Buffalo Sabres Prospect Update – 2021 Draftees – Part 1
Sabres prospect Isak Rosen was one of two Buffalo first-round picks in the 2021 NHL Draft.Here is a quick update on the prospects the Sabres selected in 2021 who are not currently in the NHL:
Isak Rosen – RW - 14th overall
In his third season with the Amerks, Rosen is leading the club with 51 points (27 goals, 24 assists) in 52 games, earning a spot in the AHL All-Star game, and numerous call-ups to the Sabres this season, but puzzlingly in spite of Buffalo being well out of the playoff race, GM Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff have not given the 22-year-old winger any serious ice time.
Prokhor Poltapov – LW - 33rd overall
The 22-year-old winger slogged through his first two KHL seasons, playing a depth role with CSKA Moscow, but after scoring just 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in 56 regular season games, Poltapov has tripled his career-high with 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) in his 66 games, but is likely to stay in the KHL for the foreseeable future after signing a two-year contract extension.
Aleksandr Kisakov – LW - 53rd overall
After a year of getting acclimated to North America, Kisakov started last season shot out of a cannon, but was slowed by injury and ended the campaign with 13 points in 32 games. The winger had a goal and two assists in a pre-season rout of Syracuse, but during the regular season, he has not been able to earn a regular spot in the lineup. In spite of scoring three goals in seven games, the indicators are that the Sabres have soured on the 22-year-old, and Amerks assistant coach Vaclav Prospal said last month that he believes the window is closing on the Russian winger in the Sabres organization.
Stiven Sardarian – D - 88th overall
The 22-year-old Russian winger took a different path, playing in the USHL and then to the NCAA with the University of New Hampshire. After scoring only seven points as a freshman, Sardarian has doubled his totals as a sophomore, with 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in 32 games, but this season used the NCAA transfer portal to go to Michigan Tech, where he led the club with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 35 games.
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