Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres will play their first game of the Sabres Prospects Challenge on Friday night against the New Jersey Devils. The Devils absolutely blasted the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night, 8-2.
Rochester Americans head coach Mike Leone said Thursday that all four goalies in camp will play this weekend. One goalie will play Friday, one on Saturday, and the other two will split Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
There really isn’t any way to teach the players a system yet, but Leone has a way he wants to see them play this weekend.
"We won’t so much worry about the structure. It’s more habits, the foundation we want to play with, it’s pressuring and being relentless on the puck and then there’s playing fast," said Leone after practice.
In a tournament like this, many mistakes will be made, but Leone is not concerned with that. He's more focused on a couple different factors.
"The compete level, the puck pressure, reloading and being above the puck just the never out of it mentality," Leone said.
Many on the power play for this tournament were with Leone in Rochester.
"I just told them they’d better be at 50% for this tournament. A lot of those guys played in those spots, but it’s a little different now with 'Helly' [Konsta Helenius] being in the bumper, just the hands matchup. A lot of times, we had all lefties, but now the hands line up really well, so that gives you more options," Leone said.
Viktor Neuchev is at camp and practicing, but Leone says he’s not quite ready to play following surgery. He did note, though, the 2022 third-round pick is close to a return.
This tournament will be the first time we’ll get to see 2025 first-round pick Radim Mrtka in action. In practice, the right-handed defenseman has been paired with Nikita Novikov.
For the past few drafts, the Sabres finally realized they needed to get some size into the prospects pool. Anton Wahlberg is a natural center, but has played wing, for the most part, in Rochester. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder was taken by Buffalo in the second-round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Wahlberg was one of the picks acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
In 63 games last season, Wahlberg scored 11 goals and added 19 assists for 30 points. This will be his second Sabres Prospects Challenge, and feels much more comfortable this season.
The 20-year-old came from Sweden and played last year in North America for the first time.
"It was learning a lot every game, but it was also a rollercoaster with a lot of ups and downs when you play a good game and then have four or five bad games," Wahlberg admitted following Thursday's practice. "What I worked on all summer was my consistency."
If Wahlberg is going to play in the NHL, it will have to be as a power forward. In the division that Rochester plays in, Wahlberg had to face men 8-to-10 years older than him, as well as guys that were stronger.
"I’ve got to get stronger and faster," Wahlberg said. "I see the guys that have played here for awhile, so playing against Syracuse, Utica, big guys who were a lot stronger and more physical than I am. I think I can take parts from their games."
Wahlberg feels he has gotten stronger in the offseason working in the gym. He also thinks he’s been able to improve his speed.
The general manager, as well as the head coach of the Sabres, of course, addressed these young players, so they know what’s expected of them.
"Kevyn Adams and Lindy Ruff told us yesterday we can’t take it for granted, and that’s really what it is. You’ve got your chance now, and you’ve got to take it, so every day you go out and compete," Wahlberg said.
Join Brian Koziol, Josh Schmit and myself for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6:30 p.m. Faceoff is slated for 7:05 p.m.