Buffalo Sabres Prospect Update – 2022 Draftees – Part 2
Buffalo had 11 picks in 2021, including three first-round picks Savoie, Ostlund, and Kulich
Buffalo Sabres Prospect Update – 2022 Draftees – Part 2The Buffalo Sabres were ranked as having the top prospect pool in the NHL according to the Athletic. This is partially the benefit of selecting so high in recent drafts, but the club has also appeared to have a keen eye for talent and has promising youngsters that they’ve selected in the lower rounds.
Here is a quick update on the players selected in 2022 not currently in the NHL:
Mats Lindgren – D – 106th overall
The slick-skating Swede has good bloodlines (father Mats played nearly 400 NHL games), and has shown off his offensive skill set with both Kamloops and Red Deer of the Western Hockey League. The 19-year-old blueliner has 41 points (7 goals, 34 assists) in 63 games with the Rebels, who finished third in the WHL’s Central Division and play Medicine Hat in the first round of the playoffs.
The Sabres will have to make a decision to sign Lindgren by June or he will go back into the NHL Draft in Las Vegas.
Vsevolod Komarov D - 134th overall
The big right-handed Russian scored the game-winning goal for Quebec in the Memorial Cup final after an excellent season (12 goals, 27 assists) with the Remparts last season, and also opened some eyes at the Sabres prospect tournament in September. The 20-year-old was dealt to first-place Drummondville by Quebec in early January and finished the season leading all QMJHL blueliners with 69 points (14 goals, 55 assists) in 60 games this season.
Jake Richard – F – 170th overall
A native of Jacksonville, FL, Richard impressed at the prospect tournament last September with his offensive chops after scoring 62 points in the USHL and he has 18 points (7 goals, 11 assists) in 36 games as a freshman at the University of Connecticut.
Gustav Karlsson – C – 187th overall
Selected as a 19-year-old overager in the sixth round in 2022, Karlsson split time between the junior level and SHL last season, but this season he has 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in 31 games for Vimmerby HC in the third-tier HockeyEttan pro league.
Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson – LW - 202nd overall
Another late-round overager out of Sweden, Ratkovic-Berndtsson averaged over a point-per-game as a junior with Frolunda in 2022, and scored 20 goals in 34 games last season, with small stints in the SHL and second-level Allsvenskan. This season the 20-year-old shifted to the second-level Finnish Mestis league and has 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in 22 games with FPS Forssa, but shifted to Kristianstads IK of the Swedish third-tier HockeyEttan league and has 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists) in 16 games.
Linus Sjodin – RW – 211st overall
Sjodin was selected as a 19-year-old after playing most of 2022 with Rogle and has played all of last season and 52 games this season in the SHL. The 21-year-old has 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) this season.
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