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I'd say first bold was true for too many NHL games. It's why Levi hasn't stuck. Second bold, I haven't seen that as an issue in the AHL. The questionable goals I've seen at the AHL level are more of the Ryan Miller whiffs from distance type. It's an interesting point to break down, but in general what you seem to be talking about is his ability to make high-danger saves, where a shooter has time to pick his spot? Don't have time to do a deep dive in to that, but I did see and post elsewhere on here where (big) UPL struggled the past 2 years in high-danger situations, whereas (small) Levi and Lyon were very good (top 10). I have no idea if that was representative of the league as a whole. Personally, I think coaching is pushing past the Robin Lehner giants by cross-crease movement attacks and controlled lateral movement is becoming vogue as the pre-eminent goalie skill, but that's a whole other discussion.

I didn’t say Stanley Cup contending 2C But, as with any conversation re: Sabres, I thought it was implied that when I say he could hack it as a playoff 2C that it meant we could qualify to be a playoff team with him in that role apologies if that was unclear I’ll worry about the playoffs if we ever get there

So he lines up against Bennett instead of Barkov. Think it over.

I'm not and I know it. So explain to me how going to Boston helps with it?

That's called smugness. But you already know that as this is the time of year you always start resorting to it in extra doses.

Well, ya Need a F sans injuries just to get back to break even. We need 2 sans injuries to improve upon a team that sat in last place most of the year

People want to put hard line labels on them as if we don’t KNOW hockey is a free flowing back and forth game where one player, say, a superstar, can’t make all the difference on their own. We should know by now that roles are entirely dependant on all the pieces around them. you are right, McLeod isn’t definitively 2nd or 3rd line: he can be either

He’ll prob be our best C in that scenario I think he could hack it as a playoff 2C if the depth was there and the top line wasn’t 2/3rds children and then Tage Peterka was a good playmaker too Something which we lack you are right we place a lot of focus on players who snipe

Also, again, fantastic overall and in depth write up - - - The overall weakness of the F does stand out, partially could be due to the transition period as you say

Great list. One caveat There’s a lot of games that say, “this guy isn’t an NHLer, period” re: Levi. Would always take otherworldly skill to be able to be a mainstay tender at his size and I’d say the likelihood he becomes a good nhl goalie at all is less than 50%. Ranking by nhl liklihood and not utter ceiling I’d bump him down a fair bit there are games where the reason he doesn’t stop the puck in Rochester is because the shooters are too good. If this is happening at the AHL level, at all, it bodes horribly for his prospects against nhl shooters who increasingly pick corners for breakfast. He doesn’t get beat for experience reasons, when he does: it’s because it’s simply beyond him. There’s no defence for a perfect shot and when you are tiny there’s a lot more area that qualifies. Shooters are better than ever.

