Buffalo Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius will not represent Team Finland at the 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, which begin next week in Minnesota.
New Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen confirmed the decision to Nico Oksanen of Finnish outlet KiekkoUutiset on Friday.
Kekalainen said the organization felt the 19-year-old center's development would benefit more from remaining with the AHL's Rochester Americans rather than making a third appearance in the high-profile World Juniors tournament.
Helenius has recorded 24 points (nine goals and 15 assists) in 26 games for the Amerks this season.
Konsta Helenius could make an NHL impact for the Buffalo Sabres before the end of the 2025-26 season
Kekalainen told Oksanen the Sabres feel Helenius, the 14th overall pick in the 2024 draft, is getting "close" to becoming a full-time NHL player.
That doesn't come as a surprise because the 5-foot-11 forward was one of Buffalo's standout players throughout training camp and the preseason. As the team's injury woes mounted, it looked for a moment like he may even crack the Opening Night roster.
"I think he's going to be a really good player in this league for a long time," Sabres forward Jason Zucker told reporters in September.
Buffalo opted for a safer development route rather than rushing Helenius to the NHL, and he's continued to make substantial strides during the early stages of the campaign in Rochester.
In October, Amerks head coach Michael Leone described what fans can expect when the center is in peak form.
"I think when Konsta is playing his best, he's almost like a rat," Leone said. "He's engaged, he's in scrums, and then you let his skill take over, and I thought you saw a lot of that in in the preseason."
It's those traits that made Helenius project as a future middle-six center for the Sabres, but his stock has started to rise given his improved offensive production for the Americans this season.
The Blue and Gold have a fair share of pure goal scorers, led by Tage Thompson and Josh Norris, but the team could definitely use a few more playmakers.
Helenius has really started to flash the vision and passing ability to eventually fill that void, and it could happen sooner than later.
The Sabres have called on other prospects, namely Noah Ostlund and Isak Rosen, to joined the lineup amid an endless stream of injuries this season. So, it wouldn't be a surprise if another prized prospect gets the call to play his first NHL game in the not-too-distant future.
That'll be particularly true if Kekalainen, who just replaced Kevyn Adams leading the front office, starts to reshape the roster between now and the 2026 trade deadline in March, which could create roster spots for younger players.
Helenius should get a taste of the NHL during the second half of the current campaign, which will put him in position to seriously compete for a full-time role in 2026-27.
His absence is a significant loss for Team Finland in the World Juniors, but it's probably the right decision as the Sabres want to closely monitor his progress.