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. I’ve already posted the Buffalo Sabres Top 10 prospects, all of whom in my opinion, can or will play a regular shift in the NHL.
This is the 11-20 list. None of these players are guaranteed a shift in the NHL, as they all have glaring flaws in their respective games. But a little effort, coupled with a little coaching, and a little luck…you might have a couple NHL regulars in this group in a couple of years. Let’s hope so! 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.
11. Viktor Neuchev, W, 2022 3#72: A dynamic, high-volume shooter, Neuchev is a shifty, skilled goal scorer. Just signed an ELC with the Sabres, so he’s reportedly already in Rochester where he’s working with the player development staff. Neuchev is a boom-or-bust kind of prospect – he’s either going to be a scoring wing, or he won’t be in the NHL. He needs a lot of work defending off the puck and has a tendency to play 1-vs-5 a little too often, particularly in transition. This explains the stretches of getting 3-4 minutes of ice time/game in the KHL. That said, he’s got excellent size (6’2) and has almost a full season of playing against professionals in the K. Only 12P in 61 games might cause people concern about his ability, but even getting 60 games as a 19-year-old in the KHL is impressive. I think if he hits, he’s probably similar to a Rikard Rakell-type of shoot first, ask questions later Top 6 wing who can chip in 25G.
12. Vsevolod Komarov, RHD, 2022 5#134: Another Russian? Yep. Unlike the others listed above, Komarov came over to North America early, before his draft season. Playing for Patrick Roy and the Remparts, Komarov staked out a spot as a physical, smart defender. This got him drafted. But this past season, he showed marked improvement in his skating and added a more offensive side to his game that got people (like me!) taking more notice. And when he scored the Memorial Cup winning goal, you didn’t have a choice but to take notice. Another off-season of work could make him a very viable NHL-capable D-Man. Like Neuchev, Novikov and Ryan Johnson, recently Vsevolod (pronounced Sev-a-lodd) signed an ELC with the Sabres. But I think he could use one more year in Quebec defending the title before coming to Rochester. When I look at ceilings, Komarov could be an Artem Zub kind of defender. Which is some great value for a 5th round choice.
13. Olivier Nadeau, RW, 2021 4#97: Like Komarov, Nadeau excelled in the Quebec league. And like Komarov, Nadeau’s got heavy feet and subpar skating. Unlike Komarov – and really, any player listed so far in the prospect pool – Nadeau’s a super-productive netfront forward (and one of my favorite prospects). And he shows up when it matters – Nadeau’s a PPG player in 38 games of playoffs over his junior career. At 6’2 and over 205#, he’s a bear to handle and has excellent balance. He needs to get quicker if he ever plans to get more than a cup of coffee in the NHL. What will he become? If he gets to even average skating, he can become a Zach Hyman-type of glue guy who hangs around the net and jams in loose pucks and passes. Just a nose for the puck, gets into the high-traffic areas and takes a beating but puts it in the net. If not, he’s probably a Brett Murray tweener kind of player who spends most of his time in the AHL. Either way, there’s value for the Sabres.
14. Alexander Kisakov, LW, 2021 2#53: This super-slick operator has hands and moves for days…unfortunately, he’s 5’10 and barely 150#. Still, he played 48 games in the AHL, and although he was banged around pretty well throughout, he survived with minimal injury and had some impactful moments (won a couple games in the shootout, had a couple of big goals). Could he become a high-end playmaker and killer in transition? For sure. But he’s got to add so much strength and size, it’s just as likely that he never becomes a big-time scorer even at the AHL level. He’s got it in him – in 102 Russian junior games, he scored 129P – but this coming season will be a huge one for his future. At his ceiling, he could be a Jake Guentzel-type of complimentary scorer. Can he get there? It’s a big question mark.
15. Tyson Kozak, C, 2021 7#193: Out of nowhere, Kozak was surprisingly promoted from juniors to the AHL. Then he became a key player on a run to the Final Four of the AHL. What more could this kid do to surprise us? Make the Sabres? For a 7th round pick, that would be pretty amazing. Kozak is a pure grinder. He works his tail off, he scraps for ice, he’ll hit anything and take on anyone. But is his skating good enough? Are his offensive instincts capable enough? Is he big enough (5’11) to play that style of game at the highest level? Right now, a lot of questions. But I wouldn’t bet against him! If the answers to all those questions are YES, then I can see him play a JG Pageau sort of role. If not, he’s probably a lifetime AHL guy who could lead the Amerks in the future. For a 7th rounder…that’s found money!
