In this month’s Prospect Highlight, we have been treated with play from three 5th rounders as well as five unique performers! While some of October’s top performers continue to impress, like Kulich and Rosén, who earned call-ups at the end of the month, the overall performances for most Sabres prospects took a dip from a production standpoint. In this highlight, you will be able to see the prospect’s name, the league they play in and their production from this month, followed by a quick discussion of their performance. Hopefully, these lesser-known prospects who have found their groove in the month of November continue to bring excitement to the Sabres pipeline.
5. Maxim Štrbák, RHD, NCAA (5GP, 0G, 4A, 4PTS)
The 5th best prospect performer for the Sabres this month was Slovakian right-handed defenceman, Maxim Štrbák. He is a freshman at Michigan State University (MSU). Known for his defensive game, Štrbák has shown glimpses of offensive instincts during international play. While rising to the occasion is definitely a quality that is to be desired, his season in the USHL last year felt a little bit bland. Perhaps he is more comfortable in his second season in North America, resulting in more confidence to contribute on both sides of the puck, or MSU is using his talents more efficiently than his former team. Whatever the case may be, it is promising to see the 6’2 205lbs defenceman perform on both sides of the puck in the month of November. The month of December may be cut short for him due to the 2024 World Juniors, but it will most certainly be interesting to keep tabs on him as a prominent player on the Slovakian roster.
4. Matteo Costantini LHC, NCAA (8GP, 2G, 4A, 6PTS)
The former Buffalo Jr. Sabre of the OJHL has bounced back nicely at Western Michigan University after a tough season with North Dakota last year. After being pushed down the lineup at UND last year, it seems that being in an environment where he could be a prominent player on the team has enabled the scoring touch to return. He has always been a point producer at every level throughout his career, and at his current pace, he is set to reach an NCAA career high in points. While he is certainly lower on the depth chart of forwards, if he can demonstrate that last year’s unproductive season was a fluke and a product of poor usage, then it may be worth considering signing the 2020 5th-round pick to an entry-level contract for the 2024-2025 season.
3. Viljami Marjala LHLW, Liiga (9GP, 2G, 6A, 8PTS)
After almost matching his production from last season in the month of November 2021 5th round pick Viljami Marjala is ranked number 3 on the Sabres top prospect performers this month, He’s a deceptive playmaker who uses the ice well to create offense. Knocked on for his skating and goal-scoring ability, Marjala continues to improve on these measures with every season. After 2 seasons in North America in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts, the best thing he could have done for himself was to go back to Finland, and that is exactly what he did. Last season his production in U20 was impressive, as was his time called up to the Liiga. The added time and space on the European ice surface has let his game flourish. While this does not project well for his transition back to North America, a couple more seasons in Finland will help him refine details of his game that may make it more translatable to the North American ice surface. This season his production has increased from month to month. Hopefully December continues to tell the same story.
2. Matthew Savoie RHC/RW, AHL (3GP, 1G, 1A, 2PTS) & WHL (7GP, 6G, 7A, 13PTS)
After getting a small stint in the NHL and AHL, Savoie was returned to the WHL in November. Unfortunately, the NHL/CHL agreement forced the Sabres’ hand, resulting in being sent back to a league in which he dominates, even after Savoie’s impressive 5 points in 6 games in the AHL. There is very little left for Savoie to prove at the junior level. That being said, he started off his WHL season with a vengeance, terrorizing the opponents’ goalies. He is consistently several steps ahead of his opponent, either physically or mentally, enabling highlight after highlight. It really feels like he has very little competition at this level for the talented forward. The way he has played as of late really feels like a message to Hockey Canada’s selection committee for the 2024 World Junior Championship. After being left off the roster last year, be prepared to see Savoie prove that he is still one of the top Canadian prospects in the world. Just like he dances through defenders in the WHL, be prepared for Savoie to dance his way up the lineup at the World Juniors.
1. Scott Ratzlaff, G, WHL (9GP, 2.28 GAA, .921Sv%)
This month’s #1 prospect performance comes from 2023 5th-round pick Scott Ratzlaff. After a rough start to the season with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, Ratzlaff has gotten back to the level that made many fans excited about him at the 2023 Buffalo Sabres Prospect Challenge in September. The crazy thing about his performances this month is that during those 9 starts, the Thunderbirds were only able to win 3 games. In addition, only twice did his save percentage drop below .900. In other words, Ratzlaff has been holding an underperforming Thunderbirds roster together. With impressive athleticism and explosive post-to-post movements, Ratzlaff has looked in control during the games that I watched this month. With the way that the Sabres’ goaltending has gone this season, it is always a nice feeling to see a young goalie performing well in the pipeline. With these performances, Ratzlaff’s name has been mentioned in conversations surrounding Canada’s 2024 World Junior roster. Even if he’s the third goalie, making the roster as an 18 year old would be a significant accomplishment for a Canadian team that is notorious for taking lesser known 19 year old goalies.
Honorable Mentions:
- Brandon Biro → AHL (5GP, 4G, 2A, 6PTS) & NHL (2GP, 2G, 0A, 2PTS)
- Mats Lindgren → WHL (10GP, 1G, 6A, 7PTS)
- Albert Lyckåsen → Allsvenskan (11GP, 2G, 4A, 6PTS)