, but has limited offensive upside. Who knows when or if he’ll get signed.

21. Costantini - 21 pts in 35 NCAA games for UND.  Sabres need centers.  I hope the former Jr Sabre continues to blossom.

22. Huglen - RW scored 16 pts in 37 NCAA games, but role grew as season progressed.  Not bad considering he missed 2 years to an injury.  Could be a breakout player next season.

23. Murray - big LW did some nice things in 19 NHL games, but hard to project him as more than a AAAA player given the Sabres forward depth.

24. Weissbach - Small forward had a solid 1st pro season w 37 pts in 67 games.  Already 24, hard to see him making the Sabres.

25. Lyckasen - Smaller D bounced around some last year, but did put on 19 pts (9 goals) in 51 Swe-1 games as a 19 year old.  

26. Von Barnekow - C; Also bounced around, but had 31 pts in 27 Swe-jr games, but failed to score in 27 SHL games or 8 SWE-1 games.

27. Marjala - 46 pts in 68 Q games.  Will need to make a huge leap to catch the herd of LW prospects ahead of him.

28. Sardarian - 25 pts in 46 USHL games.  RW set to join U of New Hampshire in the fall.  Hopefully he didn’t return to Russia for the summer.

29. Pekar - Make or break season for the pesky forward. 6 pts in 47 AHL games won’t cut it.

30. Konecny - Small 20 year old center playing in Czech league.  7 pts in 28 games last season.

Edited July 5, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[GASabresIUFAN]

So where do today's picks slot on the above list.  

All 3 are immediately in our top 10. I'd also slot all 3 ahead of  last year's 14th overall pick Rosen.  I honestly think all 3 are or will be better players.  I my personal baord for this year I had Savoie 6th, Kulich 14th and Ostlund 18th.   I had Rosen 21st on my board last season.  

I'd slot Savoie at 6th on our prospect list after Levi, but before Samuelsson.  Samuelsson would fall to 7th.  Kulich would then be 8th and Ostlund 9th, followed by Johnson at 10, Portillo 11 and Rosen 12.  

[Flashsabre]

All I know is the WJCs in December are going to be fun to watch as a Sabres fan.

[LabattBlue]

6 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

All I know is the WJCs in December are going to be fun to watch as a Sabres fan.

Plus the canceled 2022 WJC will be played next month. 👍🏻

[Thorner]

10 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

So where do today's picks slot on the above list.  

All 3 are immediately in our top 10. I'd also slot all 3 ahead of  last year's 14th overall pick Rosen.  I honestly think all 3 are or will be better players.  I my personal baord for this year I had Savoie 6th, Kulich 14th and Östlund 18th.   I had Rosen 21st on my board last season.  

I'd slot Savoie at 6th on our prospect list after Levi, but before Samuelsson.  Samuelsson would fall to 7th.  Kulich would then be 8th and Östlund 9th, followed by Johnson at 10, Portillo 11 and Rosen 12.  

Your ranking seems good.

Personally, if we are counting Krebs as a prospect still, I honestly think I’d have Savoie ahead of him, head to head.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, Thorny said:

Your ranking seems good.

Personally, if we are counting Krebs as a prospect still, I honestly think I’d have Savoie ahead of him, head to head.

On skill alone you are probably correct, but I have them (Krebs and JJP) over him because they are NHL ready now and Savoie may not taste the NHL for 2-3 years.  In a year as Savoie or Levi will likely be No.1 on the list as the currently inexperienced NHL guys move off the list.  

Don’t forget that Power, Quinn and JJP all have less than 10 games of NHL experience.  Krebs only has 61 and Samuelsson 54.

