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The next player from the 2021 Draft to join the Buffalo Sabres?

By Sion Fawkes

Aug 20, 2022; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Team Sweden forward Isak Rosen (23) looks to make a pass in front of Team Czechia defensemen David Spacek (3) during the first period in the third place game during the IIHF U20 Ice Hockey World Championship at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2022; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Team Sweden forward Isak Rosen (23) looks to make a pass in front of Team Czechia defensemen David Spacek (3) during the first period in the third place game during the IIHF U20 Ice Hockey World Championship at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports /
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In 2022, Owen Power will join the Buffalo Sabres full-time, becoming the first player on the main roster from the 2021 NHL Draft. 

With Owen Power on the Buffalo Sabres main roster for the 2022-23 season, it bodes the question: Which player from the 2021 NHL Draft will find a place on the Buffalo Sabres next? Of the 10 remaining players from that draft, a few stand out:

  1. Isak Rosen
  2. Aleksandr Kisakov
  3. Josh Bloom
  4. Olivier Nadeau
  5. Tyson Kozak

Each of the above signed their entry-level contract and are currently playing in North America. Other players I’m high on include Prokhor Poltapov, Viljami Marjala, and Nikita Novikov. However, it will be at least another year before they are in or return to North America.

Which player from the 2021 NHL Draft will earn a spot on the Buffalo Sabres main roster next?

Bloom, Nadeau, and Kozak remain on the Junior Hockey circuit this season and they will not get a crack in the AHL until they turn 20. This puts them behind the eight-ball that both Kisakov and Rosen set.

However, it is hard to envision the latter two playing with the Sabres on even a cameo basis in 2022-23. Not that it’s impossible, since plenty of players in the AHL hear their name called for at least a game or a handful of them. But neither player appears to be ready to physically handle the demands of the NHL game.

Both are spindly prospects, with Rosen standing at 5’11 but weighing just 163lb. Kisakov is even smaller, listed at 150lb. Before either prospect takes the NHL ice, they must find a way to increase their size.

Therefore, there is no way anyone listed above will see their name called to the Sabres full-time in 2022-23. I would project that Rosen and Kisakov, if they have a good camp in 2023-24, and if there appears to be an opening on the roster, can secure a spot.

From a productivity standpoint, Kisakov is my projection. Like Rosen, he saw little playing time in his respective country’s top professional league, but he excelled in the MHL over the past two seasons, racking up 129 points in 112 games.

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However, if the Sabres are looking to promote a player who can create scoring opportunities either for himself or for others, they may end up going with Rosen here. Rosen’s numbers may not sparkle like Kisakov’s, but his hockey IQ is hard to match.

(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)

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