The Sabres Prospect Pool 2024 Edition

[GASabresIUFAN]

Savoie 

[Flashsabre]

Maybe a bit controversial but after this season I think the rankings look like:

1) Helenius

2) Wahlberg

3) Kulich

4) Östlund

5) Rosen

6) Novikov

7) Komarov 

[dudacek]

My annual summer ranking, post-development camp,  based on how good an NHL player they should become.

2023/24 wasn’t a bad year on the development front by any means, but is was a year that tempered expectations. I wouldn’t call the past year of development disappointing, more like it was routine: a lot of good and interesting prospects having relatively predictable years. We’re past the days where Jack Quinn and Devon Levi were putting up remarkable numbers and Owen Power was arguably the best young player outside the NHL.

The depth of this list remains solid, but (with the exception of Levi), all the high-end projections are now in Buffalo.

The Sabres graduated Zach Benson and cut ties with Mats Lindgren and Filip Cedarqvist from last year’s list. Last year’s ranks are in parentheses. (I wrote much of this prior to the Savoie trade and thought I would leave him in.)

Should be NHLers, could be really good:

1 Devon Levi (1): Some soured on Levi after his inconsistent start, and he clearly wasn’t ready for the #1 role Granato and Adams wanted to hand him in October. I still think the kid is going to be a star. He went down to Rochester and dominated. In his 6 NHL game in 2024 he posted SV%s of .970, .808, .925, .939, .969 and .933. He compares favourably to where Jeremy Swayman and Jake Oettinger were at the same point in their careers and each became full-time NHLers in their 2nd years pro, and top NHL starters immediately afterward. It's possible he returns to Rochester due to the presence of James Reimer, but the team seems to be indicating they see him in the NHL this coming season.

Should be NHLers:

2 Konsta Helenius (NR) Is it shiny new toy syndrome to rank him #2? Maybe, but Helenius is probably at a similar level right now to the other three on this tier. Being two years younger combined with the success he has already had playing with men make him my choice out of 4 very similar-level players. Wrongly tagged as “small”, he has a physical stoutness Savoie and Östlund lack and more playmaking ability than Kulich. He also projects as a true centre and has enough versatility to his game that he could ultimately contribute anywhere in the bottom nine. He’s not Zach Benson, but in some ways he’s kinda cut from the same cloth: competitive and smart.

3 Jiri Kulich (4): Kulich’s season was a lot like Matt Savoie’s in the sense that he stayed in the same league and probably got better, but still left questions hanging. I respect the fact that Kulich was playing a tougher role — 1C in the AHL at 19 is no walk in the park for anyone — but he had some pretty big slumps. And while his defence improved, his scoring was stagnant. His shot remains remarkable but when I watch him I don’t see anything else that really stands out; he doesn’t drive play or make his line mates better. It should be noted that he led the WJC in scoring and finished with 15 goals in just 21 games over 3 seasons. I loved Vinnie Prospal’s public challenge to him this week to dominate at the AHL level to prove he is NHL worthy. Prospal thinks he’s a centre; I’m not so sure. I think he will score in the NHL, but worry that he’s more of a complementary player than a core guy — maybe a harder Olofsson? The Sabres are clearly trying to mould him into more than that.

4 Matt Savoie (3): It was really hard to a get a good handle on Savoie this year. You couldn’t have asked him to do more than he did in the WHL: he posted some of the best point/game numbers in the past 20 years and won the league championship. And he bounced around five different teams without complaining or having it affect his game. But it was pretty clear he had advanced beyond junior hockey and should have been testing his skills against men. And he did not shine at the spotlight events: the Memorial Cup and the WJC. He’s fast, relentless, skilled and diligent enough to be a good NHL player. Despite being a good face-off man, he is still dogged by questions of whether he is a centre. Maybe he can be a Danny Briere, but I’m not convinced he’s good enough to reach those heights at the NHL level and is more likely somewhere between Tyler Ennis and Derek Roy.

5 Noah Östlund (5): The three 2022 1st-rounders are pretty much a pick-‘em on my list. I can’t justify putting Östlund ahead of the other two because he’s less physically developed than either and played further down the AHL depth chart. But in a lot of ways he’s my favourite player of the three because of how well he sees the ice. Unlike the other 2, Östlund actually moved up a league this year. And he impressed, posting almost identical numbers in the SHL as he did in the 2nd division. His size may become an issue on the small ice at the highest level, but he is fast and plays fast. The puck is on his stick all the time, then quickly off it to the right places. I have no problem picturing him as a good 2-way 3C in the NHL. The thought of these three playing together in Rochester next year makes me want to book an AHLtv subscription.
 
Could be NHL regulars:

6 Anton Wahlberg (8): I’m usually more partial to the guys who think the game than the physical specimens, but Wahlberg is an exception to that rule. Anyone who’s ever bitched about Buffalo only drafting skilled Smurfs needs to watch this kid play. He’s a bull, with a get-to-the-net, better-get-out-of-my-way mentality. Not sure how good his skill level or hockey sense can be, but he won’t turn 19 until July and didn’t look out of place in the AHL playoffs. He can skate and might end up at 6’4” 220. He’s a guy that could develop in any number of directions, centre or wing, anywhere in the lineup: extremely raw, but extremely intriguing.

7 Isak Rosen (6): Rosen got stronger and made progress both offensively and defensively last year, and his numbers stacked up very well against other AHL 20-year-olds. He’s fast, skilled and diligent, and when he gets the puck in open ice he can be very deadly. He has NHL skill; he scores skilled goals and makes skilled plays. I remain skeptical of his ability to be an NHL top 6 winger because he just never seems to impose his will on a game the way his skill set indicates he could. I need to see him stop being so deferential.

8 Nikita Novikov (10): I don’t think people should overlook the issues with Novikov’s feet. He kinda moves around like Ilya Lyubushkin out there. Beyond that, there’s a ton to like. He attacks the game from both sides of the puck and protects his net and his teammates in a way the NHL team does not. He’s a big boy and not bereft of skill or hockey sense. The fact that he played at the level he did as a 20-year-old who just moved to a foreign culture adds to the reasons for optimism. He looks like an almost prototypical 3rd-pairing defensive defenceman and there could be more there.

9 Ryan Johnson (7): I haven’t really flip-flopped on Johnson; my opinion on him is largely the same as it was a year ago. What has changed is how he is perceived by a lot of Sabres fandom. Where too many people used to underrate him as a roster long shot, now there is a sizeable group who overrate him, saying he should be in the NHL top 4 already. The truth remains in middle: he’s got great feet and should settle into an NHL roster somewhere between a #4 and a #7 mobile defensive D.

10 Vsevolod Komarov (18): No Sabre prospect took a bigger leap this year than this defenceman, who nearly doubled his offensive output and dominated the Q on his way to a 2nd-straight Memorial Cup appearance. Despite the disparity in numbers, his skillset is not significantly different than Novikov’s. He’s big, with an aggressive approach to the game, good hockey sense and questionable feet. I’d be cautious of projecting Komarov’s offence into the NHL; Novikov may currently seem better at D and Komarov at O, but I’d say the biggest difference between the two is how they’ve been used. I’m very curious to see if the latter gets offensive chances in the AHL next year, or if they immediately start grooming him for a more defensive role.