[dudacek]

Updated prospect depth chart

Centre:

• Krebs (L)
• Savoie (R)
• Östlund (L)
• Kulich (L)
• Ruotsalainen (L)
• Biro (L)
• Huglen (R)
• Costantini (L)
• Kozak (L)
• Karlsson (L)
• Konecny (L)
• Sjodin (L)

Wing:

• Quinn (R)
• Peterka (L)
• Rosen (L)
• Poltapov (R)
• Kisakov (L)
• Nadeau (R)
• Bloom (L)
• Neuchev (L)
• Rousek (L)
• Murray (L)
• Weissbach (L)
• Richard (R)
• Pekar (L)
• Sardarian (L)
• Cedarqvist (L)
• Marjala  (L)
• Von Barnekow (L)
• Ratovic (L)

Defence:

• Power (L)
• Samuelsson (L)
• Fitzgerald (R)
• Johnson (L)
• Lindgren (L)
• Novikov (L]
• Laaksonen (R)
• Komarov (R)
• Lyckasen (R)

Goalie:

• Luukkonnen
• Levi
• Portillo
• Leinonen

Edited July 9, 2022 by dudacek

[Johnny Utah]

I think lots of you guys are getting well ahead of yourselves with the bright new shiney objects known as the Draft Class of 2022.

Top 3 picks are very basic size guys with only Savoie (who I love) having above average NHL speed. Remember lots of stuff gets taken away as you no longer have the time and space at the next level. Watched some games in Rochester this year and I'd be very surprised if most Euros on that list could survive.

It will be very interesting at Development Camp as I personally think the Canadians and Americans are well ahead of the Euros. I'd love to be wrong and see that they are same level or even ahead but I don't expect to see this at all. Perimeter players are a dime a dozen so lets see who steps up their game.

Also, if you are truely going to look at a prospect list do we really need to include Power, Samuelsson, Krebs, Quinn and even Peterka ?  In my mind, these guys are all Sabres next year.

 

[dudacek]

Östlund blew Cooley and Gauthier out of the water in the U18 final.

Kulich carved Canada like a Christmas turkey in the same tourney.

Maybe it’s the Euros who are well ahead?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Post draft rankings

1 -5  Power, Quinn, Krebs, JJP and Levi 

6. Savoie - C/W; 35g and 90 pts with the Winnipeg Ice.  1st rd pick 9th overall.  

7. Samuelsson - Ended up as Dahlin’s partner on the Sabres top pair. 

8. Kulich - C, 14 pts in Czech league at 18, Leading goal scorer with 9 in 6 games at U-18s.  

9. Östlund - C, 42 pts in 32 Swe J20 games. 10pts in 6 U-18 games.  

10 -13. Johnson, Portillo, Rosen and UPL 

14- 15. Nadeau, Laaksonen,

16. Neuchev -  LW, 40g in 61 MHL games last season which tied for 3rd in MHL goals.  Already 6'2. Sabres had a 1st rd grade on him.  

17 - 20. Bloom, Kisakov, Kovak, Poltapov.

21. Lindgren - D, Consensus had a 2nd rd grade, KA got him in the 4th.  Smooth skating 2 Way D whose  44pts (in 68 WHL games) was 3rd in U18 scoring in the WHL behind Korchinski and Mateychuk and ahead of Pickering.  Could rapidly move up this board.

22. Leinonen - G, Sabres also had a 1st rd grade on him.  Big goalie.  Will be years before we know if he has a chance at the NHL.

23 -26. - Cederqvist, Biro, Rousek and Novikov

27. Karlsson - C, anyone who can score 31g in 41 games in Swe J20 is a prospect to watch even though he was drafted in the 6th round. Ohgren only 18 year old with more (33).

28 - 31. Costantini, Huglen, Murray and Weissbach

32. Richard - RW, only 17, he blossomed in the USHL last season, scoring 41 pts in his last 34 games. 1 more year in the USHL and then to UConn.

33. Komarov - RHD, 19 pts in the Q last year.  Has some size (6'2, 188).

34. Lyckasen - Smaller D bounced around some last year, but did put on 19 pts (9 goals) in 51 Swe-1 games as a 19 year old.  

