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.