Jiri Kulich came into his rookie season with a lot of fire as he looked to make an impact early on the main roster. After playing two full seasons with Rochester, Kulich jumped to the Sabres and was immediately on the first line.
Lindy Ruff wanted to see Kulich develop early and had him on a line with JJ Peterka and Tage Thompson. Kulich didn’t have the craziest stats this season, but his 15 goals are a good sign of things to come for next season.
Kulich was not afraid to shoot on the top line as he had 262 shots on the season. Kulich also won 254 faceoffs this season for a total of 45.5% from the faceoff dot. These numbers are decent, all things considered, for his first full rookie season. His expected goals forward for 60 minutes was the only concerning aspect.
Kulich sat at just 36% when the league average is right around 47%. This average isn’t as bad for most rookies, as they sit around 40-42%. I think Kulich is getting some good treatment from Thompson and Peterka, as he gets to play with one of the best goal scorers in the league, and a rising star.
Kulich is on a playoff run with Rochester
The Sabres sent Kulich back down to Rochester for the Calder Cup Playoffs as they want him to gain more playoff experience. It is already paying dividends for Kulich as he had the go-ahead assist in game one and tallied a key goal in game two.
Rochester leads their best-of-five series 2-0 against the Syracuse Crunch with a chance to clinch the series on Tuesday. Allowing Kulich to play down is giving him that feel for what the Sabres hope would be next year, as they try to make the playoffs.
The 21-year-old could be the piece they are missing as they enter next season. After an up-and-down rookie campaign that saw him appear in 62 games, I think there is a high chance you see him play in 75+ games next year, barring any injuries.
I think Kulich will also become a 20-goal scorer next season as he makes his sophomore leap. With an experienced coach in Lindy Ruff, and two of the most underrated lines in hockey behind him, Kulich can be the x-factor the Sabres need to make a playoff push next season.