35. Ratkovic-Berndtsson - LW, 49 pts, including 22g in Swe-jr.  22g was 8th best in Swe - J20 for 18 or under players.

36 -40. Von Barnekow, Marjala, Sardarian, Pekar, Konecny

41. Sjodin - C/RW - Overager who apparently is a gifted stickhandler. Managed 11 pts in 49 SHL games.

Edited July 10, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[French Collection]

18 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Post draft rankings

1 -5  Power, Quinn, Krebs, JJP and Levi 

6. Savoie - C/W; 35g and 90 pts with the Winnipeg Ice.  1st rd pick 9th overall.  

7. Samuelsson - Ended up as Dahlin’s partner on the Sabres top pair. 

8. Kulich - C, 14 pts in Czech league at 18, Leading goal scorer with 9 in 6 games at U-18s.  

9. Östlund - C, 42 pts in 32 Swe J20 games. 10pts in 6 U-18 games.  

10 -13. Johnson, Portillo, Rosen and UPL 

14. Neuchev -  LW, 40g in 61 MHL games last season which tied for 3rd in MHL goals.  Already 6'2. Sabres had a 1st rd grade on him.  

15- 18. Nadeau, Laaksonen, Kisakov and Kovak 

19. Lindgren - D, Consensus had a 2nd rd grade, KA got him in the 4th.  Smooth skating 2 Way D whose  44pts (in 68 WHL games) was 3rd in U18 scoring in the WHL behind Korchinski and Mateychuk and ahead of Pickering.  Could rapidly move up this board.

20. Leinonen - G, Sabres also had a 1st rd grade on him.  Big goalie.  Will be years before we know if he has a chance at the NHL.

21 -25. Cederqvist, Poltapov, Biro, Rousek and Novikov

26. Karlsson - C, anyone who can score 31g in 41 games in Swe J20 is a prospect to watch even though he was drafted in the 6th round. Ohgren only 18 year old with more (33).

27 - 30. Costantini, Huglen, Murray and Weissbach

31. Richard - RW, only 17, he blossomed in the USHL last season, scoring 41 pts in his last 34 games. 1 more year in the USHL and then to UConn.

32. Komarov - RHD, 19 pts in the Q last year.  Has some size (6'2, 188).

33. Lyckasen - Smaller D bounced around some last year, but did put on 19 pts (9 goals) in 51 Swe-1 games as a 19 year old.  

34. Ratkovic-Berndtsson - LW, 49 pts, including 22g in Swe-jr.  

35 - 39. Von Barnekow, Marjala, Sardarian, Pekar, Konecny

40. Sjodin - C/RW - Overager who apparently is a gifted stickhandler. Managed 11 pts in 49 SHL games.

Bloom should be in there, perhaps around Nadeau’s level.

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, French Collection said:

Bloom should be in there, perhaps around Nadeau’s level.

He is supposed to be. Right after Laaksonen. Deleted him by accident.

Edited July 10, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[dudacek]

I know this is your take,  you weight towards NHL-readiness and you don’t take where the Sabres took them much into consideration.

But Poltapov outside the top 20?

His scoring in the Russian junior league’s is comparable to Nadeau and Bloom, he’s more skilled than either, and he’s a pain in the ass to play against.

The idea that he’s behind Tyson Kozak is bizarre to me

[dudacek]

Ruotsalainen no longer a prospect under your definition?

[GASabresIUFAN]

26 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I know this is your take,  you weight towards NHL-readiness and you don’t take where the Sabres took them much into consideration.

But Poltapov outside the top 20?

His scoring in the Russian junior league’s is comparable to Nadeau and Bloom, he’s more skilled than either, and he’s a pain in the ass to play against.

The idea that he’s behind Tyson Kozak is bizarre to me

I consider where they were drafted mostly on their initial placement, after that it's kind of meaningless except with 1st rd picks who teams seem to bend over backwards to give NHL opportunities even if they stink.   I thought Rosen's season was a huge disappointment and think he is a worse prospect than any of the 3 guys we drafted in the 1st rd this year.  (I also thought he was a reach draft day last year as well).

I downgraded Poltapov not because of skill but because of the political climate.   To me when a guy is likely to help the Sabres is a critical factor component especially when evaluating relatively similar players.  I agree Poltapov is a very talented guy and if I felt he'd be in NA next season or the year after I'd have him much higher on the list.  Odds right now of that happening are very slim.  On the other hand Nadeau and Bloom are signed and will be AHL eligible after next season.  Kovak was as productive as Bloom and is AHL eligible now but unsigned. 

