5 – Ryan Johnson
Like Rosen, Ryan Johnson is only on this list because because of the interest he will draw. Fans of the Buffalo Sabres have waited throughout Johnson’s college career at Minnesota to finally see him take the ice as a member of the Blue and Gold, and now, their wish is about to come true.
Johnson is yet another first round pick for the Sabres that will bring a two-way game, along with first overall picks Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. And while he won’t be playing alongside them once the puck drops vs. the New York Rangers, a strong camp basically ensures he will be the main blueliner to watch in Rochester and throughout the entire system this season.
Overall, the Sabres have a plethora of eye-catching prospects, but those listed above should bring more interest than anyone else. Other honorable mentions include Zach Benson, Nikita Novikov, Tyson Kozak, Jiri Kulich, and hopefully, Matt Savoie. That said, this list easily could have comprised 10 players.
Source: Position-by-position look at Sabres’ training camp roster by Lance Lysowski, Buffalo News
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)