Prospect pool, summer 2023

[JohnC]

4 hours ago, Brawndo said:

 

The goalie that I hope he can come close to emulating this season is Edmonton's Stuart Skinner. In his first full season, (He played a limited # of games in the prior two seasons.) his record last year was 29-14-5, 2.75 GA and a .913 save %. Skinner was a highly touted prospect but most evaluators would consider Levi an even better prospect. With Levi as our primary goalie I am less worried about the position than most. What would put him in a better position to succeed is better team defense and an improved PK unit. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://theathletic.com/4828154/2023/09/07/nhl-bust-breakout-u23-players/

Article from the Athletic about high-end prospects that still need to blossom.  There are no Sabres on the list, but one player on the list is our friend Marco Rossi.

Quote

 

Marco Rossi, C, Minnesota Wild

Drafted: No. 9 in 2020

2022-23 stats (AHL): 53 GP, 16G-35A-51P

The Wild could desperately use another high-end top-six center besides Joel Eriksson-Ek. Rossi doesn’t need to become that prolific of a player right away, but it’d be a massive boon for Minnesota if he can reach that ceiling in the years to come. The soon-to-be 22-year-old center needs to establish himself as a dependable NHL regular after back-to-back strong campaigns in the AHL, especially as one of the oldest players of the 2020 draft class.

Rossi made the Wild out of camp last year, and expectations were high after an NHL preseason leading nine points in five games, but the offense immediately dried up. He notched just one point in his first 15 games before getting sent down and scoring at just shy of a point-per-game clip in Iowa. Strength was a problem and he lacked a separating gear with his skating.

There are still plenty of reasons to be bullish about Rossi. He’s got slick hands, a high motor, mature two-way details and the high-end production has been there at every preceding level. You can’t forget about the impact that contracting myocarditis in late 2020 may have had on delaying his development as well.

Wild fans will hope this is another Mikael Granlund-like situation. Granlund was also an undersized No. 9 pick for Minnesota who looked weak and ineffective, with just eight points in 27 games during his draft-plus-three season. He came roaring back with 41 points in 63 games, four seasons removed from when he was drafted. Rossi’s entering his draft-plus-four season now so it’ll be a critical sign of what direction his career is headed.

 

Does anyone still want Rossi over Quinn?  Would you take Rossi over JJP at this point?  I wouldn't.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Also the Atheltic pegs Levi as the 3rd on their pre-season Calder candidates behind Bedard and Cooley.

[LGR4GM]

43 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://theathletic.com/4828154/2023/09/07/nhl-bust-breakout-u23-players/

Article from the Athletic about high-end prospects that still need to blossom.  There are no Sabres on the list, but one player on the list is our friend Marco Rossi.

Does anyone still want Rossi over Quinn?  Would you take Rossi over JJP at this point?  I wouldn't.

Rossi had covid to the point of hospitalization in his DY+1. We will literally never know how that impacted him or still impacts him. 

https://theathletic.com/4215993/2021/04/27/wilds-marco-rossi-opens-up-about-heart-condition-that-forced-him-off-the-ice/

Quote

"Every time before I went to sleep, I was so scared that I won't wake up anymore," Rossi said, discussing his myocarditis condition publicly for the first time. "Every night, before sleep, I was really sad and always crying because I was scared of that. I told my parents, 'Could you sleep right next to my bed and be here 'til I fall asleep?' And every day I woke up in the morning, I was so glad that I woke up. It was really hard."

 

[Crusader1969]

Where the heck is the roster for the tournament? its like 4 days away!

[GASabresIUFAN]

8 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Where the heck is the roster for the tournament? its like 4 days away!

Interesting question.

[steveoath]

On 9/7/2023 at 3:55 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

Also the Atheltic pegs Levi as the 3rd on their pre-season Calder candidates behind Bedard and Cooley.

Wonder what Levi will need to do to beat Bedard given how hard the NHL is using him for PR. 
 

playoffs ?

41+ games played ?

.910+ sv% ?

goalie goals ? (Jk)

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, steveoath said:

Wonder what Levi will need to do to beat Bedard given how hard the NHL is using him for PR. 
 

playoffs ?

41+ games played ?

.910+ sv% ?

goalie goals ? (Jk)

If the Sabres win the division.

[French Collection]

1 hour ago, steveoath said:

Wonder what Levi will need to do to beat Bedard given how hard the NHL is using him for PR. 
 

playoffs ?

41+ games played ?

