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Buffalo Sabres Development Camp: The Players

By Melissa Kania |

Heading down to Buffalo Sabres development camp this week? You’ll see some familiar faces, including several players who spent time last season with the Sabres or in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. There will also be plenty of recent draft picks and a handful of other Sabres prospects and camp invitees. Here’s a quick breakdown of the Buffalo Sabres development camp roster.

GOALTENDERS AT SABRES DEVELOPMENT CAMP

There are five goaltenders in Buffalo for Sabres development camp this week.

  • Nathan Lieuwen – A familiar face for Sabres and Amerks fans, Lieuwen played seven games with the Sabres last season. He also appeared in 32 games with Rochester and went 17-11-2 in that stretch.
  • Andrey Makarov – Makarov went from the ECHL to the AHL to the NHL last year. He never played for the Sabres (just dressed as a backup) but was 7-3-0 in 10 games with Rochester. He had a record of 15-11-4 with Fort Wayne of the ECHL.
  • Cal Peterson – The lone USHL goalie in the mix, Peterson spent last season with Waterloo. The 19-year-old went 27-7-4 last year with a 2.50 GAA and .915 save percentage.
  • Linus Ullmark – One of two Swedish goaltenders at Sabres development camp this year, Ullmark spent last year with MODO of the SHL. He had a 2.08 GAA and .931 save percentage in 35 games.
  • Jonas Johansson – A 2014 draft pick of the Sabres, Johansson is one of the younger players in attendance at development camp this year. The 18-year-old was drafted in the third round this year after splitting last year between Brynas Jr. of the Swedish junior league and Brynas of the SHL.

 DEFENSEMEN AT SABRES DEVELOPMENT CAMP

Ten blueliners will be at Sabres development camp this week, including four who spent time in Buffalo at some point last season.

  • Mark Pysyk – At 22, Pysyk is one of the older players at Sabres development camp this year. He had seven points in 44 games with the Sabres last season but also appeared in 31 games with Rochester, racking up 12 points and 28 penalty minutes in that stretch.
  • Rasmus Ristolainen – The 2013 pick of the Sabres also split last year between Buffalo and Rochester, playing 34 games each with the Sabres and Amerks. He had 20 points with the Amerks.
  • Jake McCabe – McCabe joined the Sabres for seven games last season after a season at the University of Wisconsin. He had 25 points in 36 games with the U of Wisconsin and one assist with the Sabres.
  • Nikita Zadorov – The 19-year-old also played seven games with the Sabres last season. He spent the rest of the year with London of the OHL, where he had 30 points in 36 games and also saw action in the Memorial Cup with the host Knights.
  • Jerome Gauthier-Leduc – The 21-year-old spent most of  last season with the Amerks, appearing in 51 games. He also appeared in eight games with Gwinett of the ECHL.
  • Brady Austin – Austin spent most of last season with the London Knights of the OHL after being traded there by Belleville earlier in the season. He had 28 points in 60 games with London, the best offensive production of his career, and played alongside fellow Sabres prospect Nikita Zadorov for much of the year.
  • Anthony Florentino – The 2013 fifth-round pick of the Sabres spent last season with Providence College. The Boston native had 11 points (5-6) in 30 games.
  • Brycen Martin – The Sabres picked Martin 74th overall in this year’s draft. He spent last season with Swift Current of the WHL, where he had 37 points and 42 penalty minutes in 72 games.
  • Andrew Prochno – Prochno went undrafted and is an invite to Sabres development camp this year. At 23, he’s the oldest defenseman at camp. The Edina, Minnesota native spent last season with St. Cloud State and had 19 points in 32 games.
  • Brandon Prophet – The Saginaw Spirit blueliner is another invitee. The Brockville native had 19 points (2-17) and 72 penalty minutes in 65 games with Saginaw last season.