My annual summer ranking, post-development camp, based on how good an NHL player they should become. 2024/25 could best be described as a mundane year of mild disappointment on the prospect front. While a majority of prospects trudged along safely within the margins of their expected paths, few took big leaps and a number either ran out of runway or are approaching the end of their runs without hitting liftoff. I think the team is entering a real transition period where a lot of similarly ranked prospects are poised to sink or swim in a too-tight cluster. The Sabres graduated Jiri Kulich and cut ties with Matt Savoie, Lukas Rousek, Aleksandr Kisakov, Ethan Miedema, and Viljami Marjala from last year’s list. Last year’s ranks are in parentheses. Should be NHLers, could be really good: (Levi) 1 Devon Levi (1): Levi’s playoff run for Rochester was probably a microcosm for where he is at in his development curve: his overall numbers were very good, and there were games were he looked unbeatable. But there were also games where the eye test said ‘this guy is not ready yet for the NHL. From a technical aspect, the athleticism remains outstanding; this is a goalie who can make the big save. But sometimes pucks get through him that should not. The skill is there, the mental focus is there, the numbers are there. What still needs to come is the experience that will give him the comfort level of knowing that when things go wrong within games and within seasons the key is to relax and stay within himself. I think Levi expected to be in the NHL by now and that has weighed on him; it’s a type of adversity he has yet to deal with in his young life. Psychologically, starting in Rochester this October, and earning his way up feels like the right path. I expect to see him at some point this year and be a fixture next year. His upside remains high. 2 Radim Mrtka (NR): I think Sabres fans got bit of a wrong impression of Mrtka. They heard he was big but not mean. They heard he lacked high-end offence. And in their minds they put him in a bucket that said “low-upside Owen Power without the points” and called him safe and vanilla. But while he could hurt people more and he could score more, this guy is anything but safe. This guy’s ceiling is very high — first-pairing shutdown high. He’s got that kind of toolbox. The question is how far can he develop those tools. Because he’s not there yet. He is a rare physical specimen with the feet, length and compete to defend at a very high level, and he’s not without skill (he led the WHL in p/g for his draft year). But he is very raw and there is a lot of work to do in terms of decision-making and details. This is a motivated low-floor, high-ceiling development prospect. Development camp comparisons were made to Tyler Myers, and they’re probably apt in terms of where Mrtka eventually settles. Tyler Myers has played 16 years in the NHL, mostly as a top 4 D. That’s an excellent return from a #9 pick. But he’s 3 years away. Should be NHL regulars: (Helenius, Kulich, Savoie, Östlund) 3 Konsta Helenius (2) Jumping up a league from Finland to the AHL and posting pretty much the identical statistics at the higher level is a pretty good indication that Helenius is right on track in his development. He was the youngest player in the AHL and sometimes it showed, but the 18-year-old demonstrated he was not going to be pushed around by the men of North American hockey and by the time the playoffs rolled around, he was pushing first. His point totals were the 3rd best by a U19 AHL player this century, but that should be read in the context of how few players play a full AHL season at his age. He played more wing than centre as his coaches tried to smooth his adjustment. The team will be looking to see if he can make a step next year from complementary player to part of Rochester’s core. He ticks a lot of NHL boxes and has a lot of runway in front of him. He’s at least a year away, probably 2. 4 Noah Östlund (5): After a bad hand contributed to a poor start, Östlund provided proof his of his high draft pedigree by reeling off a 35-point, +19 run in just 32 games to earn a call-up from Rochester. I’m more interested in what he learned after the call-up. He could skate with NHLers and avoided getting caved. But in terms of making plays he showed he still has a ways to go. Couple that with an AHL playoff — where he again played OK but struggled to produce — and he should be spending the off-season with a clear focus on what he has to do to improve. And a lot of that is about strength. Östlund is probably behind Rosen and ahead of Helenius in terms of who will be the first offensive forward called up. He will be leaned on to be the Amerk 1C this year, much like Kulich was in his 2nd pro season. He’s a year away from a legitimate shot at making the big club. Could be NHL regulars: (Wahlberg, Rosen, Novikov, Johnson, Komarov, Strbak) 5 Prokhor Poltapov (14): First the good news: there was no one in the organization who took a bigger leap last year than Poltapov. After disappointing D+2 season, the young left winger vaulted himself up off the CSKA 4th line to become the KHL team’s second-leading scorer while retaining all the grit and lineup versatility that could allow him to make an NHL impact in multiple different roles. The bad news is he also signed a contract extension and is not expected to show up in Buffalo any time soon. In the summer of 2027 he will be free again to sign with the Sabres (and no other NHL team), but also old enough that he will be able to leverage (and maybe earn) himself a promise to bypass Rochester entirely and join the Sabres directly as a 24-year-old. The Sabres apparently are still in contact with him and consider him part of their future. 