Two of the Buffalo Sabres’ most promising prospects are 2022 first-rounders Jiri Kulich and Matthew Savoie. Savoie, taken ninth overall in the draft, currently plays for the Wenatchee Wild (formerly the Winnipeg Ice) of the WHL. Kulich, taken 28th overall, is currently with the Rochester Americans of the AHL.
Both players have excelled in their respective leagues, leading to a conversation on when we could potentially see either of them suit up for the Sabres in the 2023-24 season. However, the differences in their style of play, along with their separate paths to the NHL, may affect which one of them gets there first.
Kulich’s Impressive Year
Despite getting taken later in the draft than Savoie, Kulich has emerged as one of the NHL’s best prospects, largely influenced by his time with the Americans.
The 19-year-old Czech has always been highly touted as a prospect and started to gain attention after a stellar performance at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship, where he scored nine goals.
Scoring goals is something Kulich excels at. In his first season with the Americans, he scored 24 of them in the regular season and added seven more during the playoffs. He also joined Team Czechia for the 2023 World Juniors Championship, where he totaled seven goals and helped his team to a silver medal.
The AHL regular season and the World Juniors all took place when Kulich was only 18 years old, making him the youngest player in the AHL last season. A young player with impressive numbers like these draws attention, and certain parts of his play have gotten praise over others.
It’s undeniable that he has a good shot. His accuracy led him to one of the best 18-year-old seasons in AHL history. He’s recently been discussed as a possible replacement for current Sabre Victor Olofsson, who has had trade rumors swirling during the offseason. His work ethic has often received praise as well, which fans got a taste of throughout the Americans’ playoff run.
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While there is a lot to love about Kulich, there are still uncertainties about moving him to the NHL. Mainly, he’s still very young and prone to issues that come with that. He struggled at the beginning of the year with the Americans and didn’t start to break out until after his performance at the World Juniors. It’s reasonable to expect that if he does make the Sabres roster, it may take him some time to acclimate.
Savoie Excels In WHL
Savoie is a few months older than Kulich and was selected much earlier in the draft. A standout in the WHL, Savoie has big potential in the NHL someday.
The 19-year-old St. Albert, Alberta native put up some big numbers last season, ending with a whopping 95 points in 62 regular season games. Thirty-eight of those points were goals, while the other 57 came as assists. He was, however, snubbed from the Team Canada roster at the World Juniors.
Savoie’s assist total outnumbering his goal total isn’t entirely surprising. His strengths lie in his passing ability and hockey IQ. Similarly to Kulich, he’s also gotten praise for his strong and accurate shot. There could also be a potential for familiarity to benefit Savoie, as he is a friend and former teammate of current Sabre Peyton Krebs.
Whether or not Savoie plays with the Sabres largely depends on whether Buffalo wants to take the risk of removing him from Wenatchee. He’ll be ineligible to play in the AHL for all of next season, as he won’t turn 20 until Jan. 1, 2024. If brought up to Buffalo, it’s questionable that he would receive the same consistent playing time he would get spending another year in the WHL.
Savoie played two games with the Americans during their playoff run but did nothing remarkable and was scratched for the remainder of the playoffs. Many have brought up concerns about his 5-foot-9 height, but as history has shown, smaller players can still make big impacts.
Kulich Should Get the First Call Up
Overall, Kulich is the most NHL-ready out of the two players. His experience with the Americans is what puts him ahead. He has spent more time playing with and against grown men and has proven that he can not only keep pace but excel against them. He also has the potential to take on a role that the Sabres may need to fill should they trade away Olofsson or lose another player to injury.
Either way, it’s unlikely that either Kulich or Savoie see too many games with the Sabres to start out the 2023-24 campaign. But if they do need one of them, Kulich would be the better pick to start with.
