3 – J.J. Peterka
One year before Jiri Kulich made his mark, J.J. Peterka scored 35 goals during his first and only regular season and playoffs with the Amerks. His efforts landed him a promotion to the Sabres lineup for 2022-23, and while he made his rookie mistakes, Peterka also improved as the season wore on, setting the stage for an even more exciting 2023-24 campaign.
Peterka also recently competed in the IIHF World Championships, where he led Team Germany to a silver medal and flat out dominated in each game he played in, ending the event with 12 points (six goals) in 10 contests. Once again, he’s setting the stage here.
2 – Jack Quinn
Jack Quinn holds the honor of being Kevyn Adams’ first draft pick, and he has not disappointed since entering the Buffalo Sabres system. Like Peterka, Quinn dominated in his only full season with the Rochester Americans, scoring 61 points in just 45 games.
While he tailed off in the playoffs, Quinn’s performance throughout the summer, training camp, and preseason showed us he was more than capable of playing in the NHL. Like Peterka, Quinn saw his respective struggles, but he also came on strong as the 2022-23 season wore on. Look for the soon-to-be second-year winger to make a leap this season.