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Buffalo Sabres vs. Canadiens: A quick look at Montreal’s prospects

By Sion Fawkes

CLEVELAND, OH FEBRUARY 18: Dylan Duke #25 of the Michigan Wolverines skates away from Jakub Dobes #44 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 3rd period of the Faceoff on the Lake NCAA ice hockey game at FirstEnergy Stadium on February 18, 2023 in Cleveland, OH. Ohio State won the game with a final score of 4-2. (Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH FEBRUARY 18: Dylan Duke #25 of the Michigan Wolverines skates away from Jakub Dobes #44 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 3rd period of the Faceoff on the Lake NCAA ice hockey game at FirstEnergy Stadium on February 18, 2023 in Cleveland, OH. Ohio State won the game with a final score of 4-2. (Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images) /
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The Buffalo Sabres are just hours away from kicking off their 2023-24 season as their prospects take on the Montreal Canadiens. 

The Buffalo Sabres have one of the league’s most intriguing teams at the NHL level, and they also boast one of the best prospect pools. Translation: The Kevyn Adams Plan is working quite well. And we will likely see some solid play from several prospects throughout this weekend’s tripleheader.

But the Montreal Canadiens pool is no joke, and several names jump out on their projected lineup for tonight. The first name is obvious: David Reinbacher, the fifth overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft, will draw your attention as he will likely see time on the first pairing.

Reinbacher made his mark last season in Switzerland’s professional league, NL, where he scored 22 times in 46 contests. In the draft, many regarded him as a “safe pick,”  a stark contrast from the gamble they took last season with Juraj Slafkovsky.

Habs have several prospects the Buffalo Sabres must account for

Florian Xhekaj may be a familiar name to you, as he is the younger brother of Arber Xhekaj, who appeared in 51 games for the Habs last season. Florian is one of those players who you would describe as “raw,” but there is limitless potential here. Projected to play tonight on the Habs fourth line, don’t be surprised if Xhekaj ends up giving us a few “wow” moments.

And finally, their projected starting goaltender tonight is none other than Jakub Dobes from THE Ohio State University. Dobes enjoyed a solid career for the Buckeyes over the last two seasons, accumulating save percentages of 0.934 and 0.918, respectively. He also compiled 42 wins, and a GAA of no more than 2.31 in that span.

light. Related Story. Sabres prospects kick off the tripleheader vs. the Canadiens

If Dobes enjoys a strong Prospects Challenge, there is a solid chance he becomes the 1A for the Laval Rocket of the AHL. That said, the likes of Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen, Tyson Kozak, and other prominent names in Rochester haven’t seen anywhere near the last of Dobes this year.

(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects and Hockey-Reference)

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