The Buffalo Sabres will once again host the annual Prospects Challenge at LECOM Harborcenter. The event aims at putting the spotlight on the game’s up-and-coming talents from five NHL teams – namely the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. This round-robin tournament will take place from Sept. 11-15.
The Sabres just recently unveiled their 26-man roster, consisting of 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and four goaltenders. The squad features some of the rink’s finest players across various junior leagues in North America and Europe. Last year’s edition saw Buffalo finish with an underwhelming 1-2 record. Now, with the presence of four first-round picks, the Sabres look to best their run last year, as the team looks to bolster their NHL chances through the experience the young guns will bring to training camp.
Key Players
The Sabres are the second-youngest team in the NHL; thus, they will look to their youth for inspiration in this upcoming season. What better way to get a glimpse of the future than to see where they stand at this point against some of the elite prospects of other teams? Buffalo boasts a talent pool like no other who are ready to shine in an opportunity like this.
Konsta Helenius: The promising 19-year-old forward is the youngest player in the American Hockey League (AHL). His age is not to be mistaken with rawness, though, as he made the league’s 2024-25 Top Prospects Team. He also made significant contributions in the Rochester Americans’ run in the Calder Cup Playoffs, where he put up six points (three goals and three assists), ultimately catching the eyes of Sabres’ scouts for his hockey IQ.
Noah Ostlund: Despite being undersized, the 21-year-old forward compensates with his playmaking and agility on the ice and is one to keep an eye on. He managed to crack the Sabres’ fourth line last season, and with time still in his favor, he is only going to get better from there.
Isak Rosen: Rosen is arguably the most poised to get an NHL call-up. In fact, he was already told to suit up for the Sabres five times last season, serving as an indication of management’s trust in his level of readiness. He led the Americans in points last season, and although he may not be physically imposing, he is skilful and effortless in finding ways to score.
Versus New Jersey Devils
The Sabres’ first test comes in the form of the Devils. The Devils torched the Sabres in their last meeting at the Challenge after a 5-2 beatdown of Buffalo. Although New Jersey’s roster hasn’t come out yet, much is to be expected from this team, considering the 2-1 record they accumulated last year.
Overseas and college-bound players are not expected in this event, which makes the likes of Anton Silayev and other prospects in the same situation improbable for the tournament. That may be the case for the New Jersey team; the Devils still have depth, talent-wise, for the showcase.
One of the Devils’ standouts last Challenge was defenseman Seamus Casey. The 21-year-old showcased his phenomenal skating and remarkable hockey IQ in last year’s event and will hav a chance to grab a spot in training camp; otherwise, he will remain with the Utica Comets as he looks to anchor their blue line.
Arseniy Gritsyuk is a forward ready to make his mark this season. The 24-year-old right wing co-led SKA St. Petersburg team in points (one goal and four assists) in six Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) playoff games. He also tallied three points (one goal and two assists) while playing for Russia in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Lenni Hameenaho might have missed last year’s Challenge, but he is ready to prove why he is one of the best prospects in the league. He stayed in Finland’s top league for the past three years and represented the country in the 2025 IIHF World Championship, where he registered four points (one goal and three assists) in eight games.
Versus Columbus Blue Jackets
The Sabres will face the Blue Jackets on Saturday. Buffalo’s only win in last year’s tournament came in a 3-1 victory against Columbus. The team looks to replicate this result, but it won’t be an easy task.
Since the Blue Jackets are filling their roster with free-agent signees, they are not with their familiar group of prospects. Despite this, the team’s roster is still viewed with intrigue at a glance, not because of the names that are not in there, but because of the thought of how this team will perform with this set of guys.
Jordan Dumais is a force to be reckoned with on the front line. After missing most of last season, he is due for a bounce-back season, and the Challenge could be his proving ground. Dumais recorded 140 points (54 goals and 86 assists) for the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League in 2022-23.
Versus Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have captured the Prospects Challenge crown for two years in a row, with their championship clinching win coming against the Sabres in an 8-5 victory. For Buffalo, it’s their chance to dethrone this team while avenging their loss in the process of doing so. However, with a stacked anticipated lineup, the Penguins will look to thwart Buffalo’s intentions and extend their title-winning reign.
Harrison Brunicke impressed in his first training camp last season. The 19-year-old played for the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Kamloops Blazers, where he sustained a broken wrist. Brunicke will aim to use this opportunity as an assessment ground as he battles to earn a spot in training camp.
Benjamin Kindel is a prospect with a high upside for the future, but is ready to show why that future could be inching closer sooner. Kindel was recently the highest-drafted player by the Penguins in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old took a major leap last season playing for the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL, recording 60 points (15 goals and 45 assists), extending his contributions in the playoffs, where he posted 15 points (eight goals and seven assists). The team will look to him as a potential replacement when Sidney Crosby eventually hangs up the skates.
With a roster filled with promising young talents, the Sabres are poised to make some noise in the Prospects Challenge. The event also has major implications for roster construction during training camp, as players will be looking to use this tournament as a launching pad into their NHL aspirations. As the event is fast approaching, one could only hope that the squad’s impression on paper would be as good as their play on ice. For now, the Sabres hopefuls just have to wait and see until puck drop.
