Top Buffalo Sabres prospects to get excited for in 2024-25
The Buffalo Sabres need to desperately retool a few positions, and the prospect pool could help them out in that regard.
The Buffalo Sabres are still thought of as having the NHL’s best prospects pool, and while that’s not as relevant as it was a year or two ago, many of the names in this article might find themselves a permanent spot in the City of Good Neighbors next season.
It also wouldn’t be surprising if every player listed at least plays multiple games at the NHL level, and even a few not mentioned also make a one-and-done debut. This prospects pool is so talented that it was tough to think of just five players, so someone was going to be an odd man out.
Some, like Nikita Novikov and Viktor Neuchev, enjoyed outstanding debut seasons in North America, but they’re unlikely to crack the Sabres lineup come October 2024, barring some miracle camp and preseason. Even then, it would be tough to see them sticking around the big club.
But you can’t say the same for the following five players, so let’s outline why they’re the top prospects in the system.
5 - Matt Savoie crushed it in his AHL cameo, final WHL season
Matt Savoie’s NHL debut may have lasted just under four minutes, but he once again crushed it on the junior circuit. He played in just 11 games for the Wenatchee Wild and scored on a goal-per-game basis with 24 total points before a big trade sent him to Moose Jaw, where he put up another 19 goals in 23 contests for the Warriors.
Savoie had 47 total points in Moose Jaw, bringing his regular season totals to 71 in 34 regular season games, good for over two per contest. He also totaled 30 goals in that span, and you can only wonder what kind of damage he may have done if he played an entire season in the WHL.
But he didn’t need to play a whole year on the junior circuit since a “reconditioning stint” in Rochester ended with him scoring two goals and five points across six games. It’s also worth noting that Savoie played another eight playoff games for the Warriors as of April 25th, where he has seven goals and 13 points.
It’s tough to see Savoie making the opening-day lineup for the Sabres at this point, but he will be a prime scorer in Rochester and play in some NHL games.
4 - Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich were once again a rockstar tandem
Okay, this article was supposed to be about five players, but there’s no way you can talk about Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich separately. One reason is that I kept flip-flopping on where I wanted to put them before I thought to myself, “Oh well, the Sabres have enough NHL-caliber prospects that it wouldn’t hurt to put them both at No. 4.”
Let’s start with Kulich, who completed his second full season with the Rochester Americans, scoring 27 goals and 45 points amidst 57 games. While he registered one fewer point this season, his points per game increased from 0.741 in 2022-23 to 0.789 this season, and his better defensive play also likely helped create more chances either for himself or his teammates.
Rosen improved even more, reaching the 20-goal milestone in 67 contests and 50 points total. Like Kulich, his points per game improved from just 0.560 in last year’s regular season to 0.746 this season. Overall, both players showed immense improvement, but the question is whether they’re suited to play in the bottom-six in the NHL.
Both players have improved defensively, and there is a chance one of the two makes the opening day lineup and lines up at winger on the third line, alongside perhaps Peyton Krebs (assuming he’s back) and Zach Benson.
3 - Noah Ostlund made the trip and has given us good returns
Noah Ostlund takes the third spot following even more debate with myself of whether he should rank ahead of or below the Jiri Kulich/Isak Rosen tandem. But he made the smooth transition from the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan to the SHL, putting up 23 points and 12 goals in 38 regular season games. He also debuted in Rochester, joining the Amerks for the final two matchups of the season and logging an assist.
Ostlund’s long-awaited debut in Rochester was a long time coming, and he was more than ready to make the move this season if he chose to forgo playing 2023-24 in Sweden. Either way, we knew Ostlund was going to be successful regardless of where he played, and we should see him in plenty of games for the Calder Cup Playoffs.
That said, he’s not likely to suit up for the Sabres until he plays at least one full season in Rochester. Ostlund is still very new to the North American game, and there are enough forward prospects in the system to recall to the Blue and Gold at the moment, so there is no need to rush him.
Overall, Ostlund’s sheer upside is what places him ahead of Kulich and Rosen, even if he’s presumably at least a year out from making his NHL debut.
2 - Ryan Johnson will be a permanent part of the rotation next year
Ryan Johnson saw significant time in Buffalo this season, and while he has yet to find twine in either the AHL or NHL, points aren’t where he brings value. He may never be a scorer or even log primary or secondary assists, but that’s no different from what we saw across his four seasons at the University of Minnesota.
Instead, Johnson is good at staying in position, retrieving the puck, and setting up opportunities, which when the Sabres or Amerks decide to click offensively, is all he needs to do. His possession quality at even strength during his time in Buffalo sat at plus-2.4 in 41 games, and in reality, he was on the ice for 22 goals for and just 18 against.
He played like he belonged in the NHL, but the Sabres also knew Johnson would be better off playing his postseason in Rochester, so he’ll have even more time to hone his game for what will be an inevitable spot in Buffalo when the puck drops this October.
Or better yet, it would either take a complete meltdown in September to see Johnson back in the Flower City, or general manager Kevyn Adams acquiring a more established talent for the rotation. The chances of that occurring aren’t likely, so expect Johnson to start next season in a blue and gold uniform.
1 - Devon Levi is in his own tier
For a while, Devon Levi had all of us worried, and it had nothing to do with his so-called underperformance in Buffalo during the first part of the season. Instead, it was Kevyn Adams’ sheer indecisiveness, as he didn’t immediately reassign Levi to Rochester after Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen showed that nobody would be prying the No. 1 job away this past season.
Finally, Levi went to Rochester, and he’s a big reason why the Amerks surged the way they did after struggling for a while to stay afloat earlier in the year. No, Levi didn’t see his numbers revert to what they were in college, but his 2.42 GAA and 0.927 save percentage weren’t far off, though he’s still searching for his first shutout in the AHL.
He finished the year 16-6-2, and Levi will also be the No. 1 goaltender in the Calder Cup Playoffs, meaning the rest of the field will have a tough time figuring out the Amerks. If he plays just as well from now until hopefully when the Amerks hoist the Calder Cup, the 1B spot in Buffalo could very well be waiting for him.
Few goaltenders are as far along in their development as Levi is at age 22, and it will be fun to see how his time in Rochester translates to what he may do in the NHL once preseason arrives in September.
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(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects and Hockey-Reference)