Buffalo Sabres: Will Tyson Kozak end up in Rochester?

For weeks, the overall consensus was that Buffalo Sabres prospect Tyson Kozak would wind up back in the WHL for the Portland Winterhawks. 

Tyson Kozak is eligible to play for the Rochester Americans this season, and his Elite Prospects profile indicates he will play for the Buffalo Sabres AHL affiliate. But will playing in the AHL benefit him in 2022-23, or should he return to Portland?

We know Amerks coach Seth Appert likes having the prospects in Rochester so he can place them into the system as soon as possible. For Kozak, however, there are potential drawbacks. He most likely will not see as much ice time in Rochester as he would in Portland. If you think about it, he will be competing with the following players:

Jiri Kulich, Michael Mersch, Sean Malone, Lukas Rousek, Aleksandr Kisakov, Isak Rosen, Brett Murray, Filip Cederqvist, and Linus Weissbach. I obviously did not name everyone, but you get the point. Kozak will most likely enter Rochester as a depth player early on.

Buffalo Sabres prospect Tyson Kozak may play for the Amerks

When Kozak signed his entry-level contract, I was so convinced that he wouldn’t be in Rochester that I said several times he would remain a member of the Portland Winterhawks until 2023-24. With his continued success, however, along with Appert’s insistence to have top-end prospects in town, an upside also exists regarding Kozak wearing the blue and red this season.

And while he may be nothing more than a third or fourth liner to start off the year for the Amerks, there is a good chance he secures a permanent spot on the middle six as the season wears on. This will further get Kozak used to the speed and physicality of North American hockey’s second rung, which could set the stage for a potential NHL cameo late this season.

While I’m still torn regarding where Kozak should play this year, I am slowly opening up to the possibility he ends up playing for the Amerks instead of the Winterhawks. He may find himself buried in the lineup early, but Kozak will also acclimate himself to the system quicker.

Overall, it’s a classic situation of pros vs. cons. However, if Kozak continues to produce during the preseason, chances are, you will see him in Rochester. And his presence will eventually give you yet another reason to pay attention to the Amerks.