Buffalo Sabres select Isak Rosen with the 14th pick in the 2021 NHL Draft
Sabres go with high-end skill at 14
From my 2021 NHL rankings article:
Isak Rosen, W, SHL (3/15/03)
5’10, 154 lbs
22gp, 0g, 1pt
Isak Rosen does four things very well:
1.) Gets to the high-medium danger areas of the ice to take his shot or to make his pass. He understands where the puck should go, and gets the puck there to shoot it or for his teammates to shoot it.
2.) He is able to control a game with the puck on his stick. A team can definitely run their offense through Rosen.
Isak Rosen showcasing the shimmy and the shake on this one.
— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) November 1, 2020
He's one of my favourite Euros in this upcoming crop. pic.twitter.com/mZHGBm4a8L
3.) Very good off the puck, which has helped him find space to get his shot and allowed for him to make quick decisions once receiving the pass.
4.) He’s a blur on the screen. His skating is high-end and as the NHL becomes more and more about pace of play and being able to make plays at a top-end speed his strengths are going to fit the modern NHL.
Isak Rosen has wheeeels.
— Josh Bell (@JoshuaBell31) January 23, 2021
He's a serious first-round contender thanks to his skating, his vision, and his effort in all three zones.
I'd like to see his decision making under pressure improve, but there's so much to like otherwise. Report coming soon on @FCHockey. #2021NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/J2UILlai8s
His faults almost all lie with him being too weak physically to really compete in board battles and when defenders lean on him. He’s a project, but he does all the little things right.
Isak Rosén (#2021NHLDraft) scores his second goal of the game in this U18 v U19 Swedish Scrimmage! I just love this kids game. pic.twitter.com/wwnqG3RnGw
— Tony Ferrari (@theTonyFerrari) February 11, 2021
Isak Rosen is the type of player that is possibly good enough in transition to move from winger to center after he physically develops. However, the way he plays the game is exceptional to analytical hockey minds, and though he will take most likely 3 years to physically develop to an NHL level player, he is a very good swing to make at 13 as a potential high-end middle six player with homerun top line potential (though this isn’t likely).