6 Maxim Strbak (11): The Slovak got picked in the high second round because he’s right-handed shot with a prototypical NHL 2nd-pairing skillset: size, skating, leadership and the ability to perform on both sides of the puck. His performance this year in Michigan State did nothing but reinforce that perception. After a somewhat uneven freshman year, Strbak took a much bigger role on a very good team, putting up good numbers playing first pairing minutes. He’ll return to college this fall and probably sign next spring. He’ll need a year or two in Rochester before making the leap. Has a shot: (Kleber, Neuchev, Poltapov, Zeimer, Rousek) 7 Ryan Johnson (9): It might look like Johnson has climbed this list, but I wouldn’t really read too much into that; the separation between 7 and 14 is not significant. Johnson is where he is because he is the closest person on this tier to being an NHL regular right now. Johnson had a nondescript but solid AHL season and has the makings of a nondescript but solid NHL defensemen. He’s got NHL feet and the ability to quietly snuff plays and flip the puck up-ice as a mobile defensive defenceman, and was effective being leaned on in that role for the Amerks. The NHL roster is set up so the only thing standing in his way is the placeholder named Jacob Bryson. I expect at some point during this season he will make Bryson redundant and should get his first legitimate full-time NHL role next year, if injuries or trades don’t create that opportunity for him sooner. I’d say it’s 50/50 as to whether he is able to take advantage and turn the NHL into a full-time gig. 8 Nikita Novikov (8): When I watch Rochester, Novikov consistently catches my eye because he plays hockey like a man. You want to mess with his teammates, he objects. You want to get to the front of his net, he objects. You want to move pucks out of his corner, he objects. He’s physical, consistently focused and constantly engaged, while being smart and not prone to making a lot of mistakes. He’s led the Amerks in +/- on each of his two pro seasons. I like pretty much everything about Nikita except his feet; I’m just not sure they will translate to the NHL level. Like Johnson, he’s paid his dues and is getting close to earning his shot. We may see some spot duty this year, especially if they feel the need to add some iron to their backline. 9 Brodie Ziemer (15): The third round hasn’t exactly been kind to the Sabres over the years, but Zeimer has a decent chance of breaking a drought that dates all the way back to Brayden McNabb in 2008. He’s one of those players who doesn’t have any particular elite traits, but he does most things well. He is a self-starter and a leader who makes the most of what he’s got. He flirted with a top 6 role as a true freshman on a good Minnesota team, putting up solid numbers as the Gophers only 18-year-old regular and posted a point a game for the gold-medal US WJC squad. He’s 3 or 4 years away, but he gets it, and I like his chances as middle-six team guy. 10 Anton Wahlberg (6): If there was one prospect who disappointed me most this year, it was probably Wahlberg. The understated puck skills and the bull-strength he flashed in his D+1 year just weren’t on display enough in Rochester. He came across as kinda uncertain and tentative in his play; I didn’t see him using his big body and I didn’t see the hand skills or the hockey sense. His numbers — roughly a 40-point pace — were fine given his age though. His physical gifts are obvious and he just turned 20 last week, so there is lots of runway left. This is a ranking he can easily flip next year. 11 Adam Kleber (12): The fact that Kleber was a 3rd-pairing defenceman on a weaker college team last year who managed just 5 points isn’t going to get anyone excited. But there aren’t a lot of 18-year-olds playing bigger roles in the NCAA. And Kleber is never going to be someone who puts up points. He’s a giant of a young man and his role is to make life rough on opposing forwards, something he has been able to do quite well against his peers. He joined Zeimer on the US WJC squad, where he played that role quite successfully. He’s a good 4 years from any NHL games but his physical tools could get him there. Two things he has over Novikov are better feet, and better retrievals, which might make the difference in carving out an NHL career. 12 Tyson Kozak (20): I like Tyson Kozak and respect the no-cheat way he plays the game. I also consider him to be one of the more overrated prospects in the system. This is a guy who has yet to play 55 games or score 15 points in a professional season in three tries. There’s nothing really in his resume that suggests he can be an NHL player, other than the fact he played 21 games this year and did not look totally out of place as a 4th-line centre. The fanbase almost universally seems comfortable pencilling him in on the open day roster. I don’t see it; not with Justin Danforth and Peyton Krebs able to do pretty much everything Kozak can do, and more, better. What’s he’s got though is the trust of his coaches, which does mean something, and the desire to get better. He is the type who, given the opportunity, might seize it and run. He’s not big, he’s not fast and he’s not skilled. But he is smart and he does compete. Maybe that will be enough. 