Buffalo Sabres Prospect Report: ECHL, USHL & International
(Photo: Melissa Kania)
Several Sabres prospects are currently playing in leagues such as the ECHL and USHL. There’s also a few Sabres prospects who are playing internationally. Now, let’s see how those players are doing with their respective clubs.
First up, let’s look at those playing in the ECHL: Shawn Szydlowski, Connor Knapp and Andrey Makarov.
Right winger Shawn Szydlowski is currently playing with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL.
Since joining the Komets after being assigned there in October, Szydlowski has appeared in 33 games. He’s got four goals and 10 assists in that stretch, plus 23 penalty minutes and 58 shots on goal. The 23-year-old was never drafted by the Sabres, but signed with the team as a free agent back in April 2011.
Joining Szydlowski on the Komets is goaltender Andrey Makarov. He’s appeared in 22 games this season, going 12-7-1-1 in that stretch. Similarly, Makarov was never drafted by the Sabres, instead signing with the team in September 2012 as a free agent.
Makarov has a 2.75 GAA and .911 save percentage, allowing 60 goals on 671 shots faced this season.
Connor Knapp is now playing with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.
Earlier in the season, he appeared in 16 games with the Greenville Road Warriors, going 7-7-2 in that stretch. He had a 2.32 GAA and .933 save percentage.
Since joining the Everblades, Knapp has appeared in four games, winning one of them. He’s allowed 13 goals on 100 shots faced, for a 3.50 GAA and .870 save percentage. Knapp has one shutout on the season, something he achieved during his time with Greenville.
Meanwhile, there’s three Sabres prospects working in the USHL.
Forward Connor Hurley has since joined Green Bay of the USHL. He’s notched 13 points in as many games with the Gamblers. (Yes, that’s seriously the team’s name.)
In total, Hurley has nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points in 34 games between Muskegon and Green Bay. He’s got eight points on the power play this season, as well as three game-winning goals.
The 18-year-old was selected by the Sabres 38th overall in 2013 and is committed to the University of Notre Dame.
In Cedar Rapids, forward Judd Peterson has already surpassed his point total from last year.
The Sabres prospect has 29 points (15-14) in 37 games so far this season. The 2012 Sabres draft pick has six power play points, four game-winning goals and 39 penalty minutes on the season. The 20-year-old is committed to St. Cloud State University.
Finally, goaltender Cal Petersen is in his third season with the Waterloo Black Hawks. The 19-year-old has appeared in 26 games this season, winning 23. He’s got a 2.25 GAA – best of his career to date – and .922 save percentage (also best.)
Last, there are two Sabres prospects playing internationally right now, both suiting up for Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik of the Swedish Hockey League.
Right winger Gustav Possler is in his third season with the club, although this is his first “full” year. (He played two games there in 2011-12 and seven in 2012-13.) In 22 games this year, Possler has eight goals and seven assists. He’s also notched four penalty minutes and is a plus-8. The 19-year-old was drafted by the Sabres in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Twenty-year-old goaltender Linus Ullmark is also in his third season with the club. Like Possler, this year is his first full season – he played three games in 2011-12 and six in 2012-13. This year, he’s gone 14-12 and has a .938 save percentage and 1.93 GAA. He even notched his first assist and two penalty minutes this season and has played 1,619 minutes. Ullmark has two shutouts on the season.