Sort Sabres prospects by category

The Buffalo Sabres are widely considered to have one of the best prospect systems in the NHL, even after trading former draft pick Matthew Savoie to the Edmonton Oilers. Their pool is loaded with former draft picks over the last six seasons, despite players like Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka and Owen Power already being recognized as difference-makers in the league. To better understand just how deep the Sabres’ prospects are, let’s take a look at the pipeline and rank them by tier.

We are following the Calder Trophy guidelines to qualify Sabres prospects. Players must be under 26 as of Sept. 15 of this year and cannot have played more than 25 games in 2023-24 or six or more games in the previous two seasons.

Zach Benson, the team’s first overall pick in the 2023 draft, completed his first full season with the Sabres and went from prospect to NHL player. Devon Levi is expected to get a full season in Buffalo this season and has played too many NHL games, at age 22, to be considered a prospect under those terms.

Other players who didn’t qualify include Brett Murray, Ryan Johnson and Jack Rathbone. That leaves 36 prospects in total to categorize. Without further ado, let’s get to the heart of the matter.

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Sabres Elite Prospects

The Sabres’ prospect pool lacks a truly elite player who will become a star. Sure, Buffalo has drafted some players in recent seasons who could be considered elite players, but they’ve simply taken the road to the NHL.

Rasmus Dahlin and Power are under 25 and are the anchors of the defense. Cozens, Quinn, Peterka and Benson are probably a tier below Buffalo’s star defensemen, but they are crucial pieces to the Sabres’ core.

Sabres’ top six prospects

• Helene Consta
• Jiri Kulich
• Noah Ostlund

Levels are the focus here, but 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius may already be Buffalo’s best prospect. He’s certainly the most well-rounded, with a well-rounded defensive game to complement his playmaking ability. His vision and hockey sense are immediate indicators of a top-six center in the making.

Jiri Kulich is the team’s next prospect, having played in the AHL for two seasons, at ages 18 and 19. The Sabres are still trying to develop him into a center, but the likelihood of him ending up on the wing devalues ​​him slightly.

Noah Ostlund’s development has been quiet in Sweden, but the domestic tournaments he’s been in have put him front and center. He’s another natural center, which is promising for Buffalo’s long-term prospects at the position.

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Sabres’ top four defensemen prospects

If there’s another glaring hole in Buffalo’s prospect pool, it’s a top-tier defensive prospect. With Dahlin, Power and Bowen Byram expected to stay with the Sabres long-term, the need for a top-tier prospect on the back end is less significant, but still necessary.

The Sabres have selected forwards with their last six first-round picks in the draft. They’ve addressed defense in the second round in 2023 and 2024, but the potential to be a top-four pick isn’t there yet.

Sabres mid-table forward outlook

• Isak Rosen
• Anton Wahlberg
• Prokar Poltapov
• Stiven Sardarian
• Brodie Ziemer
• Alexander Kisakov
• Viktor Neuchev

The top-tier prospects for the middle sixth-line forwards are the ones that are starting to attract the Sabres. Isak Rosen headlines that group as a former first-round pick. Some might say Rosen has top-six potential after leading Rochester in scoring last season, but his game translates more to a second- or third-line role than a first- or second-line one. He hasn’t shown the game-breaking, team-on-his-back mentality that comes with a true first-line NHL player.

Anton Wahlberg has enough talent to be a dangerous player in combination with his size. Brodie Ziemer impressed during development camp and projects as a dangerous finisher with the right center. The Russian forward quartet are on different development paths, but profile as prospects in the same area.

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Sabres’ top six defensemen prospects

• Maxime Strbak
• Adam Kleber
• Vsevolod Komarov
• Nikita Novikov
• Luc Osburn

Maxim Strbak and Adam Kleber stand out as complementary right-shot defensemen the Sabres could use in the not-too-distant future. Vsevolod Komarov was a scoring monster in the QMJHL. He could be a dynamic defenseman if his game translates well to the pro level.

Nikita Novikov is in a good position and has taken a big step forward as a sixth-round pick. He seems destined to reach the NHL one way or another. Luke Osburn is big and smooth in transition, which keeps him as a potential top-six pick until we learn more about the 2024 fourth-round pick.

Sabres prospects among bottom six forwards

• Ethan Miedema
• Jake Richard
• Lukas Rousek

Ethan Miedema and Jake Richard have been two of the most impressive prospects at the Sabres’ development camp. It’s important to remember that a 3-on-3 game against other prospects isn’t the best situation to judge what a player will do in the future. Still, they’re both on the path to the NHL if they continue to develop appropriately.

Lukas Rousek came into his own in the NHL late last season and showed he’s a decent back-of-the-line player. He’s putting in the effort and making some impactful plays, but he hasn’t been able to make a difference at the NHL level.

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NHL Fringe Prospects

• Gavin McCarthy
• Matteo Costantini
• Scott Ratzlaff
• Tyson Kozak
• Topias Leinonen
• Aaron Huglen
• Tyler Tullio
• Olivier Nadeau
• Vasily Zelenov
• Norwin Panocha

The Sabres have had as many mid- and late-round draft picks in recent seasons as they have, so they have to make decisions about who to sign and continue to develop. Landing in the next two tiers could be the difference between who gets a contract with the Sabres and who doesn’t.

Gavin McCarthy, Matteo Costantini and Tyson Kozak are enough to be at least mainstays for Rochester. Scott Ratzlaff and Topias Leinonen are considered promising enough goaltenders to have shots as well. Then things get uncertain for the rest of the prospects.

The rest of the fringe guys mentioned have shown enough to at least raise eyebrows.

Unlikely NHL prospects

• Simon-Pier Brunet
• Patrick Geary
• William von Barnekow
• Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson
• The Ryerson Leenders
• Gustav Karlsson
• Sean Keohane
• Linus Sjodin

The rest of the prospects are in the “underdog” category and will need to show significant improvement to catch Buffalo’s attention. Some could stick around in the AHL, but for the most part, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see a player of this caliber in a Sabres uniform except at future development camps.

Overall, without an elite prospect and no top-four defensemen, the Sabres may have an overrated pipeline. There is still plenty of talent and room for prospects to flourish, but the league’s best player status is probably too high a ranking. With the youngest team in the NHL, that doesn’t matter much. The Sabres now need to focus on creating a competitive environment for future NHL jobs.