How will these three young players perform and rank amongst themselves next season? And which one of them will be on the highest line?

[Ghost of Ville Leino]

14 hours ago, dudacek said:

The big one, in terms of trade talk at least, is Helenius.

It should be noted that he is smack dab between Quinn and Kulich in terms of D+2 production, so that is one way to temper expectations.

Another is to look at all the guys with 40-ish points as NHL rookies in their D+3 seasons and predict that as a likely ballpark for him.

In terms of whether or not he is a Nick Suzuki in waiting, he tracks very much with Suzuki's pace, probably ahead at this point in their careers.

The thing is, Suzuki has gotten better every single season of his career. Very few others here are able to say the same.

The only reasons I see not to make Helenius available in the right trade are hope and fear.

Thanks for the legwork here, lots to think about.

 

I just never felt like Quinn has "it." His skill is undeniable and he's been getting better and better but there's this lack of fluidity that has always tempered my excitement on the guy.

On the other side, Helenius just oozes the it factor. Rose to the occasion in the playoffs and wasn't intimidated at all. High end skill with speed and an edge.

 

I've been struggling to return my expectations to something more reasonable on Helenius but I just can't do it. I love Östlund almost as much so I'm resigned to losing one of them as the price of getting a real difference maker this summer.

[Pimlach]

On 6/28/2026 at 2:52 PM, JohnC said:

It appears that even if Jarmo makes some additional moves that he will be counting on all three of these young players to not only be on the roster but also be contributors. If I had to predict, I would say that Kulich will score the most goals. And I would think that Östlund would be the most solid and steadiest of the three. And based on a glimpse of what I say last year from Helenius, he will be the most exciting to watch from the group. 

The Sabres are asking a lot.  I am quite surprised that all three are still here and that no veteran was added when Tuch left.  

We have no idea what Kulich really is anymore.   Östlund should be solid.   Helenius is the top prospect of the 3.  
 

I am tired of watching prospects and prefer that they improved the top 6 with a sure thing vet.  
 

Edited July 3 by Pimlach

[FrenchConnection44]

I think Helenius will be the best of those 3. 
 

Any reliance on Kulich to fill a roster spot is like relying on the lottery to pay my bills. I was high on Kulich when he was in the AHL but I think part of the reason he was called up ahead of Östlund is that he was more physically developed at the time. Watching both play at the NHL level, I think Östlund has proven his metal better and is a better player. Jmo

[Carmel Corn]

I like Helenius the best of the three.  I also like Östlund, BUT….I worry he may be another Norris with respect to not being able to stay healthy.  Kulich is still a mystery to me.  I think of him more as a winger vs. center.  He has a decent shot and can hopefully give us 20+ next season….assuming he can play.

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, Pimlach said:

The Sabres are asking a lot.  I am quite surprised that all three are still here and that no veteran was added when Tuch left.  

We have no idea what Kulich really is anymore.   Östlund should be solid.   Helenius is the top prospect of the 3.  
 

I am tired of watching prospects and prefer that they improved the top 6 with a sure thing vet.  
 

In my view, Jarmo has handled this offseason with dexterity. There is no doubt that he wanted to add a top line winger or center. I'm sure he vigorously scanned the market and recognized that a fair deal couldn't be made (so far) so he didn't panic and overreach. That's the right approach. 

However, I strenuously disagree with you over the young trio you cited. I don't believe that they should any longer be categorized as prospects. It's very likely that all three will be on the roster and all three will be contributors. Right now, I can't say how Ruff will assemble the lines but I'm confident (more confident than you) that they all will be meaningful contributors. 

[mjd1001]

On 6/30/2026 at 12:45 PM, Ghost of Ville Leino said:

Thanks for the legwork here, lots to think about.

 

I just never felt like Quinn has "it." His skill is undeniable and he's been getting better and better but there's this lack of fluidity that has always tempered my excitement on the guy.

On the other side, Helenius just oozes the it factor. Rose to the occasion in the playoffs and wasn't intimidated at all. High end skill with speed and an edge.