When I did the initial list I had Kozak 15 and Poltapov 17.  They got further separated when I added the draftees, but I agree where he falls on the new list is to low and I'll edit that.  

23 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Ruotsalainen no longer a prospect under your definition?

Yes, as he'll be 25 to start next season and is no longer waiver exempt.

Edited July 10, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[GASabresIUFAN]

By the way, this list is just a snapshot in time.  If Laaksonen doesn't step up defensively next season, he'll tumble down the list.  If Rosen continues to struggle he'll tumble as well regardless of his draft status.  On the other hand if Rosen makes strides in the SHL next season, like Cedarqvist did, he'll ascend to near the top of the list.  

[dudacek]

5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

By the way, this list is just a snapshot in time.  If Laaksonen doesn't step up defensively next season, he'll tumble down the list.  If Rosen continues to struggle he'll tumble as well regardless of his draft status.  On the other hand if Rosen makes strides in the SHL next season, like Cedarqvist did, he'll ascend to near the top of the list.  

You’re expecting Rosen in the SHL again, rather than the AHL?

[GASabresIUFAN]

24 minutes ago, dudacek said:

You’re expecting Rosen in the SHL again, rather than the AHL?

Honestly I'm not sure.  In my initial list, I thought for sure he'd be an Amerk in the fall and that still maybe the plan.  However Elite Prospects lists him with Rogle in the SHL next season.  I wonder if D Camp will be the determining factor.  On the other hand, Elite Prospects doesn't list a 22/23 team for Cederqvist.

I did learn something interesting during the draft radio broadcast that sort of reinforced my thoughts on draft slot not being very important after the 1st 2 rounds. Dale Tallon was on the broadcast and said he only brought a list of 105 or so names to the draft most years, but due to COVID he'd have a list of 140 this past draft.  He said most teams have  a similar size list and that you don't put people on the list just to have names. The players has to do something very well that can project to the NHL someday to make the list such as speed, shot or hi IQ.  He said he'd trade extra picks if not needed. That told me that the difference in rating for guys drafted in the 4th round down to the 7th round are nearly identical.  

Edited July 10, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[DarthEbriate]

25 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Honestly I'm not sure.  In my initial list, I thought for sure he'd be an Amerk in the fall and that still maybe the plan.  However Elite Prospects lists him with Rogle in the SHL next season.  I wonder if D Camp will be the determining factor.  On the other hand, Elite Prospects doesn't list a 22/23 team for Cederqvist.

I did learn something interesting during the draft radio broadcast that sort of reinforced my thoughts on draft slot not being very important after the 1st 2 rounds. Dale Tallon was on the broadcast and said he only brought a list of 105 or so names to the draft most years, but due to COVID he'd have a list of 140 this past draft.  He said most teams have  a similar size list and that you don't put people on the list just to have names. The players has to do something very well that can project to the NHL someday to make the list such as speed, shot or hi IQ.  He said he'd trade extra picks if not needed. That told me that the difference in rating for guys drafted in the 4th round down to the 7th round are nearly identical.  

We're all JAGs after the 3rd round. 🍺

[dudacek]

My snapshot of what I think these guys are most likely to be, based on what I’ve seen to date. Includes NHLers who haven’t finished developing.

First line:

Dahlin, Power, Levi

Top 6, 2/3 D

Thompson, Cozens, Quinn, Samuelsson, Savoie

Middle 6, 4/5 D

Krebs, Mittelstadt, Jokiharju, Asplund, Peterka, Kulich, Östlund

Should play in NHL:

Bryson, Lukkonnen, Johnson, Rosen, Poltapov

Could play in the NHL:

Fitzpatrick, Portillo, Nadeau, Neuchev, Bloom, Kisakov, Novikov

Might get NHL games:

Biro, Lindgren, Leinonen, Rousek, Murray, Ruotsalainen

Id be surprised if he makes it:

Laaksonen, Kozak, Cedarqvist, Weissbach, Costatini, Huglen, Karlsson, Richard, Komarov, Lyckasen, Berntsson, Van Barnekow, Pekar, Sardarian, Konecny, Marjala, Sjodin

Edited July 10, 2022 by dudacek