11 Maxim Strbak (12): It was an uneven year for Strbak, who struggled a bit with loneliness and anxiety in his first year at Michigan State as a European import and the team’s 2nd-youngest player. His OK first college year was balanced by a very good World Junior tournament where he flashed both toughness and offence and was a real leader for Slovakia on the blue line. And he got settled with the Spartans as the season went on. He’s got a prototypical NHL 2nd-pairing skillset: he’s big, smart, competitive, can skate, and has a bit of a mean streak. He will take a bigger role next season in Michigan with the departure of Artem Levshunov and is a player that could easily jump up this list in the coming season.

Has a shot:

12 Adam Kleber (NR): Sometimes all you need to get picked in the NHL draft is to be a tall, right-handed defenceman who can skate. Add a modicum of hockey sense and a desire to work and most NHL front offices will buy into the idea they can find a place for you. The nearly 6’6” Kleber fits that prototype to a ’T’. He’s got enough physicality and skill that he’s pretty easy to project into a Carson Soucy-type NHL defensive defenceman. But he is very raw and a long way away from NHL action. Expect at least 3 years in college and a couple more in the AHL.

13 Viktor Neuchev (13): There’s a lot in common between Neuchev’s path and that of Rosen’s. Like Rosen the Russian has flashed high skill in a slight package. Like Rosen he didn’t blow the doors off in his AHL debut as D+2 but he did show a good attitude and made good progress over the year. And like Rosen, he makes you wonder if there is enough there to justify the 2nd-line scoring winger role his game seems best suited for. Prospal said he evolved from a “spoiled little rat” to someone who “worked his nuts off” to get better. Age and culture shock will be smaller obstacles next year and it will be interesting to see how much of a jump he can make.

14 Prokhor Poltapov  (9): Last year was disappointing for Poltapov. After playing a 4th-line role for league champion CSKA as one of the KHL’s rare 20-year-olds, the winger was expected to take a step up this year. It didn’t happen and it’s not real clear why. His role and his numbers stagnated. He remains an interesting prospect with some skill and the type of edge to his game the Sabres need. At development camp Adam Mair described him as a strong, high-grit puck-possessor who can play up and down the lineup, and he appears to still be very much in the organization’s plans. In the final year of his KHL contract — and with the politics that come with that — he’s entering a crossroads season.

15 Brodie Ziemer (NR): The Sabres traded up to acquire Ziemer in the 3rd round, saying they ranked him at least 20 slots higher than the next guy on their list when he went. He seems to profile as one of those Ryan Callahan-type mid-round wingers who lacks a prototypical toolbox but makes it due to effort and playing the game the right way. He plays hard and gets his nose dirty, but has enough skill to complement more skilled players as the guy who digs out pucks and bangs in rebounds. He was captain of the USNDTP this year and is the kind of character forward the Sabres system needed to add.

16 Lukas Rousek (11): I really like Rousek as an AHL player: he’s got a well-rounded, responsible game and he makes things happen. But as an NHLer he just blends into the background and his play last year reinforced my fear that he doesn’t do any one thing well enough to stick as an NHL bottom 6 player. The winger starts the year on a one-way NHL contract, so he has that in his favour. But he stops being a prospect this fall one way or another. It’s up to him and Lindy Ruff to determine whether he’s an NHLer or AHLer

Longshot with a shot:

17 Scott Ratzlaff (HM): Looking strictly at the numbers this year one might think Ratzlaff regressed. But the fact of the matter is he went from being the backup goalie on a loaded Seattle WHL team to carrying the load for a stripped-down, rebuilding cellar-dweller. It was the type of situation that could do wonders for his development if handled correctly. Smallish for a goalie, he remains on Hockey Canada’s radar. It will be interesting to see if he can grab the WJC starter's job and the role as the Sabres next-in-line.

18 Gavin McCarthy (17): The 2023 third-round defenceman posted modest freshman numbers at Boston University, but the fact that he was a roster regular at 18 on a very good Terrier squad was a positive. He’s a tall defender who can skate and is not afraid to play physical. He’ll have another 2 years in Boston to establish himself as a member of a growing group of defenders looking to mature into depth pieces in Buffalo.

19 Aleksandr Kisakov (15): I had expected the Russian winger to have a gained enough in strength and comfort from his initial isolation that he would make a jump in AHL year two. That didn’t really happen. His numbers went up slightly but they weren’t great and his games played dropped. Part of that was health, and Seth Appert spoke highly of him, but he’s a bit of a cypher right now in terms of development. In my viewings he’s shown really good skill and a sneaky dirty game. It will be an important year for him to show that game can translate, because the competition for ice time isn’t getting any easier.

20 Tyson Kozak (16): Seth Appert loved him some Tyson Kozak. But, like Kisakov, he was a 2nd-year AHLer who really didn’t take a step last year. His fearless, diligent and edgy approach earned him some hype in his first season, but he’s not he’s not shown enough size, skill, or effectiveness at the AHL level to call him a legitimate prospect for the NHL 4th-line centre role many were touting for him. Also like Kisakov, he needs to take a step this summer, because the competition is coming.

Honourable mentions:

Jake Richard (HM): A late 2022 pick the winger got noticed again at development camp for his hands and his opportunistic instincts around the net. He also put up good numbers playing in the top 6 as a college freshman at UConn. He’s a slow cooker who will have 2 or 3 more years to earn a contract offer from the Sabres.

Viljami Marjala (NR): Another winger, Marjala separated himself from the pack of late-round Sabre long shots with a productive year that seemed to emerge from out of nowhere, as he led his Finnish Elite League team in scoring. The Sabres retain his rights for one more year.

Not seeing it happening:

Topias Leinonen (14): That Leinonen was over-drafted as a 2nd-round pick is a well-known Sabrespace thing. But being picked a few rounds too early pales next to two consecutive post-draft years of doing nothing to show yourself worthy of being drafted at all. Leinonen followed up a poor D+1 season by playing just 12 games total last year, winning just 1 of them. His playing time was split between Liiga and junior with abysmal numbers. He’ll attempt to restart a career marred by injury and fitness questions next year by moving over to the Swedish Div. 2 Allsvenskan. He showed up to development camp looking trim and reports had him playing well.

Ethan Miedema (19): The big winger went into his draft year with a size/speed/skill combo that had people thinking he might be picked in the top 2 rounds. But he disappointed, and ended up slipping into the 4th. Hopes that he might flip the arrow this past year failed to materialize. Instead his production regressed to that of his 17-year-old season. He’s got one year to turn things around, but as it stands right now he seems in tough to even get a contract offer.

