Buffalo Sabres prospects will battle for the Bronze at the Juniors

Neither Jiri Kulich nor Isak Rosen could help their teams overcome their respective semifinal games. Now, the Buffalo Sabres prospects will face off. 

The 2022 IIHF World Juniors is about to reach its conclusion with Finland facing off with Canada in the Gold Medal Game. But Buffalo Sabres prospects Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich will be fighting it out to determine who will take home the Bronze Medal: Team Sweden or Team Czechia. 

There is an outstanding chance Rosen and Kulich will be teammates and perhaps even line mates in Rochester for the upcoming season, especially if Kulich does not return to Extraliga. And since the duo took part in development camp together just over a month ago, they are more than familiar with one another.

Buffalo Sabres prospects Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich will battle it out in the Bronze Medal Game

Kulich has been a phenomenal revelation dating back to development camp. And he showed it was no fluke given his numbers in the 2022 World Juniors. His empty-netter against Team USA guaranteed Czechia a spot in the semifinals, and it was his incredible on-ice awareness that made the goal happen.

So far in the tournament, Kulich has seven points, two goals, five assists, and a plus-minus of five. He leads all Czechia forwards in points, along with team captain, Jan Mysak.

Rosen has shown both speed and stealth so far. And while he and the rest of Team Sweden came up empty in the 1-0 loss to Team Finland, Rosen has still been one of the more productive players in the World Juniors. He has compiled four points, three goals, an assist, and a plus-minus of three.

2022 seventh round draft pick Linus Sjodin is also part of Team Sweden, but he has seen little ice time. Overall, expect Rosen and Kulich to come out swinging against one another before they potentially join forces over in Rochester for the 2022-23 AHL Season.

(Statistics provided by IIHF.com)