Rd 1, #28 Jiri Kulich (C)

[dudacek]

21 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The kid is 18 and won’t be 19 until very end of next season.  He is also 20 lbs lighter and a year younger than Peterka was when he entered the A last season.  JJP went back to Europe following the 2020 draft.  KA has zero reason to rush Kulich. In fact, KA has every incentive to let Kulich’s contract slide once or twice to help stagger his prospects a little.

I think he sends him to the Q and sees how it goes. 

Contract slides in the AHL.

Kulich weighed in at 178 at the combine. Peterka was listed at 192 last year, Quinn at 185.

[GASabresIUFAN]

54 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Contract slides in the AHL.

Kulich weighed in at 178 at the combine. Peterka was listed at 192 last year, Quinn at 185.

With a year in the Q and one in the A, I believe it will slide two years like Quinn’s did. If in the Q his contract also doesn’t count toward the 50 limit 

[Norcal]

What if the kid just burst onto the scene and won't be denied to start the season in Buffalo? 

Let him play a few then send him to the Q? 

I'd rather let the kid marinate in the Q and potentially dominate than play against the old vet heads in the AHL i think. 

 

[Amerks8796]

On 7/29/2022 at 7:34 PM, Norcal said:

What if the kid just burst onto the scene and won't be denied to start the season in Buffalo? 

Let him play a few then send him to the Q? 

I'd rather let the kid marinate in the Q and potentially dominate than play against the old vet heads in the AHL i think. 

 

I don’t know why stuff like this continues to get perpetuated. The AHL today isn’t the AHL of 20 or 30 years ago. It’s younger, and more angled towards development. Kulich moving down a level to the QMJHL doesn’t make any sense. He should be in Rochester. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 hours ago, Amerks8796 said:

I don’t know why stuff like this continues to get perpetuated. The AHL today isn’t the AHL of 20 or 30 years ago. It’s younger, and more angled towards development. Kulich moving down a level to the QMJHL doesn’t make any sense. He should be in Rochester. 

Yes and no.  Many of the developmental players in the A are 25+ and have over 3 years of pro experience.  In addition 1/3 of the skaters in the league are in the late 20’s or 30’s.  This is a mens league which is why what JJP accomplished is so rare.  Historically 18 year olds don’t prosper in the AHL.  

The Sabres have no reason to rush this kid and it won’t hurt him to learn to play NA hockey is a league where he’d be in the middle of the leagues’ age group, be a kid that gets to play in all situations and hopefully dominate the league.  They can also call him up. 

Edited August 3, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[Curt]

33 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Yes and no.  Many of the developmental players in the A are 25+ and have over 3 years of pro experience.  In addition 1/3 of the skaters in the league are in the late 20’s or 30’s.  This is a mens league which is why what JJP accomplished is so rare.  Historically 18 year olds don’t prosper in the AHL.  

The Sabres have no reason to rush this kid and it won’t hurt him to learn to play NA hockey is a league where he’d be in the middle of the leagues’ age group, be a kid that gets to play in all situations and hopefully dominate the league.  They can also call him up. 

Not sure what your intended meaning was, but just want to clarify.

Peterka wasn’t 18 in the AHL last season, he started the year at 19 and turned 20 in January.  It’s was considered his age 20 season.

Kulich on the other hand is 18 until next April.  He will be 18 for most of next season and it will be considered his age 18 season.  It would be eyebrow raising if he played in the AHL.  The Q doesn’t seem right for him either though.  Seems like lesser competition than he’s already played against.  Yes, it’s in North America but in another country in a place where everyone will be speaking French, so I’m not sure if it’s actually very helpful with regards to cultural adjustment.  I think it might just be best for him to spend another season in the Czech league if they don’t think he is ready for the AHL.

[stuuuuuuuuu]

See a little bit of everything as far as post draft for guys playing in the Czech senior league leading up to their draft year. 
 

Chytl - right to AHL

Necas - back to Czech for a year

Hronek - OHL then finishing the year in the AHL

Could go any way at this point but if he’s good enough to stick around until near the end of  camp and looks like an AHL top 6 I think you have to play him there

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

5 minutes ago, Curt said:

Not sure what your intended meaning was, but just want to clarify.

Peterka wasn’t 18 in the AHL last season, he started the year at 19 and turned 20 in January.  It’s was considered his age 20 season.

Kulich on the other hand is 18 until next April.  He will be 18 for most of next season and it will be considered his age 18 season.  It would be eyebrow raising if he played in the AHL.  The Q doesn’t seem right for him either though.  Seems like lesser competition than he’s already played against.  Yes, it’s in North America but in another country in a place where everyone will be speaking French, so I’m not sure if it’s actually very helpful with regards to cultural adjustment.  I think it might just be best for him to spend another season in the Czech league if they don’t think he is ready for the AHL.

