The Buffalo Sabres have plenty of prospects looking like future NHL stars over in Rochester. Here are three players to look out for.
The Buffalo Sabres prospect pool continues to impress in Rochester, and they are currently 2-1 on the season. And there are a few future Sabres seeking to dominate the AHL ranks, much in the same way Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka did last season.
Which players have caught my eye with the Amerks so far in this young season? Here are three future Sabres making a name for themselves in the Flower City.
1 – Lukas Rousek
We knew Lukas Rousek could be a potential force this year given his epic performance in the 2022 playoffs. He also had some good outings during the Prospects Challenge, and even looked good in the chances he got in the preseason.
Early in the year, Rousek has picked up where he left off. With four points in three games, Rousek also ranks second on the Amerks with 1.33 points per game, second only to Sean Malone. He has just four total shots this season, but has also sunk two goals.
2 – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
We weren’t sure what to expect from Luukkonen heading into the season, but his early returns have been promising. I recently wrote an article praising how well the goaltender has played since the preseason, and he definitely has carried that over into his time with the Amerks.
In his most recent outing, he allowed three goals and posted just an 0.870 save percentage. But these came on the heels of two remarkable games. In Saturday’s loss to the Toronto Marlies, Luukkonen allowed just two goals and a 0.949 save percentage, showing how effective he can be at keeping the Amerks in the game when their offense isn’t clicking.
3 – Isak Rosen
Rosen burst onto the scene in Friday’s win over the Marlies, where he scored a power play goal and an assist. Like the rest of the Amerks offensive attack, Rosen saw nothing significant in Saturday’s loss.
Last night, however, he logged five shots, showing me that he’s creating good looks for himself on multiple occasions. He also logged an assist, giving himself three points on the year.
Overall, it won’t surprise me if we see the above prospects get at least a one-off with the Buffalo Sabres this season. I can see Rousek eventually sneaking his way into the top twelve later on, while Rosen may get a trial run if the Sabres fall out of contention late.
Luukkonen is the one player who I can see earning extended playing time. But it probably won’t happen until Craig Anderson shows signs of wear. Given Eric Comrie’s first two performances, it’s hard to see Luukkonen superseding the Sabres newcomer. But a 10-15 game slate is likely in the stars.
(Statistics provided by Amerks.com)