16. Filip Cederqvist, W, 2019 5#143: Big bull of a forward who could be a difference maker this coming season. Cederqvist has three seasons of playing with and against men under his belt – one in Allsvenskan, one in the SHL, and now one in Rochester in the AHL. Next year he’s got to move the needle. At 6’1 and 195#, he plays bigger than he is, but still gets around the ice very well. Had 20P in 55 games for the Amerks, and 3P in 8 playoff games, so he was playing and producing, although often playing a limited role. But he attacks the middle of the ice, gets to the net, and fills the lanes nicely in transition. Can he carve out a role for himself in the Top 6? And if he does, can he hang on to it and become productive? We’ll see.
17. Brandon Biro, C, 2020 UDFA: A precise, skilled centerman on a team who needs them, Biro missing the last third of the season really hurt the Amerks and might have been what kept them out of the Calder Cup Finals. Biro is on the older side of this list, due to playing a full 4 years at Penn State before joining the Amerks, but he’s still relatively young and very talented. And he’s still evolving – he put up 41P in 49 games for the Amerks as a rookie, and this past year he went for 51P in 49 games before getting injured. Still, he’s on the small side, only 5’11 165#, so I’m not sure he’s ever anything more than an injury fill-in at the NHL level. But being a Top 6, PPG center in the AHL is something to be proud of. Ideally, if everything works out, he becomes an Evan Rodrigues type of player at the NHL level.
18. Jake Richard, RW, 2022 6#170: Despite being his draft +1 season, Richard is still only 18 and won’t turn 19 until the end of August. That makes his season even more remarkable. After finishing with 48P in 56 games last season, his 2nd in the USHL gave him 62P in 57 games despite changing teams mid-season. Was also one of the USA’s top forwards at the World Junior A Challenge. And he’s grown a couple inches since he was drafted, now stands 6’1, 195# with a rocket of a shot. A twitchy goal scorer who isn’t afraid to mix it up and drop the gloves, his game is similar to Olivier Nadeau although he’s a better shooter. So much so he plays in the Olofsson Spot on the PP for his junior team. This is a kid who I can see a lot higher in these rankings next season, likely his last in the USHL before he heads off to Tage Thompson’s alma mater, UCONN. If his game continues to mature, I could see an early-career David Perron type of player, which would be a steal for the Sabres at that spot.
19. Mats Lindgren, LHD, 2022 4#106: Highly mobile, superb skater who lacks elite offensive instincts. Lindgren can really burn, but he’s best served being a puck transporter. His puck skills are not great, and he doesn’t have the vision to make a defender miss one-on-one and recognize the lanes it opens for him. Not to say he’s a bad player – he was dynamite for Red Deer in the WHL playoffs this past year before Savoie’s Winnipeg team knocked them out; but during the regular season his production actually dropped as his responsibilities grew. Only 5’11 175#, he can struggle if he gets caught deep in his own zone. Where he fits long term in the Sabres’ prospect pool remains to be seen, but I imagine he plays one more year in the WHL before they need to make a decision on him. If everything falls his way, you’re probably looking at a player like Florida’s Josh Mahura: useful between the blue lines, but not great on either end.
20. Joel Ratkovic-Berndtsson, RW, 2022 7#202: Maybe a surprise addition, I have a bit of a soft spot for this kid. He’s already big enough at 6’0 185#, and he does not shy away from the middle of the ice. Quite the opposite. Likes contact, loves to shoot it, and works his tail off to get pucks and take them to slot for a high-danger chance. Finding room in the future forward ranks of this team will be difficult, especially for a 7th round selection, but he’s got the same kind of sandpaper in his game that Kozak has, although his is more purposeful and offensive-oriented. He seems like the kind of player who will do whatever he’s asked in order to succeed, and you need that mentality if you’re going to make it as a late-round pick. Probably a Curtis Lazar sort of player if he ever makes it that far to be an NHL player.
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