The Sabres drafted Poltapov in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft
The Sabres drafted Poltapov 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
25. ETHAN MIEDEMA
24. STIVEN SARDARIAN
23. TOPIAS LEINONEN
22. Prokhor Poltapov – Left Wing (Zvezda Moskva - VHL, CSKA Moscow – KHL)
The Sabres went heavy on Russians in the 2021 NHL Draft, and the first one selected was winger Prokhor Poltapov with the first pick in the second round. The St. Petersburg native scored 25 goals at the junior level and seven points for Russia at the IIHF World Junior under-18s in 2021.
Similar to third-rounder Stiven Sardarian in the same draft, Poltapov is a product of the CSKA Moscow system but opted to stay in Russia while Sardarian headed to North America to play in the NCAA. In 2022, he split time almost equally between the junior MHL, the second pro-level VHL and the KHL. In 2023, he played nearly all of his games in the KHL and posted just 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) in 56 games in a depth role. Last season, there was little offensive growth or an increased role, resulting in 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in 56 games.
Hockey Prospect’s Black Book says “Poltapov will take the puck to the net with reckless abandon but has some controlled chaos in his puck-driving methods. He excels down low by having options when attempting to protect the puck, and by his tenacious relentless style of play when retrieving the puck. Although he’s not very big and has below-average height, he carries a thicker frame that helps him compensate, so that he can use his power-forward play style.”
The Sabres will be looking for some growth from the 21-year-old in his fourth KHL season, and if the road to opportunity continues to be clogged with CSKA, Buffalo management may explore options to get the young winger to North America to accelerate his development.
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