RIGHT WINGERS AT SABRES DEVELOPMENT CAMP

  • Joel Armia – The 21-year-old is the lone right winger coming to Sabres development camp who spent time last season with the Rochester Americans. He had 27 points and 30 penalty minutes in his first season in North America.
  • Justin Bailey – Everyone knows him as a Buffalo native, but Bailey spent last season with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers. He had 25 goals and 18 assists for 43 points in 54 games.
  • Nicholas Baptiste – Another OHLer, Baptiste had 89 points in 65 games with Sudbury last season, including 45 goals and 44 assists.
  • Hudson Fasching – Fasching’s rights were acquired by the Sabres via trade from the Los Angeles Kings, so this development camp is Buffalo’s first chance to get a good look at him on home ice. He had 30 points in 40 games with the University of Minnesota last year.
  • Vaclav Karabacek – One of the 2014 draft picks, Karabacek spent last season with Gatineau of the QMJHL. He had 47 points and 40 penalty minutes in 65 games with the Olympiques.
  • Jonathon Martin – Martin is one of a small handful of WHLers at Sabres camp this year, and he’s an invitee. The Winnipeg native had 18 points and 105 penalty minutes in 63 games with the Kootenay Ice last year.
  • Victor Olofsson – Another 2014 draft pick, Olofsson split last season between MODO of the SHL and Modo Jr. of the Swedish Junior league. He had 53 points in 44 games with MODO Jr. and registered no points in 11 games with MODO.
  • Patrick Russell – Russell is another camp invitee. He hails from Waterloo of the USHL and had 49 points (29-20) in 55 games last season with the Black Hawks.

CENTERS AT SABRES DEVELOPMENT CAMP

  • Sam Reinhart – The North Vancouver native will undoubtedly be one of the players most-watched at Sabres development camp. Before being chosen second overall last month in the NHL Draft, Reinhart had 105 points (36-69) in 60 games with the Kootenay Ice of the WHL last season.
  • Zemgus Girgensons – One of a few familiar faces at camp this year, Girgensons had 22 points in 70 games with the Sabres last season.
  • Mikhail Grigorenko – Another familiar face; he had three points in 18 games with the Sabres last season before being returned to Quebec of the QMJHL. Grigorenko then had 39 points (15-24) in 23 games with the Remparts.
  • Christopher Brown – A 2014 draft choice of the Sabres, Brown had 50 points, including 23 goals, in 31 games with Cranbrook Kingswood last year.
  • Drake Caggiula – Caggiula is listed as a center/left wing. He spent last season with North Dakota, where he had 24 points in 42 games.
  • Daniel Catenacci – One of a handful of players who spent last season with the Rochester Americans, Catenacci had 20 points in 76 games with the Amerks in his first full season in the AHL.
  • Eric Cornel – The Peterborough native spent last season with his hometown Petes (OHL), where had 62 points in 68 games. He’s a 2014 draft pick of the Sabres.
  • Colin Jacobs – Jacobs split last season between Rochester and Elmira of the ECHL. The Coppell, Texas native had two points in 24 games with the Amerks and five points in 20 games with the Jackals.
  • Justin Kea – The Woodville native had 49 points (22-27) in 58 games with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL last season. He also appeared in one game with the Rochester Americans.
  • Sean Malone – Another Buffalo native who will be at Sabres development camp this year. Malone had 20 points (6-14) in 31 games with Harvard last season.
  • Tim Schaller – The 23-year-old is one of the oldest players at camp, second only to Jordan Samuels-Thomas. He had 18 points and 36 penalty minutes in 72 games with the Rochester Americans last season in his rookie season in the AHL.
  • Kevin Sundher – Sundher is another AHLer coming to Sabres development camp. He had 20 points (6-14) in 60 games in his sophomore season with the Rochester Americans.
  • Maxwell Willman – Another 2014 draft pick of the Sabres, the Barnstable, MA native had 44 points in 25 games with Williston-Northampton high school last year.

LEFT WINGERS AT SABRES DEVELOPMENT CAMP

  • William Carrier – The 19-year-old split last season between Cape Breton and Drummondville of the QMJHL. He had 41 points in 39 games with the Eagles and 24 points in 27 games with the Voyageurs.
  • J.T. Compher – Compher is one of several college players at Sabres camp this year. The 20-year-old had 31 points in 35 games with the University of Michigan last season.
  • Brendan Lemieux – Another 2014 draft pick of the Sabres, Lemieux spent last season with Barrie of the OHL. He had 53 points and 145 penalty minutes (yes, you read that correctly) in 65 games with the Colts.
  • Liam Pecararo – A camp invitee, the Canton, MA native had 61 points in 55 games with Waterloo of the USHL last season.
  • Jordan Samuels-Thomas – The Hartford native just signed an entry-level contract with the Sabres after Buffalo acquired him days earlier. He had 29 points and 46 penalty minutes in 34 games with Quinnipiac in ECAC hockey last season.
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