The Buffalo Sabres have plenty of talent heading into the CHL leagues in 2023-24, and every single one of them will be fun to follow this season.
The Buffalo Sabres have more than a few prospects in the CHL leagues looking to make a name for themselves. So if you’re looking to follow some exciting players in the system, look no further than the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL, where you might just find a few of them taking over games this year.
Below, you will meet five of them not named Matt Savoie. This is because there is a chance Savoie doesn’t play a full season in the WHL. You will, however, see a mixture of fresh and familiar names, with arguably the Blue and Gold’s most exciting overall prospect topping the list.
5 hottest Buffalo Sabres prospects playing in the CHL
5 – Scott Ratzlaff, G/Seattle Thunderbirds
Scott Ratzlaff is intriguing thanks to his smallish size, which puts him into the same class as Devon Levi. That being said, it’s inevitable that Ratzlaff will be compared to Levi from now until he perhaps gets the chance to see ice time in the NHL a few years from today.
The ultra-competitive Ratzlaff, when given the opportunity, enjoyed his fair share of success with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, finishing the regular season with 34 games played, five shutouts, a 25-8-0 record, a 0.918 save percentage, and a 2.15 GAA. If Ratzlaff builds on those numbers in 2023-24, those Levi comparisons will only intensify.
4 – Ethan Miedema, F/Kingston Frontenacs
Few 18-year-olds display as much size as Ethan Miedema’s 6’4, 209 lb frame, and it’s just scary to think he has still a few more years to grow. Miedema was well-traveled this past season, starting the year with the Windsor Spitfires, where he scored 31 points and 11 goals in 36 contests.
He then moved on to the Kingston Frontenacs and put up another 21 points and nine goals in 32 games. Miedema didn’t immediately excel in Kingston thanks to the fact he had to acclimate into a new system. But once adjusted, Miedema evolved into one of the better players on the team. Look for a massive jump as he plays his first full season with the Frontenacs.