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Buffalo Sabres 2022 Draft: Weaknesses for each draft pick

By Sion Fawkes

KITCHENER, ONTARIO - MARCH 23: Matthew Savoie #93 of Team Red skates against Team White in the 2022 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on March 23, 2022 in Kitchener, Ontario. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)
KITCHENER, ONTARIO - MARCH 23: Matthew Savoie #93 of Team Red skates against Team White in the 2022 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on March 23, 2022 in Kitchener, Ontario. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images) /
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Buffalo Sabres
MONTREAL, QUEBEC – JULY 07: Jiri Kulich, #28 pick by the Buffalo Sabres, poses for a portrait during the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 07, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

Jiri Kulich, C/28th overall

Kulich showed off his upside when playing in the U18 World Championship, but something that jumped out was the fact that he did not win puck battles. That number tanked to the mid-forties percentage-wise, and it is something that needs to improve dramatically if he is to earn a spot on the middle six in time.

He is also too one-dimensional at this point, relying on an elite shot and dynamic skating ability to try and make plays. This mentality will not take him far in the NHL and it’s akin to being a successful one-read quarterback in college football trying to maintain the playing style in the NFL.

And while Kulich recorded good numbers before his 2021-22 outings, he produced nothing eye-popping since his 39 points (23 goals) in 19 games for Pirati Chomutov U17. However, as mentioned, that trend did change in 2021-22, when he put up respectable numbers in Czechia Extraliga and turned in epic performances at the U18 World Championship.

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