Hockey season is underway, and Buffalo Sabres fans will want to keep an eye on how their team’s top draft picks are performing in the early going.
With three first round draft picks in this past July’s NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres were able to augment their already remarkable prospect pool. All three draft picks should, at worst, find a spot on the middle six.
And since all three of their respective seasons are well underway, let’s pay each a visit and see how they have fared in the early stages. Starting with the ninth overall pick.
1 – Matt Savoie
Savoie has been in direct contact with the Buffalo Sabres since they assigned him back to the Winnipeg Ice. And while Savoie is not leading the league in points, goals scored, and assists, he has yet to receive a negative phone call from the organization’s director of player development, Adam Mair.
And why should he? Savoie, who has 11 points (5 + 6), is on pace to at least hover around his 90-point total from last season. And just like a few Sabres at the NHL level, Savoie has at least one point in each of the Ice’s first seven games. Right now, it’s all about tweaking his game so he can take it to the next level. When he does, watch out.
2 – Noah Ostlund
Right now, Ostlund just has not impressed me during the early going of his campaign with Djurgardens. He is on pace for just 31 points in 52 games, and only five goals. While they aren’t terrible numbers for a kid in his first full season of professional hockey, it’s important to remember that Djurgardens is in HockeyAllsvensken this season, and not the top-tier SHL.
He also has not been the most physical forward, leading me to believe he will need to remain in Djurgardens for at least one more season at this point. While that can change in the future, Ostlund has quite the uphill battle brewing.
3 – Jiri Kulich
Kulich has three points in five games, all assists, with the Rochester Americans. However, I like him better than Ostlund at the moment simply because Kulich has had the more proven professional career, outlined by his 14 points in 49 games with Karlovy Vary last season in Extraliga.
Kulich has also taken over games in international play better than Ostlund, so I’m inclined to believe he will enjoy some steady growth at the AHL level, akin to what we saw from J.J. Peterka last season. Not that Kulich will repeat what Peterka accomplished, but he could very well encroach the 50-point mark this year. Right now, he is on pace for 43 points.
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Article Source: CHL Notebook: Savoie works on game with Sabres while in WHL by Adam Kimelman