Each passing day makes it harder to suggest Buffalo Sabres prized prospect Konsta Helenius, who's currently lighting the AHL on fire with the Rochester Americans, isn't one of the team's nine best forward options ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Helenius, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, has recorded 59 points in 57 appearances for the Amerks this season. That includes an active eight-game point streak that's saw him tally four goals and 10 assists, highlighted by a hat trick against the Hartford Wolf Pack in late March.
The 19-year-old Finnish forward also received his first cup of NHL coffee earlier this season. He posted nine points in nine contests, including a highly impressive three-point performance in a Jan. 20 win over the Nashville Predators.
One aspect of that stat line explains why the Sabres have been hesitant to recall him from Rochester again, though.
Konsta Helenius' contract puts Buffalo in a tricky situation
Since Helenius has played nine games for the Sabres, his next appearance would burn the first season of his three-year, entry-level contract with the organization. The clock would start ticking toward restricted free agency, which can be delayed from 2028 to 2029 by keeping him in the minors.
It's an important distinction for Buffalo, which is facing some difficult financial circumstances as it attempts to avoid becoming a one-off playoff team.
The Sabres are slated to have just $13.2 million in salary-cap space this summer (via PuckPedia) and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen must account for nine impending free agents at the NHL level:
- UFAs: Alex Tuch, Beck Malenstyn, Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn, Josh Dunne, Tanner Pearson
- RFAs: Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs, Michael Kesselring
Buffalo wants to re-sign Tuch, a Syracuse native who was the cornerstone of the Jack Eichel trade with the Vegas Golden Knights five years ago, but he's so far remained firm on a reported asking price around $10.5 million annually on a long-term agreement.
The Sabres would likely also prefer to sign Benson to a multiyear contract extension before his value potentially skyrockets in the coming years. Every season the front office kicks the can down the road, it's risking a breakout campaign where his point total skyrockets.
Add in Krebs, who's played some of his best hockey over the past month, a player in Kesselring who deserves another season to prove himself and maybe Stanley, who Kekalainen targeted for a physical edge before the trade deadline, and a lot of money will be needed.
Any future financial flexibility that may be on the horizon will quickly evaporate if Buffalo meets Tuch's asking price and inks Benson to a long-term deal. Other young contributors like Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich will also need extensions in the coming years, and the franchise will also have to make a decision about whether Bowen Byram is part of the equation.
So, a one-year delay in having to start paying Helenius closer to his fair-market value (which is trending toward a significant number) could help, even if it seems minuscule in the moment.
Sabres must show they're all-in on Stanley Cup chase
If Buffalo wants to show it's truly writing a new chapter after 14 years of misery, calling up Helenius would be a major step in the right direction, contract concerns be damned.
The Sabres have been deploying Krebs on the top line alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch pretty consistently since the Olympic break. He's played well by his standards, but the reality is the 2019 first-round pick isn't a first-line player.
Head coach Lindy Ruff hasn't had a ton of flexibility since Ostlund suffered an upper-body injury last month, though. He's running out of legitimate options for the three scoring lines.
Calling up Helenius could allow Buffalo to pack a little more punch offensively, while also rewarding the promising prospect for his tremendous play as of late.
Assuming Ostlund and Sam Carrick were sidelined, the Blue and Gold could line up something like this to open the first round of the playoffs:
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Zach Benson | Tage Thompson | Alex Tuch |
Konsta Helenius | Josh Norris | Josh Doan |
Jason Zucker | Ryan McLeod | Jack Quinn |
Peyton Krebs | Josh Dunne | Beck Malenstyn |
The Sabres have to make a decision soon, though. They'd probably want Helenius, who could also be an option on the top line in offensive-minded situations, to get a few NHL games in before the end of the regular season if he's going to join the playoff lineup.
All told, thinking about the future is understandable, especially given Buffalo's cap status. Yet, one thing the organization should have learned during the longest postseason drought in league history is there are no guarantees about what comes next.
The Sabres have an opportunity in front of them right now. They have to do everything possible to seize it with an eye toward a deep playoff run. Helenius increases their chances of that.
Call him up.