.910+ sv% ?

goalie goals ? (Jk)

Bedard would have to be under 30 goals and 60 points for starters.

Levi winning 25-30 games with .910 could beat him if the Sabres make the playoffs.

[bunomatic]

On 9/11/2023 at 3:25 PM, French Collection said:

Bedard would have to be under 30 goals and 60 points for starters.

Levi winning 25-30 games with .910 could beat him if the Sabres make the playoffs.

There’s no shame in coming 2nd to a generational talent.🤷🏻‍♂️

[Scottysabres]

2 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

There’s no shame in coming 2nd to a generational talent.🤷🏻‍♂️

I agree, I hope Bedard can emotionally handle 2nd. It would just break my heart if it, I don't know, crushed him....

[nfreeman]

Is anyone revising their personal Sabres prospect rankings to move Rosen higher?  I sure am.  He looks great.  He’s a great skater, he seems to have great vision/awareness and passing/playmaking skills AND he can laser it in with the wrister.

[dudacek]

15 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Is anyone revising their personal Sabres prospect rankings to move Rosen higher?  I sure am.  He looks great.  He’s a great skater, he seems to have great vision/awareness and passing/playmaking skills AND he can laser it in with the wrister.

You shouldn’t really put on much emphasis on two September games. And Rosen is the oldest of the 4 high-end prospects at this tournament.

But it is pretty hard to continue ranking him on a tier below Benson, Savoie and Kulich based on what he’s doing.

He’s looked fantastic.

[LGR4GM]

Id still rank Rosen a tier below Benson and Savoie. Kulich, Östlund, Rosen though is hard to judge because of Rosen's age and Östlund not playing in NA.

[RochesterExpat]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

You shouldn’t really put on much emphasis on two September games.

True. I just view it as an opportunity to set my own expectations for the season for the Rochester players who I won't see again until their season starts.

The biggest changes for me as far as expectations are concerned are Kisakov, Kozak and Cederqvist. After last season, I was pretty unimpressed with Kisakov and Kozak and I was worried that Cederqvist might not have the speed to make it to the NHL full-time.

Kisakov clearly got stronger this off-season and he's not 21 yet, so he has plenty of time to continue to grow. He has the talent of a second round pick as far as the speed, stick handling, vision and shot are concerned. He just gets moved off the puck entirely too easily. The good news is we saw him last year in the prospect challenge and he was a lot less visible because, even when playing against other prospects, he was getting bumped from the puck too easily. This year he was noticeable when he was on the ice and his play was impactful. Give him another two seasons in Rochester to get stronger and add some more muscle mass and I think he'll be a relevant player at training camp. He clearly understands the work he needs to do. That's half the battle.

Kozak was similarly weak--although not nearly on the level as Kisakov--and had some really rough stretches in Rochester, but he impressed me during Rochester's playoff run last season. It's been nice to see him carry that through the off-season. He doesn't have the ceiling that Kisakov has, but depth role players are still valuable pieces. 

Cederqvist is a pretty intriguing player in the sense that he's clearly the opposite of Kisakov as far as strength goes--at least relative to other prospects--but isn't as fast in the open ice. Either his speed improved over the off-season or he wasn't using it last season in Rochester because of his role. Honestly not sure. Cederqvist isn't as fast as either Benson or Savoie, but he wasn't slowing the line down either when he was on the ice with them and he was completing some pretty solid passes and carried the puck through transition with ease. I think Cederqvist is looking great so far in the prospect challenge and I want to see him play as a power forward in a Top 6 role in Rochester this year. 

Also Cederqvist's stride confuses me. It's like watching Mark Stone skate.

[GASabresIUFAN]

9 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Is anyone revising their personal Sabres prospect rankings to move Rosen higher?  I sure am.  He looks great.  He’s a great skater, he seems to have great vision/awareness and passing/playmaking skills AND he can laser it in with the wrister.

No.  He may be proving to be more NHL ready than previously thought, but his upside remains the same.  He still looks like a potential mid six forward leaning toward the 3rd line.   

[Pimlach]

On 8/19/2023 at 9:30 AM, LGR4GM said:

Zach Benson is better than Jiri Kulich.

I am surprised you say that given Kulich's season in Rochester at 18.   Do you mean better right now, or projected?  

[Norcal]

I'm really intrigued by Novikov and Komarov as future pieces of the Sabres D core. 

I wish Komarov was in Rochester this season so they could start playing as a pair.

[bob_sauve28]

I would guess there is a trade out there in the future. We have so many talented forwards coming up, and already in place. So something will have to give. A big trade where he send a couple of forwards and get a few defenseman in return. 