 

I've been struggling to return my expectations to something more reasonable on Helenius but I just can't do it. I love Östlund almost as much so I'm resigned to losing one of them as the price of getting a real difference maker this summer.

With Quinn to me its that he is one dimensional.  He is a shooter. I don't know what his skating metrics/speed are, but he doesn't seem to fly up and down the ice. He doesn't stick handle well. He makes an occasional good pass (just like every other skilled forward) but hes not a great distributor. He isn't physical. He don't dig hard all the time on backchecking.  He doesn't create his own shot by stick handling through guys.  

Basically, Quinn is an average (maybe slightly below average), replacement level 3rd line typical foward in almost every way...but with an above average shot.  Now if he improves on some of those other areas, he can still be a very good player. But other than as a shooter, I just hardly ever (I don't want to say NEVER) see him do anything really noticable.

[JohnC]

37 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

With Quinn to me its that he is one dimensional.  He is a shooter. I don't know what his skating metrics/speed are, but he doesn't seem to fly up and down the ice. He doesn't stick handle well. He makes an occasional good pass (just like every other skilled forward) but hes not a great distributor. He isn't physical. He don't dig hard all the time on backchecking.  He doesn't create his own shot by stick handling through guys.  

Basically, Quinn is an average (maybe slightly below average), replacement level 3rd line typical foward in almost every way...but with an above average shot.  Now if he improves on some of those other areas, he can still be a very good player. But other than as a shooter, I just hardly ever (I don't want to say NEVER) see him do anything really noticable.

I think you are being too harsh and limiting in your assessment of Quinn. There is no question that his most prominent skill is his shooting talent. (Although, last season, he was too off the mark when there were opportunities to seize on.) From my own observations, I did see a greater effort to backcheck and be a more responsible two-way player. It seemed that playing him with Zucker made him a more responsible player. 

Your general assessment of Quinn of being a third line forward is way too pessimistic about what caliber of a player he is. In my mind, I see him as a second line forward who has a capability to be a 30 plus goal scorer. Just as people were wrong on their assessment of Power, they will also be wrong on their negative view of Quinn. I'm confident that with a little more patience you will come around to see how good he is and will be. 

 

 

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

With Quinn to me its that he is one dimensional.  He is a shooter. I don't know what his skating metrics/speed are, but he doesn't seem to fly up and down the ice. He doesn't stick handle well. He makes an occasional good pass (just like every other skilled forward) but hes not a great distributor. He isn't physical. He don't dig hard all the time on backchecking.  He doesn't create his own shot by stick handling through guys.  

Basically, Quinn is an average (maybe slightly below average), replacement level 3rd line typical foward in almost every way...but with an above average shot.  Now if he improves on some of those other areas, he can still be a very good player. But other than as a shooter, I just hardly ever (I don't want to say NEVER) see him do anything really noticable.

You'd be hard pressed to find many 50pt 20g 3rd line forwards. He's actually got pretty good passing imo.

[tom webster]

I really understand the argument both ways. It really comes down to whether Kulich, Östlund and Helenius play up to second line level. To me, it just seems bad policy that a team one goal away from making the conference championship is now putting their season in the hands of three kids, none of whom have even come close to playing a whole season.

It just goes against everything we’ve learned from the past. The odds of all these guys, along with Benson, Power, and Quinn(?) making it…it would just be an unbelievable run by Forton and his staff. If those who believe in the three kids are right, we could be in for quite a run,

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

In my view, Jarmo has handled this offseason with dexterity. There is no doubt that he wanted to add a top line winger or center. I'm sure he vigorously scanned the market and recognized that a fair deal couldn't be made (so far) so he didn't panic and overreach. That's the right approach. 

However, I strenuously disagree with you over the young trio you cited. I don't believe that they should any longer be categorized as prospects. It's very likely that all three will be on the roster and all three will be contributors. Right now, I can't say how Ruff will assemble the lines but I'm confident (more confident than you) that they all will be meaningful contributors. 

I have no issues with Jarmo so far, but he will get graded for this offseason once we see the results.   Lets play some hockey before we judge.  

Kulich played 3/4th of a season two years back.   I have no idea what he will be like when he gets gets back.  We will see. 