Olivier Nadeau (20): It was pretty clear with all the draft picks the Sabres have made recently that some prospects were simply going to be squeezed out of the picture by lack of space. The first two were Josh Bloom, who got traded to Vancouver and Filip Cedarqvist who was dispatched to Montreal. The next to go may be Nadeau. The first-year-pro managed to get into just five AHL games this year, spending the majority of his time putting up modest numbers in the ECHL. It’s not going to be any less crowded in Rochester this year.

Edited July 7 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

@dudacek good list, except Savoie is no longer a Sabre.

Also I suggest adding 4th rd pick 2024 Osburn. 2024 7th rd pick Leenders and 2021 3rd rd pick Sardarian to your list.  Leenders is probably in the Levi mold and he is probably a better player than Leinonen and maybe Ratzlaf.  He was part of the Canadian U18 team.

Baker had some nice things to say about Sardarian's growth as a player the last few years.  He may never play in the NHL, but I can easily see him being a solid contributor in the AHL who gets occasional callups. 

As to Osburn, he looks like a very good value pick up.  Here is what Dobber said in April.  https://dobberprospects.com/player/luke-osburn/ He is also very young as he doesn't turn 18 until Sept.  I think this kid has chance to be a McCabe or Chris Butler.

Quote

 

April 2024 – Osburn may not be filling up the scoresheet yet, but make no mistake, he’s been indispensable for Youngstown as they chase the Clark Cup. A regular top-4 fixture on a very competitive blue-line, Osburn hasn’t been filling up the scoresheet, but been remarkable at pushing play the other way. He’s gotten remarkably more confident and has started calling his own number by diving deep into the offensive zone and taking on more pressure with the confidence he can shake it off. Put simply, Osburn’s game is one of pressure. Offensively, he knows how to apply it by effectively distributing the puck and making the plays that put his opponents in the most disadvantageous position possible. Defensively, it’s all about suppressing and taking pressure away with good anticipation and removing options before they exist. He’s not yet athletic enough or defensively developed enough for it to work all the time but he thinks the game at a very intermediate level. He’s going to be a very interesting one to follow. David Saad

April Ranking: 44th

 

 

Edited July 8 by GASabresIUFAN

[Thorny]

Just now, GASabresIUFAN said:

@dudacek good list, except Savoie is no longer a Sabre.

Also I suggest adding 4th rd pick 2024 Osburn. 2024 7th rd pick Leenders and 2021 3rd rd pick Sardarian to your list.  Leenders is probably in the Levi mold and he is probably a better player than Leinonen and maybe Ratzlaf.  

Baker had some nice things to say about Sardarian's growth as a player the last few years.  He may never play in the NHL, but I can easily see him being a solid contributor in the AHL who gets occasional callups. 

As to Osburn, he looks like a very good value pick up.  Here is what Dobber said in April.  https://dobberprospects.com/player/luke-osburn/ He is also very young as he doesn't turn 18 until Sept.  I think this kid has chance to be a McCabe or Chris Butler.

 

Wait, what? 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, Thorny said:

Wait, what? 

I know, right!

[North Buffalo]

Saw Sardarian play as a freshman against UMass, tall skinny kid with speed and nice hands... I said back then he needed to put on 30-40 lbs... he wasnt afraid to go into the corners but because of his lack of weight was easily knock off the puck... yet on the rush and getting to pucks he was impressive... good vision too.

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-prospect-pool-overview-2024-25-buffalo-sabres-stays-strong-despite-trading-savoie

Worth a read

[JohnC]

7 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-prospect-pool-overview-2024-25-buffalo-sabres-stays-strong-despite-trading-savoie

Worth a read

After reading the article it is abundantly clear that there is overlapping talent in the system. We have the chips/assets to work a deal/s to improve the NHL roster. I'm hoping that our cautious GM can still negotiate a deal to bring in a top 6 forward before camp opens up.  

[PASabreFan]

12 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-prospect-pool-overview-2024-25-buffalo-sabres-stays-strong-despite-trading-savoie

Worth a read

Let me guess. One of the best if not the best prospect pools. Solid A.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, PASabreFan said:

Let me guess. One of the best if not the best prospect pools. Solid A.

Just read it.  It’s actually a good discussion of our pipeline and draft picks without really putting a grade on it.  It’s more about where our depth is and what their upside potential is.  

[Brawndo]

On 7/7/2024 at 2:06 PM, dudacek said:

My annual summer ranking, post-development camp,  based on how good an NHL player they should become.

2023/24 wasn’t a bad year on the development front by any means, but is was a year that tempered expectations. I wouldn’t call the past year of development disappointing, more like it was routine: a lot of good and interesting prospects having relatively predictable years. We’re past the days where Jack Quinn and Devon Levi were putting up remarkable numbers and Owen Power was arguably the best young player outside the NHL.

The depth of this list remains solid, but (with the exception of Levi), all the high-end projections are now in Buffalo.

The Sabres graduated Zach Benson and cut ties with Mats Lindgren and Filip Cedarqvist from last year’s list. Last year’s ranks are in parentheses. (I wrote much of this prior to the Savoie trade and thought I would leave him in.)

Should be NHLers, could be really good:

1 Devon Levi (1): Some soured on Levi after his inconsistent start, and he clearly wasn’t ready for the #1 role Granato and Adams wanted to hand him in October. I still think the kid is going to be a star. He went down to Rochester and dominated. In his 6 NHL game in 2024 he posted SV%s of .970, .808, .925, .939, .969 and .933. He compares favourably to where Jeremy Swayman and Jake Oettinger were at the same point in their careers and each became full-time NHLers in their 2nd years pro, and top NHL starters immediately afterward. It's possible he returns to Rochester due to the presence of James Reimer, but the team seems to be indicating they see him in the NHL this coming season.

Should be NHLers:

2 Konsta Helenius (NR) Is it shiny new toy syndrome to rank him #2? Maybe, but Helenius is probably at a similar level right now to the other three on this tier. Being two years younger combined with the success he has already had playing with men make him my choice out of 4 very similar-level players. Wrongly tagged as “small”, he has a physical stoutness Savoie and Östlund lack and more playmaking ability than Kulich. He also projects as a true centre and has enough versatility to his game that he could ultimately contribute anywhere in the bottom nine. He’s not Zach Benson, but in some ways he’s kinda cut from the same cloth: competitive and smart.

3 Jiri Kulich (4): Kulich’s season was a lot like Matt Savoie’s in the sense that he stayed in the same league and probably got better, but still left questions hanging. I respect the fact that Kulich was playing a tougher role — 1C in the AHL at 19 is no walk in the park for anyone — but he had some pretty big slumps. And while his defence improved, his scoring was stagnant. His shot remains remarkable but when I watch him I don’t see anything else that really stands out; he doesn’t drive play or make his line mates better. It should be noted that he led the WJC in scoring and finished with 15 goals in just 21 games over 3 seasons. I loved Vinnie Prospal’s public challenge to him this week to dominate at the AHL level to prove he is NHL worthy. Prospal thinks he’s a centre; I’m not so sure. I think he will score in the NHL, but worry that he’s more of a complementary player than a core guy — maybe a harder Olofsson? The Sabres are clearly trying to mould him into more than that.

