Buffalo Sabres: Winners, losers from the Calder Cup Playoffs
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres had several high-end prospects playing in the Calder Cup Playoffs that figure to earn a spot on the main roster come October
The Buffalo Sabres AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, are going home after a terrific run in the Calder Cup Playoffs. That said, there were several NHL-caliber prospects to watch throughout. Some of them performed like future stars while others saw their stocks drop immensely.
For players who stood head and shoulders above others, look for some of them to be lacing up in the blue and gold next season. Other standouts at least put themselves into consideration to receive more playing time in Rochester a few months from today.
One name I’m leaving off of today’s list is Arttu Ruotsalainen. This is because he most likely played his final game in the Sabres organization. However, had I included him, he would be first on today’s list.
So which Sabres prospects saw their game improve over 10 playoff games? Keep reading to find out more, starting with the most impressive winner of the bunch.
Buffalo Sabres winners and losers in the Calder Cup Playoffs – Winner #1: J.J. Peterka
No one on the Amerks besides Ruotsalainen had a better playoff than J.J. Peterka. I’d long since been high on the former 34th overall pick who played lights out in the regular season. So much, he even earned a two-game stint on the Sabres main roster.
In 70 regular season games, he logged 68 points, 28 goals, and 40 assists. The performance gave him All-Rookie honors, and he carried it over into the postseason. In 10 playoff games, Peterka tallied seven goals and five assists, good enough for 12 points. His shooting percentage of 15.9 also stood out among other statistics.
Look for Peterka to become a permanent member of the Sabres roster come October. And if he keeps up his performance, expect him to perhaps sneak his way onto the team’s second scoring line.