Helenius and Östlund are prospects, they can play AHL games without clearing waivers,  but we have seen enough to have high confidence that they will be good NHL players.   I think they will contribute.  

I am still concerned about the size and experience at forward.  Who will Ruff play in the crucial final minutes of games to preserve a 1 goal lead?  Tuch was always good in that role.  So was Greenway.   An injury to Norris and Zucker (both missed games last year) and the veteran leadership gets much thinner now.  

How will they physically match up with teams like Tampa and Florida?  It will be interesting.  

[#freejame]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

With Quinn to me its that he is one dimensional.  He is a shooter. I don't know what his skating metrics/speed are, but he doesn't seem to fly up and down the ice. He doesn't stick handle well. He makes an occasional good pass (just like every other skilled forward) but hes not a great distributor. He isn't physical. He don't dig hard all the time on backchecking.  He doesn't create his own shot by stick handling through guys.  

Basically, Quinn is an average (maybe slightly below average), replacement level 3rd line typical foward in almost every way...but with an above average shot.  Now if he improves on some of those other areas, he can still be a very good player. But other than as a shooter, I just hardly ever (I don't want to say NEVER) see him do anything really noticable.

I don’t have the fancy stats to back it up but he’s one of our most effective players at breaking the zone. He also played like a top 6 forward for all of 2026. I think he’s going to be one of the most complete players for whomever he plays for next season. 

[LGR4GM]

6 minutes ago, tom webster said:

I really understand the argument both ways. It really comes down to whether Kulich, Östlund and Helenius play up to second line level. To me, it just seems bad policy that a team one goal away from making the conference championship is now putting their season in the hands of three kids, none of whom have even come close to playing a whole season.

It just goes against everything we’ve learned from the past. The odds of all these guys, along with Benson, Power, and Quinn(?) making it…it would just be an unbelievable run by Forton and his staff. If those who believe in the three kids are right, we could be in for quite a run,

Kulich played 62 games and Östlund 60. I don't disagree but I think it's perhaps less of a risk. Doan only had a 51game season before this last year.

[Weave]

Just now, Pimlach said:

 

How will they physically match up with teams like Tampa and Florida?  It will be interesting.  

I am a little concerned about this. I know the refrain today is, we handled TBL just fine last season, but we had 3 big relatively tough bodies then that we don’t have any longer.  Crevier might have his hands full.

[Pimlach]

38 minutes ago, tom webster said:

I really understand the argument both ways. It really comes down to whether Kulich, Östlund and Helenius play up to second line level. To me, it just seems bad policy that a team one goal away from making the conference championship is now putting their season in the hands of three kids, none of whom have even come close to playing a whole season.

It just goes against everything we’ve learned from the past. The odds of all these guys, along with Benson, Power, and Quinn(?) making it…it would just be an unbelievable run by Forton and his staff. If those who believe in the three kids are right, we could be in for quite a run,

Remember after the 91 point season?   The Peterka-Cozens-Quinn second line decision was a disaster, Quinn got injured and they did not replace him, and it likely broke Cozens from the weight of the expectations.   

Edited July 3 by Pimlach

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

I am a little concerned about this. I know the refrain today is, we handled TBL just fine last season, but we had 3 big relatively tough bodies then that we don’t have any longer.  Crevier might have his hands full.

We had Stanley and Tuch, who's the 3rd? 

[Night Train]

On 6/28/2026 at 3:28 PM, LGR4GM said:

Helenius has the most upside. Idk what to expect from Kulich. Östlund will have the best year on the stat sheet. 

Agreed. I just don't know how quick it will come. He's so natural. Don't ruin him. Looks special. 

[Pimlach]

19 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

We had Stanley and Tuch, who's the 3rd? 

I would guess he is thinking of Greenway, and we can throw in Dunne as well. 

I know most here did not like Greenway, but I think he brought some defensive play, some size, and some PK ability that we will need.  

 

[Broken Ankles]

The powder is dry.  Let’s see what happens in Edmonton around January.  Maybe there will be a need to move two of the three for McDavid.  

