What would the Buffalo Sabres 2023 All-Prospect Team look like?
If the Buffalo Sabres were putting together an All-Prospect Team, who would make the cut for the summer of 2023 should such a team exist.
Every year, the NBA Summer League showcases its best prospects and young players roughly three months before the regular season tips off. So let’s take a moment and ask ourselves, “What if the NHL had a Summer League?” I know, I know, they already have the Prospects Challenge, something I always look forward to.
But if the prospects from most if not all 32 teams joined at a central location and played, say, a seven-game round robin against their division, with the top two from each heading into a “Knockout Stage,” what would the Sabres prospects team look like in 2023? Well, first off, let’s start with my criteria for the team in this fictitious league. Each player must be:
- Aged 25 or under
- Signed OR unsigned
- Have fewer than 25 games of NHL experience
- 23-man roster
Ready to see which Sabres prospects made the team for the “Summer League?” Let’s introduce your 2023 Buffalo Sabres All-Prospect Team.
Welcoming the Buffalo Sabres 2023 All-Prospect Team
Forwards
First Line
- Brandon Biro – Jiri Kulich – Lukas Rousek
Something tells me that this line would be a blast to watch. All three of the prospects listed above will be front runners to potentially bump up to the Buffalo Sabres lineup. So getting an extended look at them during the summer could enable one to separate themselves from the others.
Second Line
- Zach Benson – Matt Savoie – Isak Rosen
It would have been against my better judgment to separate Benson from Savoie in this, and putting them as linemates would immediately give the Sabres prospects some chemistry. Rosen more than showed that he will be one of the Blue and Gold’s more effective prospects in 2023-24, and he could even make an appearance in the NHL for a one-off.
Third Line
- Linus Weissbach – Noah Ostlund – Olivier Nadeau
Weissbach could be a dark horse contender come September for a roster spot, so an NHL Summer League would strongly benefit him. Ostlund would get more experience playing the North American style of the game, assuming he’d be willing to come over for a couple of weeks, while Nadeau is one prospect I’ve been ultra-high on for a while and he’ll get an early chance to show what he can do.
Fourth Line
- Brett Murray – Tyson Kozak – Filip Cederqvist
Murray is not waivers exempt, and would therefore benefit from a few more games of experience to show he can snag a permanent spot at the next level. Kozak’s skills as a defensive forward make him yet another dark horse candidate once training camp rolls around, and he’d also give coaches more of a showcase alongside the energetic Cederqvist.
Extras
- Viktor Neuchev – Anton Wahlberg
Neuchev and Wahlberg would get an opportunity to practice with the team and watch the games to get more of a grasp on the North American style of play. They also make for good insurance policies should they need to step in.
Defensemen
First Pairing
- Nikita Novikov – Vsevolod Komarov
This would be an interesting duo, with the offensive-minded Komarov pairing with the sledgehammer in Novikov. This pairing would give the Buffalo Sabres a balanced look on the first pairing.
Second Pairing
- Ryan Johnson – Gavin McCarthy
This pairing gives us someone with experience at the lower levels in Johnson teaming up with a newbie in Gavin McCarthy. Once again, there is balance here, but it’s also where the young rotation in this exercise would show some inexperience.
Third Pairing
- Mats Lindgren – Maxime Strbak
Lindgren has and could continue to work on his defensive game here while Strbak would continue getting experience in the North American style of play – he did have 45 games of experience in the USHL in 2022-23.
Extra
- Norwin Panocha
As with our two extras at forward, Panocha would sit and watch while getting more practice reps in with the team. And if he were to play, Panocha would rotate in with either Lindgren or Strbak.
Goaltenders
- Devon Levi – Scott Ratzlaff
Levi would likely be the face of the 2023 Buffalo Sabres Prospects Team until he removes the label at some point this season, but for the purposes of this article, Levi is still a prospect. Scott Ratzlaff is a competitor who would pick up a lot from Levi considering their similar sizes.
And there they are, your 2023 Buffalo Sabres All-Prospects Team. Overall, I’m loving the forwards, while there is some inexperience in the defensive rotation. But when you have Devon Levi in the net, that could compensate to a fine degree.
Related Story. Sabres prospect pool is still one of NHL’s best for 2023. light
It would be an interesting concept if the NHL adopted something like this. Levi would get his tune up for training camp and the preseason while others, like Kulich, Biro, Rousek, and others would get a head start on showing why they belong at the NHL’s highest level. And still, others could use such a league to start acclimating themselves to the North American game against the best prospects the other 31 teams have to offer.
(Prospect information provided by Elite Prospects and Cap Friendly)