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.