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The Buffalo Sabres are stacked with some top-notch youngsters in the NHL. Overall, the Sabres boast the number 1 prospect pool in all of pro hockey.
While Matt Savoie is now a top prospect for the Edmonton Oilers, other alpha players remain with the organization.
From fast centers to skilled wingers, the Sabres’ prospect cupboard is still full, minus Savoie.
This could be the year some of them make the Sabres roster or stay with the Rochester Amerks until their names are called.
Here are some of the top Buffalo Sabres Prospects who could make an immediate impact this year.
Jiri Kulich
Of course, you have to start out with this fast and competitive young Chech center as the Sabres’ number one prospect.
At 5’11”, 190 lbs., Jiri Kulich already has the speed that will translate to the NHL level.
What he also has that is intangible is his fiery and gritty side for a small and skinnier player. He has shown that since arriving at the Amerks, he has scored 51 goals over two AHL seasons.
Now that there appears to be more room for players to earn NHL ice time, Kulich should be on the Sabres opening day roster after being called up last season.
Even if he has to start on the Amerks again, there will still be more room for him this year at the Sabres table than last year.
With new head coach Lindy Ruff’s fast-paced practices, the 28th overall pick in 2022 shows he can play for a reputable and decorated NHL head coach.
Konsta Helenius
While he has yet to step on the ice for one shift of pro hockey, Konsta Helenius showed in the Finish Pro League Liiga that he’s ready to compete against men in North America immediately.
The 5’11”, 189 lb. two-way player has a rare combination of speed and physicality.
At only 18 years of age, the Fin isn’t afraid to take on bigger players and move them out of his way near the boards.
When Buffalo drafted him 14th overall in the 2024 NHL draft, they saw his 36 points in 51 games and knew he was too good to pass up.
Because he’s a European player, he can at least begin his North American pro career with the Amerks in the AHL. Like Kulich, he can also play in the NHL as a rookie.
Isak Rosen
Considered to be the “later bloomer of the bunch,” Isak Rosen is another smaller, faster European prospect who has rocked it in his few years with the Rochester Amerks.
He was called up last year for one game at the same time Kulich was.
The 2021 first-round pick has already adapted to the North American Pro Hockey game due to playing in the Swedish Elite League against grown men.
The 6’0″, 183 lb. Swede has scored 34 goals with Rochester over the past two years and is another possibility to crack the opening night roster for the Sabres.
One thing he could improve on is getting stronger in the weight room and also against the boards on the ice. He already has the height to be able to add more muscle to his body.
Viktor Neuchev
The explosive Russian winger has a chance to be a steal in the NHL.
Drafted in the 5th round of the 2022 NHL draft, Neuchev is very strong for only being 5’11”, 171 lbs, hence why he was able to play with the Amerks early in his development.
The winger also brings with him speed and puck possession, as well as the ability to score as many goals as he wants to.
He already showcased his scoring in the 2024 Sabres Prospects Challenge, tallying two goals while being a mismatch nightmare for his prospective opponents.
He, too, was racking up goals and points in the AHL and is a wildcard to make the Sabres’ opening night roster this season.
Again, he can also start with the Amerks and earn his call-up to the big show.
Immediate Impact This Year
Look for these four young studs who could make an immediate impact this year on the Buffalo Sabres line-up.
