T McGee takes a stab at ranking the top prospects in the Buffalo farm system
A couple weeks ago, Podunk asked for a brief recount of the prospects in the organization and where they stood. Because he is a gentleman and a scholar, I thought I would take a crack at it. But because I desperately need an editor, I soon had a volume on my hands and was forced to break it into sections to avoid blinding people with a wall of text. So I’ve got the Top 10, all of whom in my opinion, can or will play a regular shift in the NHL. I’ll post 11-20 a bit later. The Sabres are obscenely deep as far as their pipeline goes and having 8 picks going into next month’s Draft – including 3 in the top 45 – will only make this a greater strength of the organization going forward. Hell, I might be able to do a 21-30 after the Draft!
Enjoy.
1. Jiri Kulich, C/LW, 2022 1#28: It’s unfortunate, but I think we’re becoming desensitized to what Kulich is accomplishing this season. He’s come over from Czechia, is learning a new language, new culture, and new people while learning a different style of hockey on a different sized sheet of ice and doing it all in an environment where he’s competing in what probably amounts to the 2nd best hockey league in the world. JJ Peterka, for example, remained in Germany for his Draft +1 season before coming over to Rochester. Kulich did not have that luxury. He came over as a teenager and set the record for most goals in AHL history, some 80+ years long, by an 18-year-old.
In the playoffs, he’s the first U-19 player since 1944 (!) to post more than a PPG. These are astonishing numbers. And he can get better. He’s not a natural playmaker, so I doubt he’ll ever be a great passer, but defensively he can be very strong. While he might not start the season with the Sabres next year, he CAN play in the NHL right now. At his best, I think Kulich can be another Filip Forsberg-type of player for the Sabres, a 30G Top 6 forward who can also lock it down at the other end.
2. Devon Levi, G, 2020 7#212: I know, 7 games already in the NHL. 5 wins. In high pressure situations, down the stretch in a tight playoff race. Just anoint this kid the #1 goalie already! And the #1 prospect! Not so fast. I have a couple reservations about Levi. First, he’s never played more than 44 games in a season, going all the way back to major midget. That includes playoffs and international games. Second, he’s 6’0. I know, I know, size doesn’t matter…but fact is, a 6’6 goalie is going to stop pucks just by being 6’6. Levi has to work harder to stop the same amount of pucks. Third, he had his success at the end of last season against teams who didn’t have a book on him. That will largely change by mid-season next year. Can he still be the #1, 60 game leader of the pack in the pipes? Absolutely. Would I bet against him? Nope. Do I expect it next season? I do not.
In fact, I would not be at all surprised if the Sabres rolled with 3 goalies on the roster to start the season and play the hot hand. Levi winds up with 30 or so games and gets the feel of a full NHL season. Comrie’s contract ends, Levi and UPL fight for the top spot. The old Don Edwards and Bob Sauve tandem. I thought this watching him at Northeastern, but I never spoke up until Kevin Weekes said essentially the same thing, so I got corroboration from someone a lot smarter than me: I think Levi’s upside is Mike Richter.
3. Matthew Savoie, C/RW, 2022 1#9: Yeah, I’m aware. He had a million points for the Ice. And another thousand in the playoffs. But let’s remember one thing…he’s played in the WHL for 3 of the last 4 years. Against mostly kids his own age. And he’s supremely talented. So those monster stats aren’t quite as gaudy as they appear. That said, Savoie has star potential. He’s an extremely fast skater, elusive, shifty and has a laser of a shot. He’s also a hound on the puck, a relentless forechecker. Victim of a calendar problem, he is too good for juniors and not able to play in the AHL.
While the Sabres can make a case to get a waiver to allow him to play for the Amerks, its outcome is uncertain. So I expect him to start next season with BFLO. But that doesn’t reflect where I think he stands in the prospect hierarchy. I can see Savoie’s floor being someone like a Yanni Gourde, but his ceiling could be Claude Giroux-like if you can be patient with him and surround him with the right players.
4. Isak Rosen, RW, 2021 1#14: With all the praise heaped on Kulich – and rightly so – the season had by Rosen has largely flown under the radar. But make no mistake, he’s taken some giant steps this year. Remember, this is a kid who only notched 4P in 28 games last year in Sweden’s top league…then he comes over to North American and many Sabres fans said “leave him over there! He’s not ready!” Instead he’s 3rd in scoring for U-20 players in the AHL. And he’s put up 8P in 10 games in the playoffs, including some scrappy goals in the goalie’s lap.
He’s got a nasty shot, a very clever creative game, and can really skate. Now he’s going to the middle of the ice and scoring. He might not be as sturdy as Kulich or quite as dynamic with the puck as Savoie, but his upside is definitely in the same vein as Jesper Bratt. He’ll need someone to get him the puck a lot of the time, but as he gets stronger and more refined, Rosen’s going to be a very effective middle-6 player.
