On Friday, the Buffalo Sabres received recognition in the AHL ranks when one of their own took AHL Player of the Month Honors
Arttu Ruotsalainen, who has seen action for the Buffalo Sabres earlier this season, became AHL Player of the Month for March. Ruotsalainen has broken out into a key contributor for the Americans this season, logging 44 points in 46 games, scoring his 17th goal on Saturday in a 6-2 win over the Cleveland Monsters.
He was enjoying a solid season until March, where he recorded 18 points in 13 games, including eight goals and 10 assists. And while the Sabres enjoyed an eight-game points streak in the NHL ranks, Ruotsalainen was busy putting on his own clinic with a seven-game points streak in Rochester.
Buffalo Sabres prospect named the AHL’s Player of the Month
In 59 career games with the Amerks, Ruotsalainen logged 57 points, 22 goals, and 35 assists. Throughout his career, he appearred in 35 NHL games with the Sabres, tallying 10 points, including a five-goal campaign in 2020-21.
Ruotsalainen will turn 25 when the 2022-23 NHL Season rolls around. And his performances in Rochester have shown the Sabres need to at least consider moving him to the NHL ranks full-time if they get a chance to re-sign him.
Finnish sources have claimed Ruotsalainen may not return to North America for the following season. If this is the case, then Ruotsalainen’s absence will better open things up for other Sabres prospects like J.J. Peterka and Jack Quinn.
We will find out in the near future whether Ruotsalainen continues his career in the Sabres organization or if he takes his talents overseas. However, if his play in April continues to turn heads at the AHL ranks, the Sabres may want to consider keeping him in North America.
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Ruotsalainen and the Americans continue their push to earn a playoff berth on April 6th, when they travel to Quebec to face the Laval Rocket, they also face on April 8th, and April 13th.
(Statistics provided by Hockey DB)