On Friday, Buffalo Sabres fans had a reason to celebrate, as Anton Wahlberg signed his entry-level contract with the Blue and Gold.
It wasn’t Zach Benson, but Anton Wahlberg, who became the first player to sign with the Buffalo Sabres from the 2023 NHL Draft. Wahlberg, a second round pick just over two weeks ago, signs his entry-level deal one week after I labeled him as a prospect to watch following development camp.
Wahlberg’s size, 6’3, 192 lbs, jumped out at me when Buffalo drafted him, and it made for a perfect complement to the shorter, shiftier Benson. Despite signing, however, he will play the 2023-24 season in Sweden, so it will be at least a year before we see him vying for a spot on the Rochester Americans.
Despite this, we can at least postulate what Wahlberg will bring to the Sabres organization when he eventually arrives in North America. Once he’s acclimated himself to the North American game, anyway, and that will require a learning curve in and of itself.
What Anton Wahlberg will bring to the Buffalo Sabres
Other than NHL-caliber size for his age, Wahlberg is also an efficient scorer, something he showed off last season with Malmo in J20 Nationell when he accumulated 27 points and 14 goals in 32 contests, plus an additional point in two playoff appearances. Wahlberg also played in 17 games for Malmo’s SHL squad and tacked on another four points and two goals, plus another goal in five postseason outings.
With his size, Wahlberg can also emerge as a physical forward, something the Sabres will undoubtedly need down the road. At just 18 years of age, you can expect him to pack on even more muscle during his time in the SHL and his eventual stint in Rochester.
For now, it will be interesting to follow Wahlberg’s 2023-24 season with Malmo, and to keep tabs on how he develops over the course of the year. And who knows, perhaps he and Noah Ostlund will both make the move next season and we will have even more reasons to watch the prospects play in Rochester?
Source: Sabres sign forward Anton Wahlberg to three-year, entry-level contract by Lance Lysowski, BuffaloNews.com
(Statistics provided by Elite-Prospects)