4 Matt Savoie (3): It was really hard to a get a good handle on Savoie this year. You couldn’t have asked him to do more than he did in the WHL: he posted some of the best point/game numbers in the past 20 years and won the league championship. And he bounced around five different teams without complaining or having it affect his game. But it was pretty clear he had advanced beyond junior hockey and should have been testing his skills against men. And he did not shine at the spotlight events: the Memorial Cup and the WJC. He’s fast, relentless, skilled and diligent enough to be a good NHL player. Despite being a good face-off man, he is still dogged by questions of whether he is a centre. Maybe he can be a Danny Briere, but I’m not convinced he’s good enough to reach those heights at the NHL level and is more likely somewhere between Tyler Ennis and Derek Roy.

5 Noah Östlund (5): The three 2022 1st-rounders are pretty much a pick-‘em on my list. I can’t justify putting Östlund ahead of the other two because he’s less physically developed than either and played further down the AHL depth chart. But in a lot of ways he’s my favourite player of the three because of how well he sees the ice. Unlike the other 2, Östlund actually moved up a league this year. And he impressed, posting almost identical numbers in the SHL as he did in the 2nd division. His size may become an issue on the small ice at the highest level, but he is fast and plays fast. The puck is on his stick all the time, then quickly off it to the right places. I have no problem picturing him as a good 2-way 3C in the NHL. The thought of these three playing together in Rochester next year makes me want to book an AHLtv subscription.
 
Could be NHL regulars:

6 Anton Wahlberg (8): I’m usually more partial to the guys who think the game than the physical specimens, but Wahlberg is an exception to that rule. Anyone who’s ever bitched about Buffalo only drafting skilled Smurfs needs to watch this kid play. He’s a bull, with a get-to-the-net, better-get-out-of-my-way mentality. Not sure how good his skill level or hockey sense can be, but he won’t turn 19 until July and didn’t look out of place in the AHL playoffs. He can skate and might end up at 6’4” 220. He’s a guy that could develop in any number of directions, centre or wing, anywhere in the lineup: extremely raw, but extremely intriguing.

7 Isak Rosen (6): Rosen got stronger and made progress both offensively and defensively last year, and his numbers stacked up very well against other AHL 20-year-olds. He’s fast, skilled and diligent, and when he gets the puck in open ice he can be very deadly. He has NHL skill; he scores skilled goals and makes skilled plays. I remain skeptical of his ability to be an NHL top 6 winger because he just never seems to impose his will on a game the way his skill set indicates he could. I need to see him stop being so deferential.

8 Nikita Novikov (10): I don’t think people should overlook the issues with Novikov’s feet. He kinda moves around like Ilya Lyubushkin out there. Beyond that, there’s a ton to like. He attacks the game from both sides of the puck and protects his net and his teammates in a way the NHL team does not. He’s a big boy and not bereft of skill or hockey sense. The fact that he played at the level he did as a 20-year-old who just moved to a foreign culture adds to the reasons for optimism. He looks like an almost prototypical 3rd-pairing defensive defenceman and there could be more there.

9 Ryan Johnson (7): I haven’t really flip-flopped on Johnson; my opinion on him is largely the same as it was a year ago. What has changed is how he is perceived by a lot of Sabres fandom. Where too many people used to underrate him as a roster long shot, now there is a sizeable group who overrate him, saying he should be in the NHL top 4 already. The truth remains in middle: he’s got great feet and should settle into an NHL roster somewhere between a #4 and a #7 mobile defensive D.

10 Vsevolod Komarov (18): No Sabre prospect took a bigger leap this year than this defenceman, who nearly doubled his offensive output and dominated the Q on his way to a 2nd-straight Memorial Cup appearance. Despite the disparity in numbers, his skillset is not significantly different than Novikov’s. He’s big, with an aggressive approach to the game, good hockey sense and questionable feet. I’d be cautious of projecting Komarov’s offence into the NHL; Novikov may currently seem better at D and Komarov at O, but I’d say the biggest difference between the two is how they’ve been used. I’m very curious to see if the latter gets offensive chances in the AHL next year, or if they immediately start grooming him for a more defensive role.

11 Maxim Strbak (12): It was an uneven year for Strbak, who struggled a bit with loneliness and anxiety in his first year at Michigan State as a European import and the team’s 2nd-youngest player. His OK first college year was balanced by a very good World Junior tournament where he flashed both toughness and offence and was a real leader for Slovakia on the blue line. And he got settled with the Spartans as the season went on. He’s got a prototypical NHL 2nd-pairing skillset: he’s big, smart, competitive, can skate, and has a bit of a mean streak. He will take a bigger role next season in Michigan with the departure of Artem Levshunov and is a player that could easily jump up this list in the coming season.

Has a shot:

12 Adam Kleber (NR): Sometimes all you need to get picked in the NHL draft is to be a tall, right-handed defenceman who can skate. Add a modicum of hockey sense and a desire to work and most NHL front offices will buy into the idea they can find a place for you. The nearly 6’6” Kleber fits that prototype to a ’T’. He’s got enough physicality and skill that he’s pretty easy to project into a Carson Soucy-type NHL defensive defenceman. But he is very raw and a long way away from NHL action. Expect at least 3 years in college and a couple more in the AHL.

13 Viktor Neuchev (13): There’s a lot in common between Neuchev’s path and that of Rosen’s. Like Rosen the Russian has flashed high skill in a slight package. Like Rosen he didn’t blow the doors off in his AHL debut as D+2 but he did show a good attitude and made good progress over the year. And like Rosen, he makes you wonder if there is enough there to justify the 2nd-line scoring winger role his game seems best suited for. Prospal said he evolved from a “spoiled little rat” to someone who “worked his nuts off” to get better. Age and culture shock will be smaller obstacles next year and it will be interesting to see how much of a jump he can make.

14 Prokhor Poltapov  (9): Last year was disappointing for Poltapov. After playing a 4th-line role for league champion CSKA as one of the KHL’s rare 20-year-olds, the winger was expected to take a step up this year. It didn’t happen and it’s not real clear why. His role and his numbers stagnated. He remains an interesting prospect with some skill and the type of edge to his game the Sabres need. At development camp Adam Mair described him as a strong, high-grit puck-possessor who can play up and down the lineup, and he appears to still be very much in the organization’s plans. In the final year of his KHL contract — and with the politics that come with that — he’s entering a crossroads season.

15 Brodie Ziemer (NR): The Sabres traded up to acquire Ziemer in the 3rd round, saying they ranked him at least 20 slots higher than the next guy on their list when he went. He seems to profile as one of those Ryan Callahan-type mid-round wingers who lacks a prototypical toolbox but makes it due to effort and playing the game the right way. He plays hard and gets his nose dirty, but has enough skill to complement more skilled players as the guy who digs out pucks and bangs in rebounds. He was captain of the USNDTP this year and is the kind of character forward the Sabres system needed to add.

