Thanks to smart drafting and a few successful trades in recent years, the Buffalo Sabres currently possess one of the NHL’s best prospect pipelines and have accumulated a true embarrassment of riches. With a number of strong young players already at the NHL level, it opens even more possibilities for their future.
The unfortunate consequence of this is that not all of those players will one day wear the Buffalo blue and gold. Jiri Kulich, Matthew Savoie and Zach Benson are all but guaranteed to see action with the Sabres, but some of their contemporaries will inevitably be cast aside as a result, potentially as trade pieces.
Of all the farmhands currently inhabiting Buffalo’s pipeline (whether in the North American or European ranks), these three are perhaps the most likely to be moved.
Noah Ostlund
The second of three first-round selections the Sabres made in 2022, Noah Ostlund appears to be the complete package. He stands small at just 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds but compensates for it with a terrific combination of skating, puck handling and vision that makes him a go-to player in all situations (from “Sabres prospect Noah Ostlund does hockey’s hardest thing. He makes it look easy”, The Athletic, 9/22/2022). His tremendous playmaking ability was on full display during his first season with Sweden’s Djurgårdens IF, with 33 assists and 42 points in just 32 games.
It caught the eye of the Sabres and they took him 16th overall in 2022 with the pick they received from Vegas as part of the Jack Eichel blockbuster. However, his output regressed to 26 points in 37 games in his second season and it may have adversely affected the Sabres’ perception of him. Though he is signed to an entry-level contract, they haven’t paid the Swede much attention apart from that and it appears that his classmates Savoie and Kulich have surpassed him, as both of them have already joined their American Hockey League affiliate Rochester Americans.
After training with the Americans in the spring, it was speculated that Ostlund may come to North America full-time this season as well, but in June it was announced that he’ll spend it on loan to the Swedish Hockey League’s Växjö Lakers (from “Sabres first-rounder Ostlund to remain in Sweden for another year”, The Niagara Gazette, 6/5/2023). While this could allow him further development, the move is also dubious when remembering how the same treatment negatively affected former prospect Lawrence Pilut.
Ostlund’s talents are undeniable but it’s very difficult to tell what the Sabres think of him at this point. They could simply be keeping him out of the spotlight so he can grow at his own pace, or perhaps he’s fallen on the totem pole and the team has set its priorities elsewhere. He would easily make any trade package more palatable and could bring a big-name player or high draft picks in return. Fans will have to keep an eye on him throughout this season.
Topias Leinonen
Drafted 41st overall by the Sabres in 2022, Topias Leinonen was NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked European goaltender and fittingly the first one taken. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 234 pounds, he already fits the physical profile of the modern NHL netminder and he’s only 19 years old. A strong puck-handler with a surprising amount of athleticism despite his large size, Leinonen has all the makings of a star and could be one of the game’s next big goaltenders (literally and figuratively). It might not be in Western New York, however.
The Finn is a goaltender on a team currently loaded with them. And with both Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the Sabres’ top two goaltending spots are locked up. Eric Comrie stands behind them as well, making it very unlikely that any others will be in the mix, barring a trade of some sort. Still very young, Leinonen is also far from ready to make the jump to the professional ranks and wouldn’t factor in for the Sabres for at least a few years anyhow. It looks as if he’ll remain with JYP Jyväskylä of this Finnish Elite League for the foreseeable future.
Further complicating the situation is the surprise performance of T.J. Semptimphelter at Buffalo’s prospect development camp this past month. The Arizona State Sun Devil turned the heads of fans and media alike with his impressive showing and his standing with the organization may have been elevated as a result. There’s a chance he could be offered a contract and join either the Americans or the Sabres’ new ECHL affiliate Jacksonville Icemen.
Leinonen’s chances aren’t necessarily affected by this but it does seem that he has a few names ahead of him on the depth chart. Teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks that are looking for their next goaltender would surely be interested in him and the Sabres could command a strong return piece given his immense potential.
Isak Rosen
Isak Rosen’s relationship with the Sabres continues to be a puzzling one. Selected 14th overall in 2021 with the pick received in exchange for Rasmus Ristolainen, it would appear that the team would have high hopes for such a high draft choice. However, their intentions for him remain unclear even after he signed his entry-level contract last summer.
Like fellow countryman Ostlund, Rosen lacks size but his superb skating and puck handling more than make up for it and he also displays a surprising amount of toughness. He joined the Americans this past season at age 19 and put up a respectable 14 goals and 37 points in 66 games. Given this, one would think that he would be one of the prospects the Sabres would most like to get a glimpse of, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
There’s nothing that concretely shows that the Sabres aren’t interested in the Swede and he clearly isn’t NHL-ready at this point. But it is worth noting that his name comes up considerably less than a number of other prospects, even ones that seemingly rank below him. Lukas Rousek received an NHL call-up last season and Kulich and Savoie are poised to at some point this year. It doesn’t appear that there are any plans for Rosen at this point and he’ll spend another season with Rochester. It casts a bit of a doubt on his future with the team and it would be understandable if fans had forgotten about him.
Again, the Sabres could simply just be letting him take his time and an extended stint in the AHL will benefit his progression, but of all the players in Buffalo’s system, Rosen looks to be the most likely trade candidate should the need arise. There isn’t a team in the league that wouldn’t be taken with his speed and all-around ability. Though the Sabres already feature one of the NHL’s best offenses, they could decide to bring in another big piece and adding a prospect of his caliber to a trade package would make it all the easier.
Do The Sabres Have More Moves Planned?
With the best roster they’ve had in quite some time assembled, the Sabres are no longer unsure of their abilities and will have their eyes set firmly on the postseason come October. With an improved defense that should, in turn, lead to better goaltending, Buffalo’s chances look all the better. But will they make more trades?
Related: Sabres’ Jiri Kulich Should Reach NHL Before Matthew Savoie
Whether it is bringing in another weapon for their arsenal or just clearing out space, general manager Kevyn Adams has a number of potential trades he could make. If one of these three prospects is added in, the possibilities are endless.
