The Buffalo Sabres returned Konsta Helenius to the Rochester Americans while the NHL breaks for the 2026 Winter Olympics, and that allowed the standout forward prospect to take part in the AHL skills competition on Tuesday night ahead of Wednesday's All-Star Game.
Helenius played a key role in the Eastern Conference's 18-15 win in Tuesday's event. First, he won the Fastest Skater with a time of 13.77 seconds:
13.770, KONSTA HELENIUS takes the win in the fastest skater competition! pic.twitter.com/dJ7OjGVowM
— Allsports Roc (@AllsportsRoc) February 11, 2026
Then, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft was the only member of his five-player group to score on Winnipeg Jets goalie prospect in the Thomas Milic in the Breakaway Relay with a nifty move:
Konsta Helenius goes five-hole in the @UpperDeckSports Breakaway Relay for another Eastern Conference point! #AHLAllStar #LetsGoAmerks🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/jyZDMY28xG
— Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) February 11, 2026
Winger Isak Rosen and defenseman Zac Jones also represented the Sabres and Amerks in the AHL skills challenge.
Expectations continue to soar for Konsta Helenius as he aims to earn a full-time spot with the Buffalo Sabres
Helenius' victory in the fastest skater came as a bit of a surprise. That's not because he doesn't have that in his toolkit but rather due to the fact he's more of a cerebral playmaker. It's rare where he's forced to hit top speed, so it's a hidden trait for the rapidly improving center.
The NHL hasn't held an All-Star Weekend since 2024 but the Sabres prospect's winning time in the Fastest Skater would have ranked third behind only the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid and New York Islanders' Mathew Barzal at that competition.
Helenius recently played the first nine games of his NHL career as the Sabres battled through a series of key injuries. The highlight came in his second game when he tallied three points, including his first NHL goal, in a Jan. 20 win over the Nashville Predators.
The 19-year-old Finland native only scored one point in the other eight contests, but he still held his own to an impressive degree. It's obviously a limited sample size, but his 55.7% expected goals for percentage (xGF%) is the top mark on Buffalo's roster, per Natural Stat Trick.
Meanwhile, Nick Iacoban of Watch The Stats released his updated top 100 NHL prospects list on Tuesday and Helenius cracked the top 10 at No. 9.
He's by far the top-rated Sabres prospect in Iacoban's ranking, though Radim Mrtka (No. 65), Luke Osburn (No. 70) and Brodie Ziemer (No. 73) were also featured on the list.
It's unclear what the rest of the season will hold for Helenius. Buffalo is expected to get multiple key players, including Zach Benson and Josh Norris, back after the Olympic break, which likely means the 5-foot-11 Finn will remain in Rochester for a bit.
Helenius has proven he can make an impact at the NHL level, however, so it's not out of the question he's back with the Sabres before the end of the regular season. That's especially true if the injury woes, which have complicated matters dating all the way back to training camp, remain problematic.
All told, he already looks like a future middle-six fixture for the Blue and Gold, and he still has a chance to emerge as a possible first-line player if his upward trajectory continues.