Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The 2024-25 Buffalo Sabres season is fast approaching, as the team will be back on the ice this week for the start of training camp downtown.
This past weekend, several of the Sabres' prospects were in town participating in the Sabres Prospects Challenge at Harborcenter.
The tournament was a great chance for fans to get a good look at a number of prospects readying for the next step of their development, whether it is in the American Hockey League with the Rochester Americans or back with their junior clubs.
Last year's tournament ended up being a springboard for 2023 first-round pick Zach Benson, who ended up carrying the momentum of a strong three games into training camp and the preseason. He eventually carved out a role on the regular NHL roster as an 18-year-old, and managed to produce 30 points (11+19) in 71 games.
More importantly for Benson, the winger didn't look out of place during the course of his rookie season in the NHL. He was strong on pucks, arguably the team's best forechecking forward, and was willing to get into the dirty areas to make a play.
While it's not every day a prospect, especially an 18-year-old first-round pick, to fight their way on an NHL roster from Day 1, is there a prospect this year that can replicate the same kind of success and make the jump to the Sabres' lineup right off the bat?
Let's go over a few candidates to consider:
C/LW - Isak Rosen
The last two seasons in North America has seen some positive growth in Rosen's game, playing with the Amerks and serving in a pivotal role as a top-six forward.
Last season, Rosen was one of the few prospects to get some NHL action during the season, appearing in seven games and going pointless with a minus-3.
While we know the speed element, the playmaking skills and vision Rosen brings to the game, he was able to improve his two-way play last season, getting some valuable time played on the top power play, penalty kill, and in key situations late in the game.
One of the areas of his game that needed to improve if he wanted to make the jump to the NHL is his strength and the ability to shrug off the pressure that can shut down his abilities at the top level.
While his performance at this year at the Sabres Prospects Challenge was not bad, it just left many wanting a bit more from Rosen. He saw the ice well and moved the puck efficiently in the offensive zone, but he just didn't quite show that he was head-and-shoulders above a similar level of competition.
If Rosen is able to improve from the Sabres Prospects Challenge showing and state his case to the coaching staff in Buffalo during training camp and the preseason that he's gotten stronger with and around the puck, he's going to put himself in a strong spot to contend to get more NHL action this season.
C - Noah Ostlund
It's going to be interesting to see how quickly Ostlund can rise up the ranks in his first full season in North America.
After a solid 23-point campaign (11+12) in 38 games with the Växjö Lakers in the Swedish Hockey League, Ostlund was able to join the Amerks at the end of the 2023-24 regular season and for their brief run in the playoffs. While he didn't get too much of a look, Ostlund did show flashes of his skill set, including a nice goal in the playoffs against the Syracuse Crunch.
What makes Ostlund such a dynamic prospect is his cerebral play with the puck on his stick. Not only does Ostlund always play with his head on a swivel, but he is always active and motoring around the ice. While he's more so a playmaker than a shooter, Ostlund can certainly fire the puck with his quick release and find the back of the net.
At the Sabres Prospects Challenge, Ostlund not only showcased his ability to play a high-paced, possession game, but he was relentless on the forecheck, and used his speed and smart offensive instincts to increase the pressure on the opposition. Even though he went pointless in three games played, Ostlund's play everywhere else really shined bright.
Year 1 in North America will be about acclimating to the more physical style of play that presents itself in the AHL and, eventually, the NHL. While playing in the SHL this past year was helpful to getting used to bigger, stronger competition, the pace of play and physicality certainly increases with the smaller rink.
If Ostlund is able to show the transition to North America is not overwhelming for him, I can see a path for Ostlund to carve out a spot in the lineup in Buffalo within the next year or two.
C/LW - Jiri Kulich
Year 3 in North America for Kulich is set to be a huge one for the former first-round pick in 2022.
After being drafted by the Sabres out of the Czech Extraliga, Kulich's goal was to, at some point, make the NHL during his rookie season. While that didn't come to fruition in his first professional season in Rochester, the native of Kadan, Czechia was finally able to get his first taste of NHL hockey this past year with one game played.
