It seems as though every outlet is high on the Buffalo Sabres prospects, and Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff is no different.
Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff recently ranked the top 10 prospects in the Buffalo Sabres pool. And while most of their top ten was who you would expect, they did have some surprises regarding their final rankings, themselves.
Below, I’ll break down three names mentioned in the top ten: One that I thought was ranked too high, too low, and just right. Which player was slightly overrated, who continues to be one of the most if not the most underrated prospect out there?
Breaking down Daily Faceoff’s Buffalo Sabres prospect rankings for 2023
1 – Ranked too high: Noah Ostlund (5th)
There is no denying Noah Ostlund’s talent, and he enjoyed a good year in his first full professional season in Sweden this past season. But at the same time, Ellis had the likes of Lukas Rousek and Isak Rosen ranked lower.
Rousek will be a threat to find a spot with the Sabres in 2023-24, so his eighth-place ranking was too low for my liking (remember when I said the same about Mattias Samuelsson last year?). Rosen was a fast riser, and he’s more used to the North American style, something I’ve always taken into consideration in these rankings.
2 – Ranked too low: Devon Levi (4th)
Okay, so the Buffalo Sabres were basically down and out in mid-March 2023. The kid signs with them during that tumultuous time, is thrown right into the thick of things, starting back-to-back games at times, and he ends up playing so well he’s the projected 1A this season, yet he’s fourth on the list? Seriously, how many prospects that were 212th overall picks accomplished what Levi did during their first few games in the NHL without a stint in the AHL?
Once again, we see another prospect ranking, and once again Devon Levi doesn’t get the credit he deserves. If Levi were even ranked second in Ellis’ (or anyone’s) rankings, he’d be too low.
3 – Just right: Ryan Johnson (9th)
Ryan Johnson is one of many reasons why I’m interested in watching the Rochester Americans play this season. He’s someone who plays a no-frills game who also needs to get acclimated to the pro style of play and overall pace, so ranking him toward the end of the Top 10 was a great move.
I can see Johnson potentially working his way into the NHL next season, perhaps to replace Erik Johnson (no relation). But in a worst-case scenario, if Ryan isn’t quite ready, then the Buffalo Sabres could always re-sign Erik for another season before the former makes the jump at a later date.
Source: 2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Buffalo Sabres by Steven Ellis, DailyFaceoff.com