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 Montreal Canadiens at LECOM Harborcenter. Juraj Slafkovsky, the first overall pick July 7, is expected to play for Montreal.
A shoulder injury forced Savoie, the ninth overall selection in July, to miss the on-ice sessions of development camp in July. The tournament will be his first action since his junior season with the Winnipeg Ice ended.
Kulich, the 28th pick this year, and Rosen, the 14th selection in 2021, are expected to join the Rochester Americans this season.
The Sabres also invited winger Declan McDonnell, a Lake View native, to the tournament. McDonnell, a seventh-round pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020, attended development camp this year.
Rookie defenseman Owen Power, who solidified a spot in Buffalo late last season after leaving Michigan, and wingers JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn, aren’t on the roster. Peterka and Quinn, both of whom earned their first NHL action last season, are expected to crack Buffalo’s lineup following standout seasons with the Amerks.