While it was just a small sample size, it certainly seems like more is in store for the 20-year-old.
We know Kulich is gifted with a booming shot from the off-wing, decent speed moving down the ice, and the frame of work to be stronger on the puck. Where Kulich needs to put it all together is his consistency on the ice.
Kulich was an AHL All-Star last season, scoring 27 goals and 45 points in 57 games with the Rochester Americans. That was coming off a rookie season where he netted 24 goals and 46 points in 62 games.
However, Kulich had too many stretches of play where he would find the back of the net like there's no tomorrow, and then go on cold stretches of play where he did not produce on the scoresheet.
If Kulich is able to find that consistency where he can produce points night-in and night-out, an NHL roster spot should certainly be in the cards in the very near future.
The good news is Kulich put up a very stellar showing for Buffalo at the Sabres Prospects Challenge. In his three games played, he managed to score a tournament-best five goals and two assists for seven points, while also looking like his hard work in the offseason to get faster and stronger paid off. Kulich also managed to look significantly better than the others around his age on the ice in the tournament.
Now it will be about carrying that success on the ice over to training camp and the preseason in Buffalo. If Kulich can replicate the success and prove to the coaching staff he is ready for the next step, it is very possible he starts the 2024-25 season playing with the Sabres in his home country of Czechia against the New Jersey Devils.
Related
C/RW - Anton Wahlberg
Wahlberg is another interesting case heading into the upcoming season.
As a young 18-year-old playing with the Malmö Redhawks in the SHL, Wahlberg was able to produce 10 points (5+5) in 43 games, while also making Sweden's World Juniors team and playing on home soil.
After Malmö failed to qualify for the playoffs, the 6-foot-3, 194-pound forward ended up making the trip overseas to join the Amerks, where he surprisingly didn't look much out of place in the AHL. In nine games to close out the regular season, Wahlberg was able to score a goal and add three assists for four points.
Then playing in all five playoff games for the Amerks, Wahlberg managed to score a goal, which was an incredible drive to the net using his underrated speed to power past the defender on his way to the goal.
While Wahlberg is still a bit raw, he shows a ton of confidence in his play on the ice as a young 19-year-old. At the Sabres Prospects Challenge, he showed a willingness to use his speed, size and strength to try and overpower the opposition, which included a strong presence around the net and along the boards.
It would likely take a long list of injuries before Wahlberg gets any look at the NHL this upcoming season, but if he can continue to surprise many and develop into a very solid power presence in the lineup, it won't be long before he gets a look in Buffalo.
Wahlberg has the tools that may make him a Lindy Ruff favorite one day with the Sabres. It's all about putting it together consistently as he begins his professional career in North America this year.
C - Konsta Helenius
Can Helenius be the next Benson by wowing the coaching staff and supplanting himself a spot in the NHL lineup come Day 1? It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
As a 17-year-old last year playing in Finland, Helenius was able to forge a pivotal spot for himself in the top professional league playing with Jukurit. He even spent most of his age 16 season playing professionally in Finland amongst many grizzled veterans.
Last season, Helenius produced 36 points (14+22) in 51 games played, which is some of the best production from any prospect coming out of Finland during their draft year. Only Aleksander Barkov and Patrik Laine put up better points per-game numbers in their draft year in the Finnish Liiga.
Helenius is a player that beams confidence whenever the puck hits his stick. He becomes an X factor on the ice with his ability to control the pace of play thanks to some great vision and natural instincts. He’s also not afraid to take pucks to the net, be a physical presence in the dirty areas, and compete to win puck battles using his instincts in all three zones.
The exciting factor with Helenius this upcoming season is he is making the jump to North America to join the Sabres organization as a young 18-year-old. Whether it's in Buffalo or Rochester is up for Helenius to help dictate.