16 Lukas Rousek (11): I really like Rousek as an AHL player: he’s got a well-rounded, responsible game and he makes things happen. But as an NHLer he just blends into the background and his play last year reinforced my fear that he doesn’t do any one thing well enough to stick as an NHL bottom 6 player. The winger starts the year on a one-way NHL contract, so he has that in his favour. But he stops being a prospect this fall one way or another. It’s up to him and Lindy Ruff to determine whether he’s an NHLer or AHLer

Longshot with a shot:

17 Scott Ratzlaff (HM): Looking strictly at the numbers this year one might think Ratzlaff regressed. But the fact of the matter is he went from being the backup goalie on a loaded Seattle WHL team to carrying the load for a stripped-down, rebuilding cellar-dweller. It was the type of situation that could do wonders for his development if handled correctly. Smallish for a goalie, he remains on Hockey Canada’s radar. It will be interesting to see if he can grab the WJC starter's job and the role as the Sabres next-in-line.

18 Gavin McCarthy (17): The 2023 third-round defenceman posted modest freshman numbers at Boston University, but the fact that he was a roster regular at 18 on a very good Terrier squad was a positive. He’s a tall defender who can skate and is not afraid to play physical. He’ll have another 2 years in Boston to establish himself as a member of a growing group of defenders looking to mature into depth pieces in Buffalo.

19 Aleksandr Kisakov (15): I had expected the Russian winger to have a gained enough in strength and comfort from his initial isolation that he would make a jump in AHL year two. That didn’t really happen. His numbers went up slightly but they weren’t great and his games played dropped. Part of that was health, and Seth Appert spoke highly of him, but he’s a bit of a cypher right now in terms of development. In my viewings he’s shown really good skill and a sneaky dirty game. It will be an important year for him to show that game can translate, because the competition for ice time isn’t getting any easier.

20 Tyson Kozak (16): Seth Appert loved him some Tyson Kozak. But, like Kisakov, he was a 2nd-year AHLer who really didn’t take a step last year. His fearless, diligent and edgy approach earned him some hype in his first season, but he’s not he’s not shown enough size, skill, or effectiveness at the AHL level to call him a legitimate prospect for the NHL 4th-line centre role many were touting for him. Also like Kisakov, he needs to take a step this summer, because the competition is coming.

Honourable mentions:

Jake Richard (HM): A late 2022 pick the winger got noticed again at development camp for his hands and his opportunistic instincts around the net. He also put up good numbers playing in the top 6 as a college freshman at UConn. He’s a slow cooker who will have 2 or 3 more years to earn a contract offer from the Sabres.

Viljami Marjala (NR): Another winger, Marjala separated himself from the pack of late-round Sabre long shots with a productive year that seemed to emerge from out of nowhere, as he led his Finnish Elite League team in scoring. The Sabres retain his rights for one more year.

Not seeing it happening:

Topias Leinonen (14): That Leinonen was over-drafted as a 2nd-round pick is a well-known Sabrespace thing. But being picked a few rounds too early pales next to two consecutive post-draft years of doing nothing to show yourself worthy of being drafted at all. Leinonen followed up a poor D+1 season by playing just 12 games total last year, winning just 1 of them. His playing time was split between Liiga and junior with abysmal numbers. He’ll attempt to restart a career marred by injury and fitness questions next year by moving over to the Swedish Div. 2 Allsvenskan. He showed up to development camp looking trim and reports had him playing well.

Ethan Miedema (19): The big winger went into his draft year with a size/speed/skill combo that had people thinking he might be picked in the top 2 rounds. But he disappointed, and ended up slipping into the 4th. Hopes that he might flip the arrow this past year failed to materialize. Instead his production regressed to that of his 17-year-old season. He’s got one year to turn things around, but as it stands right now he seems in tough to even get a contract offer.

Olivier Nadeau (20): It was pretty clear with all the draft picks the Sabres have made recently that some prospects were simply going to be squeezed out of the picture by lack of space. The first two were Josh Bloom, who got traded to Vancouver and Filip Cedarqvist who was dispatched to Montreal. The next to go may be Nadeau. The first-year-pro managed to get into just five AHL games this year, spending the majority of his time putting up modest numbers in the ECHL. It’s not going to be any less crowded in Rochester this year.

Great write up. 
 

I would move Anton Wahlberg ahead of Östlund, I think he will be a great utility winger who can play up and down the lineup.

Skating will be Novikov’s major weakness 

[inkman]

On 7/5/2024 at 6:57 PM, Flashsabre said:

Maybe a bit controversial but after this season I think the rankings look like:

1) Helenius

2) Wahlberg

3) Kulich

4) Östlund

5) Rosen

6) Novikov

7) Komarov 

Never go full Euro!! 
 

[dudacek]

Was interested to hear Marty Biron echoing the reports from some of our Sabrespacers that he was impressed by the play of Topias Leinonen at development camp.

Most listeners know Marty pays special attention to the netminders and critiques them with a professional’s eye.

He said “this kid is good! Great flexibility, great body control…I was surprised!”

Said he backed up his strong play in practices with his work in the game.

Maybe I crossed him off my list too early?

Edited July 9 by dudacek

[Brawndo]

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Was interested to hear Marty Biron echoing the reports from some of our Sabrespacers that he was impressed by the play of Topias Leinonen at development camp.

Most listeners know Marty pays special attention to the netminders and critiques them with a professional’s eye.

He said “this kid is good! Great flexibility, great body control…I was surprised!”

Said he backed up his strong play in practices with his work in the game.

Maybe I crossed him off my list too early?

They have two years to make a decision on him. 
 

Let’s see how this year goes 

[Flashsabre]

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Was interested to hear Marty Biron echoing the reports from some of our Sabrespacers that he was impressed by the play of Topias Leinonen at development camp.

Most listeners know Marty pays special attention to the netminders and critiques them with a professional’s eye.

He said “this kid is good! Great flexibility, great body control…I was surprised!”

Said he backed up his strong play in practices with his work in the game.

Maybe I crossed him off my list too early?

Until a goalie is 23-24 years old you are not sure what you have. He’s got a lot of runway. Hope he stays healthy and puts a couple good years together.

[JohnC]

40 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Was interested to hear Marty Biron echoing the reports from some of our Sabrespacers that he was impressed by the play of Topias Leinonen at development camp.

Most listeners know Marty pays special attention to the netminders and critiques them with a professional’s eye.

He said “this kid is good! Great flexibility, great body control…I was surprised!”

Said he backed up his strong play in practices with his work in the game.

Maybe I crossed him off my list too early?

I'm a Marty Biron fan. He is knowledgeable about the league and in particular the Sabres. Sometimes people can get enamored with his engaging personality and lose sight of his incisive analyses. It's interesting to note that one young Sabre player who he was not impressed with was UPL. I'm sure that particular player evaluation has changed. Another impressive quality about him is that he is not afraid to acknowledge that his initial judgments on players were wrong. 

Sidenote about the Biron family: He has a son who has entered West Point. He was talking about it on WGR. 