13 Isak Rosen (7): He can shoot kinda like JJ Peterka. He can skate kinda like JJ Peterka. He’s probably already more defensively aware and responsible than JJ Peterka. In some world, maybe this one, a case could be made that Rosen might slide smoothly into the roster spot Peterka fled and pop 20 goals as an NHL rookie. He’s shown steady improvement over each of his 3 professional seasons in Rochester, capped by this year where he scored at a near 40-goal pace and led the team in points. He’s at the point in his NHL career where he should be ready to follow his good buddy Kulich into the show. The thing is, I just don’t see it happening. Because as talented as Rosen is, he’s anything but an alpha in an organization with no room for soft, deferential skilled forwards. He’s got the skill to be an NHer, but I just don’t see the will, or the opportunity. I think he’s poised to peak this season as a tweener. I expect he will be with another organization next year and back in Europe shortly after. 14 Vsevolod Komarov (10): For the most part Komarov was Rochester’s #6D last year. Which shouldn’t have been unexpected given he was a rookie on a deep blue line. And it isn’t as bad as it might seem given that Leone played everybody. Komarov plays a hard, fearless game. He attacks on defence and he attacks on offence. He’s big and he’s not without skill although his skating stride is awkward and his puck touches aren’t entirely clean. The reason I have him at the bottom of this tight cluster of Sabres prospect is that it is kinda hard to slot him in to a specific NHL role. He’s not really a meaty crease-clearing #6, or a mobile safety valve #5, or someone who is going to play on an NHL PP. But he does have competence in a lot of areas and a great attitude that may carry him past his limitations. Longshot with a shot: (Ratzlaff, McCarthy, Kisakov, Kozak) 15 Scott Ratzlaff (17): Goalies have a long runway and a lot of obstacles to leap before anyone can be entirely comfortable projecting them into an NHL crease. But within that context, Ratzlaff has a shot. The fifth-round pick has stopped a lot pucks over his junior career, first as a tandem goalie on a Seattle contender in his draft year, then as the main guy for a struggling rebuild in his D+1, and finally as the focal point of T-Bird revival this season. Not particularly large for a goalie, Ratzlaff is a fast-twitch athlete with quick reflexes and an upbeat leader’s attitude. He’s earned a contract and a chance to battle Topias Leinonen for the backup position in Rochester this year. 16 David Bedkowsi (NR): Anyone who watched Bedkowski’s post-draft interview should have come away impressed with his thoughtful, mature approach. But the thing that will make him a favoured son on this list for years to come is the scouting report from Elite Prospects: “Arguably the most violent player in the class, with the mobility, reach, defensive traits, and bloodlust to develop into a tremendous play killer.” Bedkowski brings almost no offence, but he can skate and he can play without the puck, and he is a giant human being. He’s 5 years away, but will be warmly welcomed when he arrives. 17 Jake Richard (HM): A slow-cooking late 2022 pick, Richard may have been the best development story in the organization. After nearly doubling his scoring totals in his 2nd USHL season, he did it again this year in his second season at UConn going from 18 points as a freshman to 43 as a sophomore, making his living at the net front. He’s practically moved into Buffalo in the off-season to take advantage of the Sabres training facilities and will probably sign his first pro contract in the fall and spend a year or two in Rochester trying to follow in the late-round footsteps of Victor Olofsson. 18 Viktor Neuchev (13): A skilled Russian winger, Neuchev earned rave reviews from his coach Vinnie Prospal this year for the way he had thrown himself into the task of becoming a complete player while increasing his scoring. His mission was cut short however by a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. He’s got more skill than your average third-rounder but he’s still learning how to play the North American pro game. It will be interesting to see how that affects him as he battles for prime ice time with Rochester’s thick group of young forwards. 19 Gavin McCarthy (18): Drafted a round after Strbak, McCarthy carries a similar skillset, plays a similar two-way game and showed a similar level of improvement. He also remains a round behind him in terms of his NHL projection. Whereas Strbak is little more polished, McCarthy is more of a gung ho, high-risk/reward type. He skates well and isn’t shy of the rough stuff and definitely seems headed toward an NHL contract, maybe after this season. 20 Luke Osburn (NR😞 You make a lot of picks in the later rounds hoping that at least a few them surprise and push themselves into a legitimate prospects status. Osburn was that guy this year. A very young, smooth-skating puck mover, he broke out with 41 points in 55 games and was named the USHL defenceman of the year. He’s off to Wisconsin next year to see if he can continue to build on that great year, but is at least 2 or 3 years away from turning pro. Honourable mentions: (Marjala, Richard) 21 Topias Leinonen (NR): After 2 bad post-draft years led me to write him off this list completely, Leinonen stopped the slide last year with a solid season in the Swedish second division. Fuelled in part by injuries and adversity, he dedicated himself to fitness, pulled his career out of the dumpster and earned himself a pro contract. An absolutely massive human being, he’s slotted to share time with Ratzlaff between backing up Levi in Rochester and taking a lead role in the ECHL. 22 Ryerson Leenders (NR): Another young athletic goalie with average size like Ratzlaff (and the two goalies picked this June), Leenders followed up a solid draft year in Mississauga with a similar season in Brantford where he complied an impressive winning record. Another year of the same might earn him a contract with a space opening due to the the expected graduation of Levi.

