2023-24 Prospect Pool Overview: Buffalo Sabres
Tony Ferrari examines the many strengths and few weaknesses of the Buffalo Sabres' prospect pipeline, which is one of the most exciting in the NHL.
The off-season gives us the perfect opportunity to look at each team’s prospect pools, charging ahead this week with the Buffalo Sabres.
In this series, Tony Ferrari digs into each team’s strengths and weaknesses, their latest draft class, where their positional depth chart stands, and who could be next in line for a shot at the NHL. Note that a player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for the purposes of these exercises.
Introduction
The Buffalo Sabres have figured it out. Not only are they one of the most exciting young teams in the NHL currently, but they have one of the most exciting prospect pools in hockey. Owen Power, J.J. Peterka, Jack Quinn, Dylan Cozens and Peyton Krebs are all under 23 years old and have played enough NHL games not to be included in this exercise, and yet, the Sabres pipeline still feels loaded.
It all starts with the dynamic duo drafted from the Winnipeg Ice over the last two years. Matthew Savoie (ninth overall in 2022) and Zach Benson (13th overall in 2023) could bring the chemistry and flair they’ve torn up the WHL with to the NHL as they develop over the next couple of seasons. Savoie plays a high-pace game with skill and creativity. Benson is a cerebral creator who exploits opponents with some of the most intelligent play-connecting abilities we’ve seen from a prospect in recent years. Together, the Sabres could fill out a third of their top six.
Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich completed their rookie season in the AHL last year and could be used as reinforcements this season if injuries arise. They provide some scoring punch and skill the Sabres could use if any of their top nine forwards go down. Both have excellent shots and show some high-end skill. Kulich brings a bit more defensively and has a bit more of a developed shot, but Rosen’s speed and puck skill as a transporter are more refined. Lukas Rousek seems to have the inside track toward being in the lineup for this upcoming season, but we could see Rosen and Kulich compete for that spot and be in the NHL at different points this year.
Devon Levi is the goalie of the future in Buffalo, but they have a good stable of netminders coming up. Topias Leinonen had a bit of a down year last season, but his frame and athleticism are attractive. He turns 20 in January and will be expected to play most of his games at the men’s level in Finland. Scott Ratzlaff was drafted this year and should take the reigns for the Seattle Thunderbirds after he played the role of 1B to Thomas Milic this past year. Ratzlaff is a quick and agile netminder who plays with a cool head at all times.
Noah Ostlund is an intelligent center who drives play at almost every level he plays at. He will be moving on from the Djurgarden program to play with Vaxjo in the SHL this year, which is a logical next step for the speedy, skilled center. Ostlund and Savoie may have to ultimately move to the wing at the NHL level, with Tage Thompson and Cozens occupying the top center roles, but having Ostlund as the center on a scoring third line could make the Sabres lethal for years to come.
The blueline has graduated many of the top-end players such as Power, Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson, but they still have the likes of Ryan Johnson, Maxim Strbak and Mats Lindgren on their way. Johnson is the closest to the NHL and could fill in as an all-around defender on the bottom pair. His upside isn’t that of Power or Dahlin, but he projects as an excellent defensive complement to an offensive-minded partner.
2023 NHL Draft Class
Round 1, 13th overall - Zach Benson, LW, Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
Round 2, 39th overall - Anton Wahlberg, C, Malmo J20 (Sweden Jr.)
Round 2, 45th overall - Maxim Strbak, RD, Sioux Falls (USHL)
Round 3, 86th overall - Gavin McCarthy, RD, Muskegon (USHL)
Round 4, 109th overall - Ethan Miedema, LW, Kingston (OHL)
Round 5, 141st overall - Scott Ratzlaff, G, Seattle (WHL)
Round 6, 173rd overall - Sean Keohane, LD, Dexter School (Mass. HS)
Round 7, 205th overall - Norwin Panocha, LD, Berlin (DEL U-20)
The Sabres took advantage of the players who fell to them. Analysts and pundits around hockey have praised Buffalo's last three drafts, with the selection of Benson at 13th overall this year being as highly regarded as any pick they’ve made in recent years.