[Crusader1969]

On 7/5/2024 at 6:57 PM, Flashsabre said:

Maybe a bit controversial but after this season I think the rankings look like:

1) Helenius

2) Wahlberg

3) Kulich

4) Östlund

5) Rosen

6) Novikov

7) Komarov 

 

On 7/7/2024 at 2:06 PM, dudacek said:

My annual summer ranking, post-development camp,  based on how good an NHL player they should become.

2023/24 wasn’t a bad year on the development front by any means, but is was a year that tempered expectations. I wouldn’t call the past year of development disappointing, more like it was routine: a lot of good and interesting prospects having relatively predictable years. We’re past the days where Jack Quinn and Devon Levi were putting up remarkable numbers and Owen Power was arguably the best young player outside the NHL.

The depth of this list remains solid, but (with the exception of Levi), all the high-end projections are now in Buffalo.

The Sabres graduated Zach Benson and cut ties with Mats Lindgren and Filip Cedarqvist from last year’s list. Last year’s ranks are in parentheses. (I wrote much of this prior to the Savoie trade and thought I would leave him in.)

Should be NHLers, could be really good:

1 Devon Levi (1): Some soured on Levi after his inconsistent start, and he clearly wasn’t ready for the #1 role Granato and Adams wanted to hand him in October. I still think the kid is going to be a star. He went down to Rochester and dominated. In his 6 NHL game in 2024 he posted SV%s of .970, .808, .925, .939, .969 and .933. He compares favourably to where Jeremy Swayman and Jake Oettinger were at the same point in their careers and each became full-time NHLers in their 2nd years pro, and top NHL starters immediately afterward. It's possible he returns to Rochester due to the presence of James Reimer, but the team seems to be indicating they see him in the NHL this coming season.

Should be NHLers:

2 Konsta Helenius (NR) Is it shiny new toy syndrome to rank him #2? Maybe, but Helenius is probably at a similar level right now to the other three on this tier. Being two years younger combined with the success he has already had playing with men make him my choice out of 4 very similar-level players. Wrongly tagged as “small”, he has a physical stoutness Savoie and Östlund lack and more playmaking ability than Kulich. He also projects as a true centre and has enough versatility to his game that he could ultimately contribute anywhere in the bottom nine. He’s not Zach Benson, but in some ways he’s kinda cut from the same cloth: competitive and smart.

3 Jiri Kulich (4): Kulich’s season was a lot like Matt Savoie’s in the sense that he stayed in the same league and probably got better, but still left questions hanging. I respect the fact that Kulich was playing a tougher role — 1C in the AHL at 19 is no walk in the park for anyone — but he had some pretty big slumps. And while his defence improved, his scoring was stagnant. His shot remains remarkable but when I watch him I don’t see anything else that really stands out; he doesn’t drive play or make his line mates better. It should be noted that he led the WJC in scoring and finished with 15 goals in just 21 games over 3 seasons. I loved Vinnie Prospal’s public challenge to him this week to dominate at the AHL level to prove he is NHL worthy. Prospal thinks he’s a centre; I’m not so sure. I think he will score in the NHL, but worry that he’s more of a complementary player than a core guy — maybe a harder Olofsson? The Sabres are clearly trying to mould him into more than that.

4 Matt Savoie (3): It was really hard to a get a good handle on Savoie this year. You couldn’t have asked him to do more than he did in the WHL: he posted some of the best point/game numbers in the past 20 years and won the league championship. And he bounced around five different teams without complaining or having it affect his game. But it was pretty clear he had advanced beyond junior hockey and should have been testing his skills against men. And he did not shine at the spotlight events: the Memorial Cup and the WJC. He’s fast, relentless, skilled and diligent enough to be a good NHL player. Despite being a good face-off man, he is still dogged by questions of whether he is a centre. Maybe he can be a Danny Briere, but I’m not convinced he’s good enough to reach those heights at the NHL level and is more likely somewhere between Tyler Ennis and Derek Roy.

5 Noah Östlund (5): The three 2022 1st-rounders are pretty much a pick-‘em on my list. I can’t justify putting Östlund ahead of the other two because he’s less physically developed than either and played further down the AHL depth chart. But in a lot of ways he’s my favourite player of the three because of how well he sees the ice. Unlike the other 2, Östlund actually moved up a league this year. And he impressed, posting almost identical numbers in the SHL as he did in the 2nd division. His size may become an issue on the small ice at the highest level, but he is fast and plays fast. The puck is on his stick all the time, then quickly off it to the right places. I have no problem picturing him as a good 2-way 3C in the NHL. The thought of these three playing together in Rochester next year makes me want to book an AHLtv subscription.
 
Could be NHL regulars:

6 Anton Wahlberg (8): I’m usually more partial to the guys who think the game than the physical specimens, but Wahlberg is an exception to that rule. Anyone who’s ever bitched about Buffalo only drafting skilled Smurfs needs to watch this kid play. He’s a bull, with a get-to-the-net, better-get-out-of-my-way mentality. Not sure how good his skill level or hockey sense can be, but he won’t turn 19 until July and didn’t look out of place in the AHL playoffs. He can skate and might end up at 6’4” 220. He’s a guy that could develop in any number of directions, centre or wing, anywhere in the lineup: extremely raw, but extremely intriguing.

7 Isak Rosen (6): Rosen got stronger and made progress both offensively and defensively last year, and his numbers stacked up very well against other AHL 20-year-olds. He’s fast, skilled and diligent, and when he gets the puck in open ice he can be very deadly. He has NHL skill; he scores skilled goals and makes skilled plays. I remain skeptical of his ability to be an NHL top 6 winger because he just never seems to impose his will on a game the way his skill set indicates he could. I need to see him stop being so deferential.

8 Nikita Novikov (10): I don’t think people should overlook the issues with Novikov’s feet. He kinda moves around like Ilya Lyubushkin out there. Beyond that, there’s a ton to like. He attacks the game from both sides of the puck and protects his net and his teammates in a way the NHL team does not. He’s a big boy and not bereft of skill or hockey sense. The fact that he played at the level he did as a 20-year-old who just moved to a foreign culture adds to the reasons for optimism. He looks like an almost prototypical 3rd-pairing defensive defenceman and there could be more there.

9 Ryan Johnson (7): I haven’t really flip-flopped on Johnson; my opinion on him is largely the same as it was a year ago. What has changed is how he is perceived by a lot of Sabres fandom. Where too many people used to underrate him as a roster long shot, now there is a sizeable group who overrate him, saying he should be in the NHL top 4 already. The truth remains in middle: he’s got great feet and should settle into an NHL roster somewhere between a #4 and a #7 mobile defensive D.

10 Vsevolod Komarov (18): No Sabre prospect took a bigger leap this year than this defenceman, who nearly doubled his offensive output and dominated the Q on his way to a 2nd-straight Memorial Cup appearance. Despite the disparity in numbers, his skillset is not significantly different than Novikov’s. He’s big, with an aggressive approach to the game, good hockey sense and questionable feet. I’d be cautious of projecting Komarov’s offence into the NHL; Novikov may currently seem better at D and Komarov at O, but I’d say the biggest difference between the two is how they’ve been used. I’m very curious to see if the latter gets offensive chances in the AHL next year, or if they immediately start grooming him for a more defensive role.