[Weave]

57 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

We had Stanley and Tuch, who's the 3rd? 

 

33 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I would guess he is thinking of Greenway, and we can throw in Dunne as well. 

I know most here did not like Greenway, but I think he brought some defensive play, some size, and some PK ability that we will need.  

 

Pimlach got it.

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Remember after the 91 point season?   The Peterka-Cozens-Quinn second line decision was a disaster, Quinn got injured and they did not replace him, and it likely broke Cozens from the weight of the expectations.   

91 point season, which was a bit of an overachievement, is a far cry from a 109 point season.  You can lose 5 games you won in regulation and still make the playoffs from 109.  You lose 5 (or more) games you won in regulation from 91 and you get your coach fired.

[GoPuckYourself]

I have been high on Noah Östlund since we drafted him, I see alot of Patrice Bergeron in his game (I know that's high praise) but the way he was taking pucks away at his young age and the feeds he was giving players was very Bergeron-esq, I felt like when he went down in the Montreal series it was very noticeable. The sky is the limit for this kid, I really like his defensive game and he can be a major puck feeder to players like Kulich, Quinn, Helenius, Norris or pretty much anyone he ends up playing with.

[thewookie1]

I’d not trade any of the 3 to be frank. Teams had their chance to make a move with us but overplayed their hands. However I’d be very tempted to send 1 or 2 of the 3 to Rochester to start the year and let them seize their NHL roles from the vets and the like holding down the positions. 
 

Östlund 68games 14g 29a 43p

Kulich 50 games 16g 14a 30p

Helenius 41 games 12g 19a 31p

 

Östlund starts in Buffalo and besides a couple short injuries plays a very solid 2/3 line role as a C or LW Good analytics and better goal metrics than reality.

Kulich starts in Rochester, called up due to an injury and plays well, gets hurt for 2/3 weeks and then finishes the year. Struggles as the season goes on due to his stamina not being quite up to snuff due to missing a full year.

Helenius shows up in late January due to Östlund’s injury and refuses to leave.  Bouncing from 2C to 3C to 4LW due to injuries around the team he carves out himself the Krebs-esc role as the utility line jumper. 

Edited July 4 by thewookie1

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, Taro T said:

91 point season, which was a bit of an overachievement, is a far cry from a 109 point season.  You can lose 5 games you won in regulation and still make the playoffs from 109.  You lose 5 (or more) games you won in regulation from 91 and you get your coach fired.

OK.   But none of this has anything to do with the conversation on making a 2nd line with all inexperienced players.  

[SwampD]

18 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

We had Stanley and Tuch, who's the 3rd? 

I thought Stanley didn’t play against Tampa, cuz he just joined the team and didn’t have his papers in order yet. No?

[JohnC]

11 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

I’d not trade any of the 3 to be frank. Teams had their chance to make a move with us but overplayed their hands. However I’d be very tempted to send 1 or 2 of the 3 to Rochester to start the year and let them seize their NHL roles from the vets and the like holding down the positions. 
 

Östlund 68games 14g 29a 43p

Kulich 50 games 16g 14a 30p

Helenius 41 games 12g 19a 31p

 

Östlund starts in Buffalo and besides a couple short injuries plays a very solid 2/3 line role as a C or LW Good analytics and better goal metrics than reality.

Kulich starts in Rochester, called up due to an injury and plays well, gets hurt for 2/3 weeks and then finishes the year. Struggles as the season goes on due to his stamina not being quite up to snuff due to missing a full year.

Helenius shows up in late January due to Östlund’s injury and refuses to leave.  Bouncing from 2C to 3C to 4LW due to injuries around the team he carves out himself the Krebs-esc role as the utility line jumper. 

I have been arguing that it would be a mistake to trade any of the young trio. As it stands, unless Jarmo makes a big move for a second line player, I see all three of these players being on the roster when the season starts. 

If I recall, although Kulich was not allowed to physically engage in practice, he did skate when cleared to do so. So, I don't see the stamina issue as a problem for him. No question that he will be out of sync but he will have pre-camp, camp and the preseason to get back into the flow.