The Sabres drafted Kisakov in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft
The Sabres drafted Kisakov in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft
The Buffalo Sabres are considered one of the best deepest prospect pools in the NHL, not only because of their selecting high in recent drafts but also due to their eye for talent and their organizational choices of either leaving players to develop in their home countries or bringing them to North America. Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club’s top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals and have played less than 40 NHL games.
READ ABOUT OTHER SABRES PROSPECTS
20. OLIVIER NADEAU
19. ALEKSANDR KISAKOV (ROCHESTER – AHL)
Kisakov was the Sabres second pick of the second round in the 2021 NHL Draft (53rd overall), one of seven European selections made by GM Kevyn Adams. The Solikamsk, Russia native was developed in the Moscow Dynamo system and caught the attention of scouts after scoring 36 goals with the Dynamo Jr. club in 2021.
After another year playing mostly in junior with a brief cup of coffee in the KHL, the winger signed an entry-level deal with the Sabres and has been utilized mostly as a bottom-six forward by Seth Appert with AHL Rochester over two seasons. After scoring six goals as a rookie, the 21-year-old started last season shot out of a cannon but was slowed by a lower-body injury and ended up with only 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in 32 games.
The Hockey Prospect Black Book said that Kisakov “is a tricky player to evaluate because he just goes out there and plays, but there isn’t a lot of structure to his game,” while the Elite Prospects Draft Guide said that he plays with “a lot of pace and creativity in his game. He attacks the neutral zone with crossovers, tracing weaving patterns that veil his intentions from defenders.”
Kisakov is entering the final year of his entry-level deal with Buffalo and will have to show some improvement this season to earn another deal with the club.
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