11 Maxim Strbak (12): It was an uneven year for Strbak, who struggled a bit with loneliness and anxiety in his first year at Michigan State as a European import and the team’s 2nd-youngest player. His OK first college year was balanced by a very good World Junior tournament where he flashed both toughness and offence and was a real leader for Slovakia on the blue line. And he got settled with the Spartans as the season went on. He’s got a prototypical NHL 2nd-pairing skillset: he’s big, smart, competitive, can skate, and has a bit of a mean streak. He will take a bigger role next season in Michigan with the departure of Artem Levshunov and is a player that could easily jump up this list in the coming season.

Has a shot:

12 Adam Kleber (NR): Sometimes all you need to get picked in the NHL draft is to be a tall, right-handed defenceman who can skate. Add a modicum of hockey sense and a desire to work and most NHL front offices will buy into the idea they can find a place for you. The nearly 6’6” Kleber fits that prototype to a ’T’. He’s got enough physicality and skill that he’s pretty easy to project into a Carson Soucy-type NHL defensive defenceman. But he is very raw and a long way away from NHL action. Expect at least 3 years in college and a couple more in the AHL.

13 Viktor Neuchev (13): There’s a lot in common between Neuchev’s path and that of Rosen’s. Like Rosen the Russian has flashed high skill in a slight package. Like Rosen he didn’t blow the doors off in his AHL debut as D+2 but he did show a good attitude and made good progress over the year. And like Rosen, he makes you wonder if there is enough there to justify the 2nd-line scoring winger role his game seems best suited for. Prospal said he evolved from a “spoiled little rat” to someone who “worked his nuts off” to get better. Age and culture shock will be smaller obstacles next year and it will be interesting to see how much of a jump he can make.

14 Prokhor Poltapov  (9): Last year was disappointing for Poltapov. After playing a 4th-line role for league champion CSKA as one of the KHL’s rare 20-year-olds, the winger was expected to take a step up this year. It didn’t happen and it’s not real clear why. His role and his numbers stagnated. He remains an interesting prospect with some skill and the type of edge to his game the Sabres need. At development camp Adam Mair described him as a strong, high-grit puck-possessor who can play up and down the lineup, and he appears to still be very much in the organization’s plans. In the final year of his KHL contract — and with the politics that come with that — he’s entering a crossroads season.

15 Brodie Ziemer (NR): The Sabres traded up to acquire Ziemer in the 3rd round, saying they ranked him at least 20 slots higher than the next guy on their list when he went. He seems to profile as one of those Ryan Callahan-type mid-round wingers who lacks a prototypical toolbox but makes it due to effort and playing the game the right way. He plays hard and gets his nose dirty, but has enough skill to complement more skilled players as the guy who digs out pucks and bangs in rebounds. He was captain of the USNDTP this year and is the kind of character forward the Sabres system needed to add.

16 Lukas Rousek (11): I really like Rousek as an AHL player: he’s got a well-rounded, responsible game and he makes things happen. But as an NHLer he just blends into the background and his play last year reinforced my fear that he doesn’t do any one thing well enough to stick as an NHL bottom 6 player. The winger starts the year on a one-way NHL contract, so he has that in his favour. But he stops being a prospect this fall one way or another. It’s up to him and Lindy Ruff to determine whether he’s an NHLer or AHLer

Longshot with a shot:

17 Scott Ratzlaff (HM): Looking strictly at the numbers this year one might think Ratzlaff regressed. But the fact of the matter is he went from being the backup goalie on a loaded Seattle WHL team to carrying the load for a stripped-down, rebuilding cellar-dweller. It was the type of situation that could do wonders for his development if handled correctly. Smallish for a goalie, he remains on Hockey Canada’s radar. It will be interesting to see if he can grab the WJC starter's job and the role as the Sabres next-in-line.

18 Gavin McCarthy (17): The 2023 third-round defenceman posted modest freshman numbers at Boston University, but the fact that he was a roster regular at 18 on a very good Terrier squad was a positive. He’s a tall defender who can skate and is not afraid to play physical. He’ll have another 2 years in Boston to establish himself as a member of a growing group of defenders looking to mature into depth pieces in Buffalo.

19 Aleksandr Kisakov (15): I had expected the Russian winger to have a gained enough in strength and comfort from his initial isolation that he would make a jump in AHL year two. That didn’t really happen. His numbers went up slightly but they weren’t great and his games played dropped. Part of that was health, and Seth Appert spoke highly of him, but he’s a bit of a cypher right now in terms of development. In my viewings he’s shown really good skill and a sneaky dirty game. It will be an important year for him to show that game can translate, because the competition for ice time isn’t getting any easier.

20 Tyson Kozak (16): Seth Appert loved him some Tyson Kozak. But, like Kisakov, he was a 2nd-year AHLer who really didn’t take a step last year. His fearless, diligent and edgy approach earned him some hype in his first season, but he’s not he’s not shown enough size, skill, or effectiveness at the AHL level to call him a legitimate prospect for the NHL 4th-line centre role many were touting for him. Also like Kisakov, he needs to take a step this summer, because the competition is coming.

Honourable mentions:

Jake Richard (HM): A late 2022 pick the winger got noticed again at development camp for his hands and his opportunistic instincts around the net. He also put up good numbers playing in the top 6 as a college freshman at UConn. He’s a slow cooker who will have 2 or 3 more years to earn a contract offer from the Sabres.

Viljami Marjala (NR): Another winger, Marjala separated himself from the pack of late-round Sabre long shots with a productive year that seemed to emerge from out of nowhere, as he led his Finnish Elite League team in scoring. The Sabres retain his rights for one more year.

Not seeing it happening:

Topias Leinonen (14): That Leinonen was over-drafted as a 2nd-round pick is a well-known Sabrespace thing. But being picked a few rounds too early pales next to two consecutive post-draft years of doing nothing to show yourself worthy of being drafted at all. Leinonen followed up a poor D+1 season by playing just 12 games total last year, winning just 1 of them. His playing time was split between Liiga and junior with abysmal numbers. He’ll attempt to restart a career marred by injury and fitness questions next year by moving over to the Swedish Div. 2 Allsvenskan. He showed up to development camp looking trim and reports had him playing well.

Ethan Miedema (19): The big winger went into his draft year with a size/speed/skill combo that had people thinking he might be picked in the top 2 rounds. But he disappointed, and ended up slipping into the 4th. Hopes that he might flip the arrow this past year failed to materialize. Instead his production regressed to that of his 17-year-old season. He’s got one year to turn things around, but as it stands right now he seems in tough to even get a contract offer.

Olivier Nadeau (20): It was pretty clear with all the draft picks the Sabres have made recently that some prospects were simply going to be squeezed out of the picture by lack of space. The first two were Josh Bloom, who got traded to Vancouver and Filip Cedarqvist who was dispatched to Montreal. The next to go may be Nadeau. The first-year-pro managed to get into just five AHL games this year, spending the majority of his time putting up modest numbers in the ECHL. It’s not going to be any less crowded in Rochester this year.

