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Buffalo Sabres: 3 low-end AHL prospects to watch in 2022-23

By Sion Fawkes

LAVAL, QC - APRIL 08: Linus Weissbach #13 of the Rochester Americans celebrates his goal during the second period against the Laval Rocket at Place Bell on April 8, 2022 in Laval, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
LAVAL, QC - APRIL 08: Linus Weissbach #13 of the Rochester Americans celebrates his goal during the second period against the Laval Rocket at Place Bell on April 8, 2022 in Laval, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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While the Buffalo Sabres roster begins to take shape, so does that of their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Here are three low-end players to watch.

While I don’t foresee him playing for the Buffalo Sabres any time soon, I was high on Lukas Rousek following last week’s development camp. Rousek remains a prospect who is not high on the radar of many fans, given his relative obscurity last season.

But when the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs rolled around, Rousek broke out and scored six times, including two goals. He followed up his notable playoff performance with an outstanding camp, and he has forced fans to take notice of his play in the AHL for the upcoming season.

However, Rousek isn’t the only lower-end prospect (prospects ranked outside of my top 10) who will garner your attention. Below, you will find three more, starting with a formerly undrafted rookie out of Penn State University.

Buffalo Sabres
Rochester’s Brandon Biro (10) spins and tries to knock the puck past Utica goalie Nico Daws in the first period during Game 4 of their North Division semifinal series Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at Blue Cross Arena. Utica won the game 4-2.Sd 051722 Amerks K Spts /

Three low-end Buffalo Sabres prospects to watch: Brandon Biro, LW

Brandon Biro, the not very big, so-so productive left-winger for the Penn State Nittany Lions never heard his name called on draft day. But that didn’t stop the Buffalo Sabres from taking a chance on him, signing Biro through the 2021-22 season.

In 2020-21, he made just 15 appearances in Rochester, scoring just five times (two goals). However, he really broke out in 2021-22. That year, Biro put up 41 points and 12 goals in 48 contests and the Sabres rewarded him with a single-game stint against the Montreal Canadiens on February 23rd, in which he logged one hit in 13:30 of ice time.

The Sabres re-signed the RFA to a two-year deal worth $762,000 annually. While an injury kept Biro out of action for six weeks, he returned in time for the playoffs, scoring three times (one goal) in 10 games.

Look for Biro to try and emulate his success from last season in 2022-23 and he has until the 2023-24 season to prove he can stay relevant in the system. As for this season, expect Biro to fight for a spot on the top scoring lines and serve as viable insurance for the Buffalo Sabres if the injury bug strikes the latter.

So why is Biro a low-end prospect? It mainly has to do with the hype surrounding potential arrivals regarding the likes of Isak Rosen, Aleksandr, and even Jiri Kulich. Further, Matthew Savoie will likely play one more season in the WHL before he potentially jumps to the NHL in 2023-24. These names alone could put Biro on the backburner.

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