I never said Peterka was 18. Actually it was his (JJP) 19 year old season according to the AHL stats, and that season put him in the top 10 in AHL history for 19 year olds.  What JJP accomplish is very rare and most 19 year olds also don't fare well in the A.  History says it's even harder on 18 year olds to prosper in the A. 

I honestly don't think right now that the A is the best place for Kulich.  Management will certainly have the opportunity in camp to make an informed evaluation on where Kulich needs to go during camp.  Certainly Kulich can be sent back to Europe for another year.  It worked for Peterka and that may be the best.  However if they want him in NA to monitor his progress than it's between the Q and the A.  

[Curt]

7 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I never said Peterka was 18. Actually it was his (JJP) 19 year old season according to the AHL stats, and that season put him in the top 10 in AHL history for 19 year olds.  What JJP accomplish is very rare and most 19 year olds also don't fare well in the A.  History says it's even harder on 18 year olds to prosper in the A. 

I honestly don't think right now that the A is the best place for Kulich.  Management will certainly have the opportunity in camp to make an informed evaluation on where Kulich needs to go during camp.  Certainly Kulich can be sent back to Europe for another year.  It worked for Peterka and that may be the best.  However if they want him in NA to monitor his progress than it's between the Q and the A.  

Didn’t say that did claim JJP was 18, but I though that the way you wrote it was unclear and potentially misleading, and I honestly wasn’t sure of your meaning, so I wanted to clarify.  No offense intended.

Interesting, regarding Peterka and whether 2021-22 was his age 19 or 20 season.  Where do you see it listed as his age 19 season?  Hockey Reference uses the player’s age as of January 31 of the season in question.  I thought that was the standard practice.

[sabresparaavida]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

Didn’t say that did claim JJP was 18, but I though that the way you wrote it was unclear and potentially misleading, and I honestly wasn’t sure of your meaning, so I wanted to clarify.  No offense intended.

Interesting, regarding Peterka and whether 2021-22 was his age 19 or 20 season.  Where do you see it listed as his age 19 season?  Hockey Reference uses the player’s age as of January 31 of the season in question.  I thought that was the standard practice.

I think it’s September 15th for the AHL, not 100% sure though. A player has to be 18 by then to play in the league. 

[French Collection]

9 hours ago, Curt said:

Not sure what your intended meaning was, but just want to clarify.

Peterka wasn’t 18 in the AHL last season, he started the year at 19 and turned 20 in January.  It’s was considered his age 20 season.

Kulich on the other hand is 18 until next April.  He will be 18 for most of next season and it will be considered his age 18 season.  It would be eyebrow raising if he played in the AHL.  The Q doesn’t seem right for him either though.  Seems like lesser competition than he’s already played against.  Yes, it’s in North America but in another country in a place where everyone will be speaking French, so I’m not sure if it’s actually very helpful with regards to cultural adjustment.  I think it might just be best for him to spend another season in the Czech league if they don’t think he is ready for the AHL.

I don’t know where the best spot for him to play is. There are pros and cons to all of the scenarios. The Sabres and the Kulich family will determine what is best.

The Q players are mostly French but they have a number of players from the Maritime provinces, Ontario guys not drafted in the OHL, a few Americans and Europeans in the league. Kulich’s rights belong to Cape Breton, there are not many French speaking people in that community.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

I don’t know where the best spot for him to play is. There are pros and cons to all of the scenarios. The Sabres and the Kulich family will determine what is best.

The Q players are mostly French but they have a number of players from the Maritime provinces, Ontario guys not drafted in the OHL, a few Americans and Europeans in the league. Kulich’s rights belong to Cape Breton, there are not many French speaking people in that community.

IMHO, the best scenario for him would be to pencil him into the AHL with an agreement w/ his Czechia team to send him back towards the end of November if he isn't adapting.

But will trust the Sabres development team to make the right call on which option will be best for him.  Nice to be able to say that & actually fully believe it.

[French Collection]

24 minutes ago, Taro T said:

IMHO, the best scenario for him would be to pencil him into the AHL with an agreement w/ his Czechia team to send him back towards the end of November if he isn't adapting.

But will trust the Sabres development team to make the right call on which option will be best for him.  Nice to be able to say that & actually fully believe it.

I wonder if another option would be a loan to an SHL or Liiga team? Stronger competition than Czechia, still in Europe and with some English exposure with imports.

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 hours ago, Curt said:

Didn’t say that did claim JJP was 18, but I though that the way you wrote it was unclear and potentially misleading, and I honestly wasn’t sure of your meaning, so I wanted to clarify.  No offense intended.

