The Buffalo Sabres are going to be playing in their final game of the Prospect Challenge and hoping they can end it with a win. They came up short in the first two games of the tournament against the New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets with the last game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday afternoon.
In the first two games, there has been some great performances by players like Riley Fiddler-Schultz (who had two goals against the Blue Jackets) and Red Savage (who added a goal and an assist). The team has seen their first round pick from June, Radim Mrtka add a goal in the game against the Devils and Noah Ostlund.
However, there have been some players that have been rather quiet that were expected to have a bigger role. There are two players in particular that fans should be watching closely on Monday to see if they can end the Prospect Challenge on a high-note.
Konsta Helenius
Konsta Helenius is widely considered to be the best prospect that the Buffalo Sabres have right now and in these types of environments, fans should expect to see more from him. In the first two games, he has not recorded a single point but has had some solid looks, like a breakaway chance against the Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets certainly took note of Helenius and he seemed to be on the wrong end of a few cheap shots in the game. A strong finish to the tournament will be a big boost for him heading into training camp and the preseason.
Isak Rosen
There might not have been a prospect under more pressure than Isak Rosen, who is coming off a season where he had 55 points in 61 games with Rochester. While Rosen has made some appearances in the NHL, this was the season that he was trying to earn himself a regular spot with the Sabres.
If he is going to accomplish that, then he needs to turn things around quickly, as he has yet to register a point in the first two games of the tournament. Before the Prospect Challenge, Mike Leone, who is coaching the Sabres in this tournament, thought Rosen had a chance to do what Jiri Kulich did last year, which helped him earn a spot with the Sabres when he had five goals and seven points in the three games.
That hasn't materialized and in fact Rosen's production has actually gone down from last year when he had five assists in the three games. There is certainly still time and it will be in the preseason that really gives him the best chance to show he belongs in Buffalo. However, this tournament would have been a great chance to build that momentum going into the next few weeks.