Jiri Kulich hasn’t been scoring, but he’s been playing excellent hockey
Goals matter, but just because a top-end player like Jiri Kulich hasn’t been scoring lately, it doesn’t mean they aren’t excelling in other avenues. Kulich has just three goals this calendar year following what was a sensational start to his second season with the Rochester Americans, but don’t mistake this for lack of productivity.
In that same frame, Kulich still has a respectable 12 points and nine assists, but putting up what were once a pace to be sensational fantasy hockey numbers as far as the AHL is concerned is no longer the case with Kulich. He’s instead learned how to be a solid contributor in all three zones, and that would make it interesting to see how things would translate if he had a few games in the NHL.
Kulich won’t be that same type of three-zone player at the game’s highest level should he get another chance this year. But it would be a measuring stick for the 19-year-old.
This isn’t the type of move you make had the Sabres won their previous two games. But given the current circumstances, throwing a player who has evolved his game into the lineup will immensely help the entire organization get a better idea of where he’s at and if he’s ready to make a full-time jump sooner rather than later.