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Buffalo Sabres: Kulich will make NHL teams pay for passing on him

By Sion Fawkes

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 07: Jiri Kulich, #28 pick by the Buffalo Sabres, poses for a portrait during the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 07, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 07: Jiri Kulich, #28 pick by the Buffalo Sabres, poses for a portrait during the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 07, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Buffalo Sabres prospect Jiri Kulich has been one of the best rookies in the AHL this season, and he keeps getting better in the Calder Cup Playoffs. 

Buffalo Sabres prospect Jiri Kulich has had a goal in five straight playoff games since he returned from sustaining a lower-body injury. And it’s a trend that really started in the regular season when he led the Rochester Americans with 24 goals in 62 contests. Doing the math, he now has 29 in 67 games, and if you missed his latest goal, check it out below:

For a while now, I’ve been joking that Kulich looks like Victor Olofsson out there on the power play. But as you can see from the video above, this time, we saw him score while skating up the slot.

It’s become clear that Kulich will find his way into the NHL, and if it doesn’t happen on a full-time basis in 2023-24, you can expect it to eventually unfold in  2024-25. And with that, the former 28th overall pick will make more than a few teams pay for passing on him.

Buffalo Sabres prospect has an opportunity to crush the competition

Going back to the 2022 NHL Draft, I think we were all surprised that Kulich was still there. I know I was, given his productivity in Extraliga just the year prior, where he had 14 points in 49 games – pretty good for a teenager.

He also displayed plenty of hustle, and it’s something we’ve seen all season in Rochester, and even as far back as development camp. Obviously, given his high productivity rate, he’s finding ways to get open, and displaying an effective shot when given the chance. And if he hones his defense, which I believe will continue to improve with time, you’re looking at someone who can play a complete game.

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And that should put the entire NHL on notice. It’s one thing if you’re picked toward the beginning or even in the middle of the first round. But to drop the way Kulich did on draft day? He’s going to be fun to watch when he makes that inevitable leap to the Buffalo Sabres system, and enter the NHL with a chip on his shoulder.

(Statistics provided by Amerks.com and Elite Prospects)

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