Interesting, regarding Peterka and whether 2021-22 was his age 19 or 20 season.  Where do you see it listed as his age 19 season?  Hockey Reference uses the player’s age as of January 31 of the season in question.  I thought that was the standard practice.

https://www.quanthockey.com/ahl/en/player-age/19-year-old-ahl-players.html

[Curt]

57 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://www.quanthockey.com/ahl/en/player-age/19-year-old-ahl-players.html

Hmm, looks like they probably use January 1st as the age cutoff on that site, as opposed to Jan 31st on Hockey Reference.  The midpoint of the season is generally in mid January, so I’m not sure one is “better” than the other.

Anyway, doesn’t change your point.  What Peterka did in the AHL is rare for his age.  It probably not reasonable to expect Kulich to jump to the AHL at 18, and if he did he would probably be relegated to a minor role. Would rather see him take on a larger role in a different league.

[GASabresIUFAN]

41 minutes ago, Curt said:

Hmm, looks like they probably use January 1st as the age cutoff on that site, as opposed to Jan 31st on Hockey Reference.  The midpoint of the season is generally in mid January, so I’m not sure one is “better” than the other.

Anyway, doesn’t change your point.  What Peterka did in the AHL is rare for his age.  It probably not reasonable to expect Kulich to jump to the AHL at 18, and if he did he would probably be relegated to a minor role. Would rather see him take on a larger role in a different league.

I agree.  I don’t see KA rushing Kulich or Östlund.  Whether he goes to the Q so that the Sabres can monitor his progress easily or he goes home for a season, one of those solutions is more likely outcome.  That said it’s not impossible to believe he’ll have a great camp and force the Sabres hand.  He was my favorite draft pick and I think he’s going to be an excellent pro.  His international track record is excellent and he was solid in a mens league in Germany.  

The one guy I can see being a little rushed is Savoie.  Because of his age if he doesn’t make the Sabres, he’ll have to spend the next 2 years in the WHL.  I suspect he’ll dominate this next season in Winnipeg and then make the Sabres the following year.  

[dudacek]

Three considerations need to be added to this conversation:

The first is (as I mentioned in the other thread) that the Sabres seem to prefer the USNDP development model of challenging young talent by “playing them up” while giving them both increased support and adversity through on-ice responsibility. Thompson on the 1st line, Cozens vs McDavid, Dahlin and Joki getting the hard minutes, Quinn and Peterka on the 1st line in the AHL in their D+2 seasons - the Sabres often work against the grain over conventional NHL thinking when it comes to development.

The 2nd is they seem to want to work with their prospects in terms of giving them some autonomy in charting their own development path. Adams talks about it all the time. Kisakov is in North America largely because he wants to be in North America. Östlund was very clear about going back to Sweden.

And the 3rd is the most obvious, but seems to be the most overlooked up-thread: just how good is Kulich right now? He stood out among his peers at development camp. But was he on a tier with Jack and JJ? With Weissbach and Rousek? 

There is no doubt in my mind that the Sabres would prefer to have hands-on control over Kulich with Appert and Peca in Rochester with all else being equal. I think the presence of Rousek and Pekar with the Amerks provides a rare opportunity to help him with the cultural transition. I’m not particularly worried about the physical aspect; he’s not small and he played all of last year against men. And he wants to be here.

So to me, the only thing preventing him from being an Amerk is the state of his game. Is he good enough to play with the Brett Murrays and the Ethan Prows? Training camp should tell.

[dudacek]

Three-point night and praise as one of the better players in Czechia's upset of the US yesterday.

Seth Appert was on with Marty and Duffer this week and dropped offhand that Kulich might be an option for the Amerks this year.

So we know it is under consideration.

Edited August 18, 2022 by dudacek

[bob_sauve28]

 

[Brawndo]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Three-point night and praise as one of the better players in Czechia's upset of the US yesterday.

Seth Appert was on with Marty and Duffer this week and dropped offhand that Kulich might be an option for the Amerks this year.

So we know it is under consideration.

 

[thewookie1]

57 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

My guess is they'll give him a few games and see if he can fit in; otherwise they have a European team for him to play for and continue to slow-cook

[Hank]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

I think that's the right decision. I'm very high on Kulich and won't be surprised if he's called up around Christmas. 

[LGR4GM]

14 minutes ago, Hank said:

I think that's the right decision. I'm very high on Kulich and won't be surprised if he's called up around Christmas. 

I think there would have to be significant injuries for him to get called up for anything other than 1 game "this is level you're trying to get to" game. 

[sabresparaavida]

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I think there would have to be significant injuries for him to get called up for anything other than 1 game "this is level you're trying to get to" game. 

I'd have to agree, Hard to see him outperforming Quinn's performance of last year in the AHL, and we are a deeper team this year. 

[Flashsabre]

Kulich, Rosen, Kisakov, Cederqvist would be an interesting group for Rochester.