5. Ukko Pekka-Luukkonen, G, 2017 2#52: I get it, to some he’s not still a ‘prospect’. But really, I’m going to include him because he’s barely played the equivalent of half an NHL season over 3 years (46 career games). UPL is a classic case of inconsistency. He can be up, and look dominant, and can be down, and look like a sieve. Sometimes in the same game! But it’s the ups that have me placing him so high. He’s got tremendous size and great lateral movement in the crease.
Unfortunately, his glove hand can be spotty, and he can lose his crease on occasion by coming out too high or sliding too far in one direction. If he can become more consistent and more patient with his movements – sort of like what Ryan Miller did – UPL can be a legit starter in this League. I think at his best, he’s Jacob Markstrom-esque. Stretches of dominance, followed by periods of head scratchingly bad play. Will he do it in BFLO? I guess we’ll find out, but that’s the question.
6. Lukas Rousek, RW, 2019 6#160: Yes, some of the other players below him are more talented. But the Sabres took their time with this kid, and he paid them back with a fantastic season in Rochester, serving as their All-Star representative and making his NHL debut this season. He’s quick, dogged on the puck, and will play whatever role you need him to play and give maximum effort. He’s best suited for a bottom 6 role with his advanced 2-way play. I think he’s got a solid chance of making the Sabres out of camp this year, and likely slotting into the 4th line with Kyle Okposo and possibly another player to be determined later – Krebs? Bring back Girgensons or Jost? Bring in someone new? Whatever happens, this kid is to my mind an NHL player. With 56 points in 70 games and another 10 in 10 games in the playoffs, Rousek is showing up when it counts. And this goal on his 1stNHL shift? Icing on the cake.
7. Noah Ostlund, C, 2022 1#16: Wait, this guy was drafted ahead of Kulich? And in the same ballpark as Savoie? And he hasn’t even secured a regular shift in a Men’s League yet? Don’t panic, people. Ostlund is a savvy, cerebral player who happens to be very slight while playing a demanding position. A dynamite passer and distributor, sees the entire ice and can also play a very responsible defensive game. He got hung up playing for Djurgartens, his local club, who just so happened to get relegated last year to Allsvenskan, the 2nd tier Men’s League in Sweden. The heavy chore of getting back to the SHL was put on him and a couple of other 1st round picks, and they fell short, losing in the final match to Modo. But Ostlund battled some injuries this year, and when healthy, he shone – finishing as the #2 scorer for U-20 players in Allsvenskan and adding 4P in 7 games at the World Juniors. He’s a player that will take some time and might fall victim to a log jam at the 3C when all is said and done, but there’s no shortage of skill or talent with this kid.
8. Nikita Novikov, LHD, 2021 6#188: Russian version of Matthias Samuelsson. A big kid at 6’3 205#, Novikov plays a grinding, physical, defense-first style that is much more mature than his soon-to-be 20 years of age. We don’t get to see much of him over here in North America, but rest assured he’s big, and he knows it. And he’s a very good skater for a kid his size.
In a league where seniority and experience are valued even more than in the NHL, Novikov surprisingly played 62 games in the KHL and got meaningful minutes for his team this year. That is exceedingly rare. Not only that, but he played 32 games in the K as an 18-year-old, even more rare. So Novikov has already played at a high level, and like a lot of big Russian blueliners in the past few years (Andre Nikishkin, Shakir Mukmuhdullin, etc) he’s really blossomed since being drafted. Likely a 4/5 guy if he hits his ceiling, Novikov is more in the mold of an Adam Pelech or a Jonas Seigenthaler than a Jaccob Slavin…but that is still valuable, especially for the Sabres.
9. Ryan Johnson, LHD, 2019 1#31: Now, if you ARE looking for someone who could style their game like a Jaccob Slavin, look no further than Ryan Johnson. He’s not a big guy at 6’1 175#, but he is a dynamite skater and smart, simple defender who now has several years of experience playing at a very high level. It will be very interesting to see who wins the horse race between Novikov and Johnson as the first defensive prospect to get a full-time gig at the NHL level. Johnson skates well enough to be a potential #4 D-Man but is more likely to wind up on the 3rdpair given his offensive limitations. That said, he could have a long and prosperous career playing in that role. Not unlike Alec Martinez. And that’s a nice asset to have in your arsenal if you’re the Sabres, regardless of what you decide to do with him.
10. Prokhor Poltapov, RW, 2021 2#33: Maybe I’m too high on this kid, but I’ve been a fan since his draft year, when I had him in the 1st round going into the Draft. Poltapov plays a high-energy, attacking game that would translate well to the NHL, particularly in the bottom 6. He’s a bear on the forecheck and loves to get into the middle of the ice. And he’s got enough skill and skating to make plays happen and put pucks in the net when he gets the chance. There are still elements of his game that need to be refined, but the 6’0 180# forward is under contract in Russia until the end of the 2025 season.
Once he does come over, IF he does, he likely will spend very little time in Rochester…having spent 3 full seasons in the KHL, that should be enough seasoning to get him ready for the NHL. Will there be room for him? We will see. I could see him becoming a more skilled version of someone like Jordan Martinook. I’ll take that for a 2ndround pick!