The Sabres Prospects Challenge was Helenius' first true taste of North American hockey, and he didn't look too out of place. While it took him a solid 40 minutes to really get acclimated to the pace and physical style of play, the Finnish center was able to get comfortable and really open up over the next seven periods. While he only put up two assists, he definitely displayed the confidence to be a factor on the ice with and without the puck at both ends of the ice.
While there's no rush to get Helenius to the NHL right away, if he's able to translate the success he had playing professionally in Finland, he may be finding himself some time in Buffalo in the near future. At least a full season in Rochester will do wonders for Helenius, as he looks to become the next great Finnish player to make an impact the hockey's top level.
D - Ryan Johnson
Johnson's first full season in professional hockey was one that certainly saw its fair share of growing pains.
After starting the season playing well in Rochester, Johnson got the call to join the Sabres due to some injuries in Buffalo. In 41 games his rookie season in the NHL, Johnson managed to put up seven assists, but showed he was not quite ready to handle a full-time NHL workload.
After going back to the Amerks later in the season, to looked like Johnson continued to struggle a bit with some consistent play from the blue line. Even though he put up nine assists in 27 AHL games, Johnson struggled in the playoffs with an assist, but a minus-5 rating in five games played.
The good news for Johnson is, like Kulich, he looked like he was head and shoulders above everyone he took to the ice against at the Sabres Prospects Challenge. Johnson was, once again, looking like the calm and cool defenseman for Buffalo that never looked phased under pressure, and was able to dictate the pace of play with the puck on his puck in all three zones.
While the Sabres have a decent amount of defensive depth heading into training camp, if Johnson shows well to the coaching staff that he can handle the NHL minutes and tempo, he may, once again, be first in line from Rochester to get a call up.
D - Nikita Novikov
The one defenseman in Rochester that only got better as the 2023-24 season progressed was Nikita Novikov.
Over the course of 65 games with the Amerks in his first professional season in North America, the 6-foot-4, 198-pound blue liner put up three goals and added 20 assists for 23 points. In the playoffs, Novikov continued to play well with a pair of assists in five games.
As Novikov continued to get more comfortable in his own skin with the Amerks, his game from the blue line continued to flourish.
Even though the 21-year-old is as big as he is on the back end, he can certainly skate well and play more of a surprising two-way game. Novikov is also quite solid in his own end, playing physical against the opposition along the boards and in front of the net.
At the Sabres Prospects Challenge, while he may not have been Buffalo best defensemen, he still showed flashes of what makes him such an interesting defensive prospect. He can make his presence known physically, but can also jump up and contribute offensively, while not putting his team in too much danger defensively.
While his bread and butter may be the way he performs in his own end at the next level, it's nice to see how far Novikov has come to this point in the AHL. Another strong season in Rochester will help the Russian defenseman get more eyes on him from those in Buffalo, and maybe a call up at some point in the near future.
Everyone else
There are a number of other names in the Sabres' pipeline that if the card fall right and they continue to properly develop, it may be possible to see an NHL call up, at some point, over the next couple of years.
Viktor Neuchev seems to be figuring things out in North America after an impressive rookie season in Rochester. He manages to find the open spots on the ice to find scoring chances, while also proving as a responsible player at both ends, when called upon.
Tyson Kozak has impressed the likes of Seth Appert and others as a very reliable two-way presence down the middle of the ice and in a depth role. If he's able to add some finish to his game and produce more offensively, he could see his name nearing the list of those getting a look in the NHL.
It was a nice chance this past weekend to get a first look at Tyler Tullio, who came to Buffalo as part of the Matthew Savoie trade with the Edmonton Oilers. While Tullio may not get much of a look in the NHL, if at all, he showed some good skill offensively and on the forecheck, while also being a sturdy presence in the bottom-six.
As for Vsevolod Komarov, the lumbering defenseman really broke out over the last two years playing and developing in the QMJHL. He also had a very impressive outing at the Sabres Prospects Challenge with his two-way play from the back end. However, another full season in Rochester to get him fully ready for the top level will only do him good.
