Five first-round picks, including forwards Jiri Kulich and Matt Savoie, are among the 25 youngsters listed on the Buffalo Sabres’ roster for the upcoming Prospects Challenge rookie tournament.
Kulich and Savoie, two of the Sabres’ three first-round selections in 2022, are expected to compete for NHL spots during training camp.
The roster, released Tuesday, also features three other first-round picks: wingers Zach Benson and Isak Rosen and defenseman Ryan Johnson.
The Sabres open the tournament Friday against the Montreal Canadiens at LECOM Harborcenter.
Kulich scored 24 goals as a rookie with the Rochester Americans last season and added another seven in 12 playoff contests. He became the fourth player in AHL history to register more than 20 goals as an 18-year-old. Savoie, meanwhile, recorded 38 goals and 95 points in 62 games for the Western Hockey League’s Winnipeg Ice last season.
Buffalo’s roster also includes three forwards who spent all of last season in Rochester: Filip Cederqvist, Aleksandr Kisakov and Tyson Kozak.
Goalie Devon Levi, who started seven critical late-season NHL games after leaving Northeastern, isn’t on the roster. Levi will be competing to become Buffalo’s No. 1 goalie during camp.
Williamsville native Trevor Kuntar, a winger, is on the Boston Bruins’ roster for the tournament.