If Poltapov was in Rochester last year, I think he would be in the top 6 

 

[Flashsabre]

3 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

 

If Poltapov was in Rochester last year, I think he would be in the top 6 

 

If he can turn into a Varada like player that would be a nice piece.

[Thorny]

22 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

If he can turn into a Varada like player that would be a nice piece.

Home depot has a nice sale on weed-whackers

[French Collection]

Ratzlaff is the only Sabres prospect invited to Team Canada’s summer U20 camp. 1 of 4 goalies.

[krakensabr56390]

On 7/9/2024 at 4:48 PM, Flashsabre said:

If he can turn into a Varada like player that would be a nice piece.

I’m right there with you - would be a value piece if he becomes a varada clone 

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5612279/2024/07/16/nhl-prospects-ranking-celebrini-michkov/

Wheeler's Top 100 drafted NHL prospects (SJS, CBJ & Mon have 6 each.  8 teams have 5 prospects listed.  The Sabres have 4).

20. Zack Benson 

"Benson’s a driver in every sense. He’s a multi-dimensional forward who has quick acceleration (I never understood how some called his skating average), can handle the puck at speed and change tempos in control, can shape play by opening up his hips to go heel to heel, thrives in traffic, is a triple shot-deke-pass threat, plays one step ahead of the game in possession, supports the play effectively, problem-solves incredibly well, works hard off the puck to keep his energy up (he plays heavier and scrappier than he looks, too), and sets the pace (whether by picking it up or slowing it down to use his creativity) and effort level for his line."

22. Konsta Helenius

"Helenius is a joy to watch navigate, manipulate and pass the puck with his smarts and intuition. He's got an ability to find his teammates in space and then get pucks to them with the perfect weight and timing, even while he’s well covered. He also stirs the drink through his effort level, regularly coming up with pucks when you don’t expect him to while quietly and efficiently impacting play at both ends of the rink and coming up with a ton of steals and lifts. He’s both a driver and a playmaker. He does such a good job identifying lanes and taking what the defense gives him. He’ll look for his own look when it’s there or play in a quick give-and-go when spacing tightens up. He seems to create constantly. He’s a good though not great skater. "

40. Jiri Kulich

"Kulich is a sturdy, hard-shooting player who can morph his game to his role. He can function as the off-puck guy who makes quick plays/decisions with the puck and can play off of talented linemates to free his extremely dangerous shooting arsenal up. He can carry the puck and function as the primary handler on a line. I like his positioning and timing off the puck. I like the strength, balance and control of his skating stride. I like how quickly and hard shots come off of his stick (not just with his world-class one-timer but through a deceptive early release point in stride, too). I’ve seen him come up big in big moments."

42. Matt Savoie

78. Noah Östlund

"Östlund’s calling card is his airy, agile skating stride, excellent hands, cleverness and committed two-way game. The skating and defensive aptitude (including on faceoffs) make him an able penalty killer and the rest give him clear tools of creation at five-on-five and on the power play. He wins a ton of short races, creates quickly as soon as he’s in possession, and darts around the ice in control to get into scoring areas or facilitate from the perimeter. His lack of size and strength (he’s a lean 5-foot-11 and 160-something pounds) are likely going to be impediments as he tries to progress into the NHL, but I thought they’d make his jump to the SHL last year a little more challenging than it was and he basically looked exactly like himself. "

Edited July 17 by GASabresIUFAN

[GASabresIUFAN]

My current Sabres prospects ranking.

1.       Benson (LW) – 19 – 30 pts in 71 NHL games. 2nd Year in the NHL next fall

2.       Levi (G) – 22 – .899 save % & 3.10 GAA in 23 NHL games.  2.42 & .927 in 26 AHL games. NHL in the fall.

3.       Helenius (C) – 18 – 36 pts in 51 Liiga games.  Will he come to NA in the fall?

4.       Kulich (C/W) – 20 – 45 pts in 57 AHL games including 27 goals.  3rd season in Rochester upcoming

5.       Östlund (C) – 22 – 23 pts in 38 SHL games. 1st full season in Rochester in the fall.

6.       Rosen (RW) – 21 - 50 pts in 67 AHL games. 3rd season in Rochester upcoming

7.       Novikov (LD) – 20 - 23 pts in 65 AHL games. 2nd season in Rochester upcoming

8.       Wahlberg (C) – 19 – 10 pts in 43 SHL games plus 4 pts in 9 AHL games.  1st full AHL season in the fall.

9.       Johnson (LD) – 22 - 7 pts in 41 NHL games, plus 9 in 27 AHL games. Can he earn a spot with the Sabres? Should he be higher on this list?

10.   Komarov (RD) – 20 - 69 pts in 60 Q games plus 15 in 19 playoffs games. AHL rookie season upcoming.

11.   Neuchev (LW) – 20 – 28 pts in 57 AHL games. 2nd season in Rochester upcoming.

12.   Strbak (RD) – 19 – 9 pts in 32 NCAA games. Remains at MSU.

13.   Ziemer (RW)  – 18 –94 pts in 88 games for the USNTDP – 12 pts in 7 WJ U-18 games – Captain. Starts U of Minn in the fall.

14.   Kleber (RD) – 18 – 26 pts in 56 USHL games. Starts Minn-Duluth in the fall.

15.   Poltapov (LW) – 21 – 13 pts in 56 KHL games.  One more KHL season before coming over?

16.   Kisakov (LW) – 21 – 13 pts in 32 AHL games. 3rd season in Rochester upcoming

17.   Tullio (RW)- 22  – 21 pts in 54 AHL games. 3rd AHL season upcoming, but new to the Amerks

18.   McCarthy (RD) - 19 - 5 pts in 38 NCAA games.  Remains at BU

19.   Richard (F) – 19 – 18 pts in 36 NCAA games. Remains at UConn

20.   Osburn (LD) – 17 – 23 pts in 60 USHL games. Starts Wisconsin in the fall.

21.   Leenders (G) – 18 - .909 save % & 3.12 GAA in 46 OHL games with a 24-17-4 record. Made Canada U-18 team

22.   Ratzlaff (G) – 19 - .905 save % & 3.33 GAA in 52 WHL games with a 21-26-2 record.

23.   Sardarian (RW) – 21 – 14 pts in 32 NCAA games. Entered the transfer portal.  

24.   Leinonen (G) - 21 - .844 save % & 4.14 GAA in 6 Liiga games. Moving to Sweden next season.

25.   Costantini (C ) - 22(aug) – 31 pts in 38 NCAA games.  Currently at W. Michigan.

Edited July 17 by GASabresIUFAN

[dudacek]

Interesting write-up on Leinonen here. Hope he can resurrect himself into a prospect again.

Most interesting think to me was the photo. Kid look slike he's lost a lot of weight.

https://www.nhl.com/news/buffalo-sabres-prospect-topias-leinonen-embracing-new-opportunity