Jiri Kulich had surgery to remove blood clot

Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres started their locker room cleanout on Tuesday after losing Game 7 of their second-round playoff series with the Montreal Canadiens on Monday in overtime, 3-2.

Sabres forward Jiri Kulich came into this season with so much promise. In his rookie season last year, he had 15 goals in 62 games, and really seemed to be improving as the year went on.

However, he played just 12 games this season before his year came to a screeching halt on Nov. 1.

Kulich was found to have a blood clot, and he was done playing hockey until it dissolved. That didn't happen, though, and his season officially ended two months ago when he went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to have the clot removed.

The 22-year-old didn't know if he'd ever play hockey again after learning of his blood clot, but after the surgery, he knew he would be back.

"It was tough year, but at the same time, I can take advantage of it in a positive way," said Kulich on Tuesday during his end-of-season press conference. "Just trying to be a better player, and this year helped me to even be a better person too. So it was a rollercoaster, because the only thing I was asking myself was if I'm going to be able to play hockey again. That was the toughest part, but I'm just so grateful how this organization treated me. They were helping me every single day, and everything is going the right way. I'm looking forward to next season."

This didn't start as being a season-ending injury for Kulich.

"I felt like [I was] going to be able to play hockey this season. I thought it was going to take a month, maybe two months, and I was going to be ready for playing hockey. But, unfortunately, it was still there," Kulich described.

Kulich and Noah Ostlund were both first-round picks of the Sabres in the 2022 NHL Draft. Buffalo also took Matt Savoie with the ninth overall pick in the same draft, but he's now with the Edmonton Oilers.

In 87 games, Savoie has 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points.

Ostlund, who went 16th overall to the Sabres, has 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 68 games.

As for Kulich, who went 28th overall to Buffalo, he has 18 goals and 11 assists for 29 points in 75 games.

Zach Benson was the Sabres' first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, followed by Konsta Helenius in the 2024 draft. All of them seem to be done developing in Rochester, and Kulich seemed very excited to be part of this young core in Buffalo.

"Oh my god, I can't even describe how excited I am for next season," Kulich said with a smile on his face. "Just watching those guys, it's just awesome. I'm so glad I can be a part of this team, even though I wasn't playing. It was really nice to see them doing really well."

Buffalo has other top prospects that are high picks in recent drafts. The Sabres have three very big and highly-touted right-shot defensemen in Radim Mrtka - taken in the first round last June - Adam Kleber, who's thought of just as highly as Mrtka and plays at Minnesota-Duluth, and Maxim Strbak, who was recently signed out of Michigan State University.

Helenius still has more hockey to play this season. He confirmed on Tuesday he's leaving for Switzerland to play for Finland at the 2026 World Championship.

Among the players set to speak with the media on Wednesday for locker room cleanout day includes Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson.

Then later in the afternoon Wednesday, head coach Lindy Ruff and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen will speak starting at 4:20 p.m. You'll be able to hear those two speak live on WGR Sports Radio 550.