The Buffalo Sabres prospects pool looked great on paper. Then they looked great at the Prospects Challenge. Now, they look good in Rochester.
The Rochester Americans are going to be a fun team to watch if Friday night’s outing holds any indication. Many in this group played and excelled during the Prospects Challenge in September, and it’s as though they picked right back up during the early stages of the 2022-23 AHL Season.
Who all scored in this one? After the Toronto Marlies went up 1-0 early, Linus Weissbach, Sean Malone, and Isak Rosen teamed up to tie the game, with Weissbach scoring the goal. Brett Murray, who you can expect to see in the Sabres lineup at some point this season, sunk the second one, with Jiri Kulich and Lukas Rousek pitching in.
Chase Priskie, who enjoyed a solid Prospects Challenge and preseason, sunk the third, with Brandon Biro and Weissbach with the assists. Rosen scored the final goal, with Lawrence Pilut and Malone assisting.
Buffalo Sabres prospects looking good so far
It’s a long season, but the Sabres prospects over in Rochester look like the same team we saw last month. Three of their four goals came on the power play, and another occurred when the team was shorthanded, indicating their special teams is also up to par.
Last season, goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen struggled in the net. So far in 2022, he’s one for one, finishing the game with 22 saves out of 24 shots on goal, good for a 0.916 save percentage. If Luukkonen continues to play at such a high level, he could eventually wind up in Buffalo either later this year if the injury bug strikes, or he may finally start the 2023-24 season in the blue and gold. Call that one a way too early prediction!
Sure, it’s just one game of a long season. But early returns show us that the prospects over in Rochester show us signs of prolonged success that started back in September.
(Statistics provided theAHL.com)