Konsta Helenius playing directly in the Sabres system could set the stage for a big trade

There was nothing left for Sabres first-round pick Konsta Helenius to prove in Finland, as he dominated during his final season in The Land of A Thousand Lakes. While it looked as though Helenius could be heading back to Liiga for another season, that didn’t turn out to be the case, as he will play directly in the Sabres system this season. 

While he won’t be another Zach Benson, and that’s a good thing, considering what should be a lack of space in the Sabres lineup, Helenius’ presence could allow the Blue and Gold to make multiple moves. For one, that big trade I implied in a previous piece could easily manifest now. 

No, it wouldn’t involve Helenius, or at least it shouldn’t. One name I mentioned was Jiri Kulich, but we could also peg Isak Rosen in there as well, with Helenius coming in and simply taking over for one of them in Rochester. Helenius could have the highest ceiling here, and with the Sabres stacked for the most part at forward, barring that top-six scorer, it frees up some options. 

Konsta Helenius’ presence may indirectly set up a blockbuster for the Sabres

If Konsta Helenius has a higher ceiling than Isak Rosen or Jiri Kulich, then why would another organization be more interested in pursuing one of the latter two? The answer, really, is because of Rosen’s and Kulich’s experience in North America, plus their respectable output since 2022-23.

Rosen and Kulich may not have Helenius’ potential, but they’re closer to being NHL-ready, and that would make the difference for teams like the Anaheim Ducks (who have Trevor Zegras and Frank Vatrano) or the San Jose Sharks (who have Mikael Granlund).

While San Jose and Anaheim are at least a year or two away from the rest of the NHL taking their respective teams seriously, it doesn’t mean they’d want a player with zero experience in North America, even one with Helenius’ potential. That said, it’s likelier to see players like Kulich and Rosen on the move as opposed to Helenius. 

So why wouldn’t the Sabres just make this trade anyway, even if Helenius were to stay in Finland? Honestly, they could, but now that Helenius is developing and should become an impact player at some point in 2024-25, it more than opens the door for them to make a move, and doing so will allow for Helenius to see even more ice time this season while Kulich and/or Rosen get a chance with an NHL club that can make room for them.