Training Camp Edition
Lukas Rousek enjoyed a terrific postseason in Rochester last season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Having enjoyed a breakout stretch during the Rochester Americans’ long postseason run last spring, Lukas Rousek’s play no longer qualifies as a surprise.
In recording two goals and six points as the Amerks won two Calder Cup Playoff series, the Czech established himself as one of the Sabres’ notable forward prospects.
This year, the Sabres believe Rousek, 23, will keep making more significant strides in his development.... Read the full article
Jiri Kulich skates in Saturday’s Prospects Challenge game. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Forget that Jiri Kulich possesses a shot so lethal his coach described it as “scary.” Forget that the Sabres prospect has recently dominated his peers, scoring 17 goals over a torrid 16-game stretch. Forget that he already has a full season of pro hockey experience.
In a few weeks, following his first NHL training camp, the Sabres will likely assign Kulich to Rochester, where he will begin his North American career with the ... Read the full article
Buffalo selected Isak Rosen 14th overall in 2021. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Two months later, Isak Rosen has returned to the Sabres a more aggressive, assured and explosive prospect.
“He looks faster. He looks harder on the puck,” Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert said of Rosen’s rapid improvement since development camp ended in mid-July. “And his first step looks like it’s got either more pop or more assertiveness. So some of it’s physical.”
Rosen said prior to recording an assist in Thursday’s Prospects Challenge opener ... Read the full article
Matthew Savoie talks to the media Wednesday. ©2022
BUFFALO – Seth Appert smiled and began searching for the right words to describe his first impressions of Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie.
The coach settled on two.
“Just electric,” Appert said Wednesday.
Two months ago, a shoulder injury forced Savoie, the ninth overall pick on July 7, to stay off the ice during development camp. So Appert had to wait until rookie camp opened at LECOM Harborcenter to watch the ultra-talented center up close.... Read the full article
Buffalo prospect Jiri Kulich could begin this season in the AHL. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
Three first-round picks – centers Matthew Savoie and Jiri Kulich and winger Isak Rosen – are among the 27 youngsters listed on the Buffalo Sabres’ roster for the upcoming Prospects Challenge rookie tournament.
The roster, released Monday, also includes Russian winger Aleksandr Kisakov, a second-round pick in 2020, and winger Flip Cederqvist, a fifth-round selection in 2019 coming off a 14-goal season in the Swedish Hockey League.
The Sabres open the tournament Thursday against the ... Read the full article
Buffalo drafted Noah Ostlund 16th overall on July 7. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Friday signed their three first-round picks in last week’s NHL Draft – centers Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich – to three-year, entry-level contracts.
The deals each have a $950,000 average annual value, according to capfriendly.com.
Right now, the 18-year-old prospects are in Buffalo for development camp. Savoie, who underwent shoulder surgery earlier this year, isn’t participating in the on-ice sessions.
The Sabres selected Savoie ninth overall, Ostlund 16th and ... Read the full article
Sabres fans can get their first glimpse of prospect Noah Ostlund this week. ©2022
Eight first-round picks, including all three the Buffalo Sabres selected last week – centers Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich – are on the 43-man development camp roster the team released Monday.
The most anticipated camp in a long time – the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Sabres to cancel it the last two years – begins Wednesday at LECOM Harborcenter.
The roster is loaded with top prospects. Forwards Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn, Isak Rosen ... Read the full article
Topias Leinonen is Buffalo’s latest goalie prospect. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
MONTREAL – All along, the Buffalo Sabres planned to select a goalie this year. But there was a problem: the 2022 NHL Draft was light on net prospects.
Still, one youngster, Topias Leinonen, NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked European goalie, caught their eye.
“We felt this guy had first- (or) second-round value,” Jerry Forton, the Sabres’ director of amateur scouting, said Friday afternoon following the draft inside the Bell Centre. “The question was do we use ... Read the full article
Matthew Savoie was all smiles Thursday. ©2022
MONTREAL – Centers are perhaps the most precious commodity in hockey, and the Buffalo Sabres had built up an impressive stockpile of them before they selected Matthew Savoie ninth overall, Noah Ostlund 16th and Jiri Kulich 28th at the NHL Draft on Thursday.
In 18-year-old youngsters, the Sabres picked three of the most talented pivots in the draft and added to perhaps the league’s deepest group.
In the NHL, the Sabres have skilled centers Dylan ... Read the full article