Benson is undersized, but he was arguably the smartest player in the strong 2023 draft class. He is agile and quick even if his straight-line speed is average. The Winnipeg Ice winger was a true play-driver from the wing and showcased some of the best playmaking vision and passing ability in junior hockey last season. His advanced 200-foot game and tactical mentality could make him a top-five player in the draft class.
In the second round, the Sabres selected one of the fastest risers of the draft in massive center Anton Wahlberg. His skating improved by leaps and bounds this season, and he became more confident as a puck carrier throughout the year. Wahlberg showcased quite well at the World Men's Under-18s, proving his offensive talent against the best players in his age group. His upside may not land him in the top six, particularly in Buffalo’s loaded system, but he could be an excellent third-line center that can do it all.
Maxim Strbak is a strong defender who can shut opposing attacks down and turn play up ice with efficient and effective zone exits. He is a good skater who isn’t the most dynamic puck carrier, but he understands how to take advantage of what’s being given to him, whether that’s a skating or passing lane through the neutral zone. The Slovak blueliner is headed to Michigan State next year to play NCAA hockey, which should be an excellent place for him to develop.
Gavin McCarthy from Muskegon was their third-round pick, and the New York-born right-shot defender plays a steady two-way game. He is physical when defending and opportunistic when the puck is on his stick. He’s not the dynamic defender who can play on a top pair, but his willingness to play a sound defensive game and move pucks quickly could make him a steady middle-pair defender.
The Sabres bet on size and unrealized potential with Ethan Miedema. He has to work on his skating and get his motor running more consistently, but there is some skill and upside.
Ratzlaff is a possible steal. He was stellar in Seattle but was behind an older goalie with a good reputation and a very strong track record in the WHL. His numbers were great in a 1B role, and if the Sabres can bring him along, he could provide an excellent partner in tandem with Levi down the road.
Strengths
The Sabres have four center prospects who could very well be the framework for a deep NHL roster at the position in five years when they are all established. That’s without including Thompson (25 years old) and Cozens (22). This means it's likely a couple of Savoie, Ostlund, Kulich or Wahlberg will move to the wing. That said, a center pool of Thompson, Cozens, Ostlund and Wahlberg with Savoie and Kulich could be flanked with wing prospects such as Benson and Rosen. Center is the strength of the Sabres prospect pool, but because of how deep they are, their forward depth as a whole is stellar.
Weaknesses
Picking a weakness for the Sabres is nitpicking a bit, if we're being honest. Their right-wing depth is the most obvious weakness, but with the possibility of Savoie and Kulich moving to the wing, they could have the two right wingers they lack. It’s certainly no guarantee, but their weakness is fixable internally, and if it doesn’t get filled with center prospects moving over, the wing is the easiest position to fill at the NHL level.
Next Man Up: Devon Levi, G
The Buffalo Sabres needed someone to come in and save them in net last season as the team was performing quite well, but they weren’t getting the goaltending needed to make the playoffs. Late in the season, Levi signed his entry-level deal, and after taking care of some administrative hold-ups, he took the crease and instantly proved to be the best option in net. Levi was an absolute stud in college, winning two goaltender of the year awards, being nominated for the Hobey Baker twice, and capturing silver at the world juniors.
Posting a .905 save percentage, Levi’s stellar play continued in Buffalo for seven games. Now, he will have the inside track to the starting gig in Buffalo, even if it’s in a 1A and 1B situation. He could be the missing piece to a playoff contender as soon as next season.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Zach Benson, Matej Pekar, Alexander Kisakov, Prokhor Poltapov
C: Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich, Anton Wahlberg
RW: Isak Rosen, Olivier Nadeau, Lukas Rousek
LD: Ryan Johnson, Mats Lindgren
RD: Maxim Strbak, Albert Lyckasen, Gavin McCarthy, Vsevolod Komarov
G: Devon Levi, Scott Ratzlaff, Topias Leinonen
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook, Prospects Unlimited and Future Watch print editions of The Hockey News.