3 Buffalo Sabres players who need a huge Prospects Challenge finale
The Buffalo Sabres have, for the most part, done nothing but good things so far at the 2023 Prospects Challenge, but a few still need a strong finish.
The Buffalo Sabres dominated their first two opponents in the 2023 Prospects Challenge. Following a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens, the Sabres took care of the New Jersey Devils and showed us all that they have a sense of organizational identity.
More than a few players stood out over those first two evenings. Matt Savoie, for example, had a pair of incredible goals in Game 1. Isak Rosen showed us he’s basically a shoo-in to don a Blue and Gold uniform in 2024-25 assuming the Sabres don’t pull off a blockbuster near the deadline involving him and if he puts on another 10 pounds of muscle.
But there are three prospects who need to finish the 2023 Challenge with a stellar game. These aren’t bad players by any means, but those who can realistically take another step by using the tripleheader as a launch pad.
3 Buffalo Sabres prospects who need a strong finale
1 – Zach Metsa, D
I’m racking my brains, and since the Rochester Americans signed Zach Metsa for the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs and beyond, I can’t recall him ever toiling through a bad game. Sure, the Amerks had their lean moments in the postseason, and Metsa was certainly partially responsible, but by no means enough for anyone to point their fingers and say, “He had a terrible game.”
Metsa, however, is undersized at 5’9, and he’s heading into his first full professional season in the AHL at 25, both of which put him behind the eight-ball. He also has players like Kale Clague and Jeremy Davies to deal with in Rochester, along with a pair of rookies in Nikita Novikov and Ryan Johnson.
That said, Metsa needs to outwork and outperform every time he gets a chance. He will get another look on Monday afternoon when the Sabres play the Penguins, and another strong outing will more than break him into the discussion of being a regular part of the rotation with the Amerks.
2 – Matt Savoie, F
Matt Savoie was excellent in Game 1 vs. the Canadiens, and if he can generate a repeat performance against the Penguins, it will give him a massive boost heading into the Buffalo Sabres training camp. Savoie has a chance to stick around the Blue and Gold once the season is underway, but he also needs to maximize those chances every opportunity he gets.
The preseason will ultimately decide whether Savoie earns the right to stick around a little while longer, or if the coaching staff and front office believe he would benefit more from another year in the WHL. This is, of course, assuming he’s not granted permission to play in the AHL.
He faces a massive uphill climb, so realistically, Wenatchee is his ultimate destination. But Savoie still has the power to at least sway the staff and front office while he’s in Buffalo. One of the more interesting storylines in camp will be to see what the Sabres ultimately do with their top pick from 2022.
3 – Norwin Panocha, D
If there’s one player who quietly had a great game vs. the Devils, it was Norwin Panocha. Like Metsa and Savoie, the Buffalo Sabres 2023 seventh round pick needs to shine every time he gets a chance if he’s looking to show that he can transition smoothly to the North American style.
Sure, there are players like Viktor Neuchev, who could have filled this spot. However, Neuchev has experience playing professional hockey in the KHL, so I’m looking for a smoother transition.
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For Panocha, I wasn’t expecting it to the same degree, but he’s given us some positive early returns. We will get another look at Panocha on Monday before he ultimately debuts for the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Saguenéens. If he gives us another good outing tomorrow afternoon, then it could foreshadow a smoother transition than we initially expected for the 18-year-old.
Source: Isak Rosen continues to impress as Sabres stay unbeaten at Prospects Challenge by Lance Lysowski, Buffalo News