I'm not trading Power; also Buffalo has never been capable of moving players without overpaying to get rid of them.

Good teams bring in players like this all the time and never have a problem making the cap work. Trade Samuelsson or Power.

I think he is a development coach.

Not at all I'm saying Kesserling playing his off-side doesn't give enough of a boost to that of a savvy vet playing on his strong side. Plus the majority of coaches are going to skew ice time to vets.

The 26 1st would have to be Top 3 protected for me to trade it regardless of target; especially seeing as we can't conditionally use his signing to protect our *****. Benson is completely untouchable Lastly, if he wants more than 11.5mil we can't do it because we lack the cap flexibility to keep him at this number. Effectively we'd have to let Tuch go which defeats the purpose of getting Robertson to upgrade the Top 6.

And he’s somewhere in the organization right now, if I remember correctly.

Hadn't considered Quinn on a 4th line. But with 2 other guys that are both fast and defensively responsible, it MIGHT work. And, it has the added bonus of not ####### up one of the other 3 lines.

when he's asked to play defense, he often looks like the worst player on the ice.

Didn't say "cheap," said "palatable." Believe that Adams does actually understand they need 1 more top 6 F. Pretty sure he'd mentioned something to that effect a few weeks ago. Rust will cost more than we want; but he'll be a #### of lot cheaper than Robertson will be. (And Robertson should still be the dream with Roslovic the consolation prize. Rust is the poor man's nice thing.)

This is absolutely true. It's also true that most teams aren't running a Sam Bennett in the 2C slot. These were some of McLeod's peers points-wise: Marco Rossi, Morgan Geekie, Brock Nelson, Sean Monahan, Adam Fantili Mason Mctavish, Chandler Stevenson, Evgeni Malkin, Dylkan Cozens, Pius Suter, Barrett Hayton. Most of these guys also had to get the minutes and get points. He doesn't seem to be grossly outclassed.

This is the most blue sky thinking ever, but the concept of Quinn and the concept of Doan flanking a levelled-up version of the Krebs we saw this year would such a great mix of skillsets against most bottom 6 lines.

I don't pay much mind to where McLeod finished in points for a forward last year. Being top 50 doesn't mean you're top 50. On this sabres lineup with the issues at C...someone had to get minutes. Thus, someone had to get points. I like him. But I like him more getting 15 minutes a night....tops

Agree, except with the Rust might come cheap part. There are so few top 6 options available and so many teams with cap sapce, the price is going to be high.

They REALLY need 1 more F to make this work as they absolutely will deal with injuries and there are just so many guys that might not live up to the roles they get assigned to paly. Not a huge fan of Rust at this point, but bringing him in gives Ruff so much more flexibility than he currently has especially when the plan has to get revised in real time. And he should be available at a price Adams can find palatable.