[Quint]

I'd love to see Josh Fleming make it.

[inkman]

On 9/12/2023 at 8:59 PM, bunomatic said:

There’s no shame in coming 2nd to a generational talent.🤷🏻‍♂️

Said Stanley Cup champ Jack Eichel 

[Hank]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

I am surprised you say that given Kulich's season in Rochester at 18.   Do you mean better right now, or projected?  

What Kulich has done post new year as a teenager in the AHL was unprecedented. I think he's our top prospect. 

[inkman]

2 hours ago, RochesterExpat said:

True. I just view it as an opportunity to set my own expectations for the season for the Rochester players who I won't see again until their season starts.

The biggest changes for me as far as expectations are concerned are Kisakov, Kozak and Cederqvist. After last season, I was pretty unimpressed with Kisakov and Kozak and I was worried that Cederqvist might not have the speed to make it to the NHL full-time.

Kisakov clearly got stronger this off-season and he's not 21 yet, so he has plenty of time to continue to grow. He has the talent of a second round pick as far as the speed, stick handling, vision and shot are concerned. He just gets moved off the puck entirely too easily. The good news is we saw him last year in the prospect challenge and he was a lot less visible because, even when playing against other prospects, he was getting bumped from the puck too easily. This year he was noticeable when he was on the ice and his play was impactful. Give him another two seasons in Rochester to get stronger and add some more muscle mass and I think he'll be a relevant player at training camp. He clearly understands the work he needs to do. That's half the battle.

Kozak was similarly weak--although not nearly on the level as Kisakov--and had some really rough stretches in Rochester, but he impressed me during Rochester's playoff run last season. It's been nice to see him carry that through the off-season. He doesn't have the ceiling that Kisakov has, but depth role players are still valuable pieces. 

Cederqvist is a pretty intriguing player in the sense that he's clearly the opposite of Kisakov as far as strength goes--at least relative to other prospects--but isn't as fast in the open ice. Either his speed improved over the off-season or he wasn't using it last season in Rochester because of his role. Honestly not sure. Cederqvist isn't as fast as either Benson or Savoie, but he wasn't slowing the line down either when he was on the ice with them and he was completing some pretty solid passes and carried the puck through transition with ease. I think Cederqvist is looking great so far in the prospect challenge and I want to see him play as a power forward in a Top 6 role in Rochester this year. 

Also Cederqvist's stride confuses me. It's like watching Mark Stone skate.

The love for Kozak is spread wide, he’s fine as an AHL defensive player but forecasting him as an NHLer is tough.  He has none of the offensive skill players he’s being compared to (Mike Peca 🤯) and he is also competing with players who DO have offensive talents.  Players like Benson, Savoie, Kulich and Rosen are going to have problems cracking the top 6.  One might, two if the Sabres are super lucky, then they start getting pushed down the lineup.  It’ll be these guys plus Rousek and Mittlestadt competing for bottom 6 roles (I don’t envision it this season but definitely next season).  That’s when this team will be stacked. Maybe Kozak’s defensive game is just far superior to his peers and that’s how he’ll carve out a role but his path isn’t free from Competition. 

[Crusader1969]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Id still rank Rosen a tier below Benson and Savoie. Kulich, Östlund, Rosen though is hard to judge because of Rosen's age and Östlund not playing in NA.

i would say, if there was a gap between Rosen and the top prospects, the gap seems to have narrowed substantially.

[GASabresIUFAN]

The biggest surprise for me has been Cederqvist.  I thought of him as a guy who would be a solid AHLer and then eventually return to Sweden to play a middle 6 role there.  

However, after watching him play some, and seeing his size and skill level, I'm now wondering if he has a future as a good 4th line NHLer.  I can see him on a line with Greenway in 2024-25 playing tough physical hockey while chipping in the type of offense we got from the Gaustad line back in the day. 

In general, I'm also seeing guys who need another year of seasoning before making the NHL. Lots of positives from Benson, Savoie, Kulich, Rosen, Johnson, and Metsa, but also more work is needed.  That said, there will be a ton of guys trying to force their way onto the Sabres after this coming season.  I don't envy KA the task of determining which guys to keep, which to move, and which guys to sign long-term.  Some really hard decisions are coming.  

One other quick thought; Kulich playing center.  I believe Sabres management thinks of him as the 3rd line center long-term.  I suspect he'll play in Rochester this coming season primarily at center.  

Edited September 18, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN