Standouts From Sabres’ Prospects Challenge Match vs Blue Jackets – The Hockey Writers – Sabres Prospects

The Buffalo Sabres are hosting their annual prospects challenge this weekend, which features the prospect groups of themselves, the Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins. On Friday evening, they faced off against the Blue Jackets group with a stacked lineup that featured many of their top prospects including Jiri Kulich, Konsta Helenius, Isak Rosen, and Noah Ostlund, just to name a few. A number of other names from my top ten list were on the ice regularly as well as they put on a clinic and dominated the game with a 3-1 score and outshot their opponents 41-21.

With so many young players to watch for the Sabres, it was difficult to keep an eye on everyone, so I let the standouts draw my eyes to them as best I could. Some players were less noticeable than others, but some really stood out and made you notice them. By the end of the game, it was clear which were standouts, and which were flops.

Sabres Prospects That Flopped

With a lineup that has a lot going for it, there is definitely a lot of pressure on all of the young players, and that should get them all to rise to the occasion and play at a high level to impress the general manager and head coach who were in the building. One player in particular that fell very flat was Alexander Kisakov. The 2021 second-round pick was featured on the third line alongside Tyson Kozak and Oliver Nadeau. This trio had a lot of potential, and the latter two were playing their hearts out while Kisakov was floating and turning the puck over. There did not look to be much fight in his game, and there needs to be a lot more shown out of him for the remainder of the tournament if he wants to have any key ice time in the regular season in Rochester.

Another fairly invisible player was Isak Rosen. The 2021 first-round pick had a lot of ice time with fellow top prospects Jiri Kulich and Victor Neuchev and did register one assist from the puck deflecting off of his body, but in general, he was not doing much. His playmaking choices were not up to where they usually can be, his speed looked a little bit off, and he was looking very stoppable compared to his other two linemates who were on fire all night. He has a lot more he can show, and I expect him to do so in the coming games.

Sabres’ Standout Prospects

There are three names that come to mind for how this game played out…