Buffalo Sabres Draft: Updated prospect rankings after 2022 NHL Draft
By Sion Fawkes
With the 2022 NHL Draft in the books, the time has come to update the Buffalo Sabres 2022 prospect rankings. Who rose and who fell?
The Buffalo Sabres definitely picked enough viable prospects during the 2022 NHL Draft that I knew a re-ranking would be in order. And likewise, the rankings you see following the 2022 Draft will not be set in stone, so someone who is unranked can have a phenomenal season somewhere else in the system and skyrocket up these rankings.
Further, high-end prospects like Jack Quinn could continue to struggle following his not so good performance in the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs and tumble downward. And still others, like Owen Power and J.J. Peterka probably won’t even see their names on this list come July 2023.
Like the previous rankings, you will not see the likes of Peyton Krebs, Mattias Samuelsson, or Casey Fitzgerald listed since they saw ample time with the Sabres last season. So without further ado, let’s get cracking with some honorable mentions in the prospect pool.
Buffalo Sabres updated prospect rankings: Honorable Mentions
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
I flip-flopped regarding whether I would even add Luukkonen. While UPL has had his moments in the NHL and AHL, he is running out of chances to prove he is something more than an inconsistent and injury-prone talent. The Sabres haven’t given up on him, but you would think it’s just a matter of time before another goaltender surpasses him.
Isak Rosen
Rosen proved in the SHL that he was nowhere near ready for the big time. With just five points in 51 games, he was mainly an afterthought on Leksands IF. He remains rail-thin at 5’10, 165lb, so there is a lot to do before he is ready to step onto the NHL ice. Look for Rosen to earn a spot on the Rochester Americans, where he will finally be able to develop his game.
Aaron Huglen
Huglen didn’t put up the gaudiest numbers at the University of Minnesota in 2021-22. However, he should receive more playing time this season and that may catapult him through the rankings if his statistics improve. Huglen did dominate at the USHL level, so perhaps he will pull off the same feats with the Golden Gophers.
Topias Leinonen
Leinonen was the 41st overall pick this season and he was a good player on a bad team. He struggled when he had a chance to play with JYP in Liiga, but that was to be expected from such a young player. Expect Leinonen to play better hockey this season and he will most likely crack the top ten.
Viktor Neuchev
Neuchev is in one of those interesting situations. He has received no real playing time in the KHL and VHL, evidenced by his handful of games. And he is slated to play in the MHL, a league in which he is showing signs of dominating given his 40 goals in 61 games last season. If Neuchev‘s game improves, he will move up in the rankings, but until there is a better sample size in at least the VHL, he will likely remain in the honorable mention section.
Prokhor Poltapov
Like many Russian prospects, Poltapov does not have KHL production simply from lack of opportunity. He did, however, score seven times in 23 outings in the VHL. Odds are, if he can improve in the VHL and give us more of a sample in the KHL, he will most likely return to the top ten.