Former Buffalo Sabres prospect is tearing it up after signing in the KHL

Justin Bailey has enjoyed a well-traveled hockey career since the Buffalo Sabres selected him in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft. He's off to a red-hot start at his latest stop with Barys Astana in the KHL, where he signed as a free agent in July.

The 31-year-old Buffalo native has recorded six points (three goals and three assists) in two games for Barys, a Kazakhstan-based club in Russia's top league. He's also produced a couple highlight-reel moments using his trademark speed to blow past defenders.

His instant impact has helped the Snow Leopards open the new campaign with a pair of victories, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 15-7.

Although Bailey never quite lived up to his prospect pedigree, he did compile 141 NHL appearances across parts of eight seasons. That includes posting a modest eight points (five goals and three helpers) in 52 outings for the Sabres.

Buffalo traded the 6-foot-4 winger to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2019. He also spent time in the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks organizations.

Bailey most recently played in the NHL with the Sharks in 2023-24, playing a career-high 59 games.

He signed a one-year contract with Barys, so there may be an opportunity for him to make a jump back to North America if he's able to put together a strong KHL season.

The right-shot forward is certainly off to a promising start.

Sabres' 2013 draft class produced seven NHL players

Buffalo, which was early in what became an extremely painful rebuilding process 13 years ago, did well with its 11 picks in the 2013 NHL Draft.

The Sabres' first three selections (Rasmus Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov and JT Compher) have all gone on to embark on long careers, each skating in over 650 games at hockey's highest level.

Four other players from the group played in at least one NHL game: Bailey, Nick Baptiste, Cal Petersen and Sean Malone.

Connor Hurley was the biggest miss at No. 38 overall. Viewed as a potential two-way center, he never made it past the ECHL level of the professional ranks.

Gustav Possler, Anthony Florentino and Eric Locke rounded out the class.

Ultimately, while the 2013 draft produced several solid NHL players, it lacked a superstar, which was the biggest problem for the Sabres throughout their 14-year playoff drought. Even while consistently picking in the lottery, the struggled to find true game-changing talents.

There were obviously some exceptions, namely Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Dahlin, but Buffalo couldn't surround those core pieces with enough high-end talent. Eichel and Reinhart went on to enjoy elite success elsewhere, including some Stanley Cup titles.

Dahlin remains as the cornerstone of a roster that completed a long-awaited turnaround last season, and now the Sabres finally feature some of the league's best all-around depth.

Buffalo opens the 2026-27 campaign Oct. 1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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