Kevyn Adams is preparing to add to a prospect pipeline that's gained 16 draft choices and goalie Devon Levi since the Buffalo Sabres overhauled their hockey operations staff in June 2020.
The club owns 11 picks – including three in the first round – in the 2022 NHL Draft, which will be held July 7-8 in Montreal. It's likely Adams will trade one or more of those selections, but he's expected to walk to the stage when the Sabres are on the clock at Nos. 9, 16 and 28.
On May 31, Isak Rosen signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres, who selected him in the first round, 14th overall, at the draft last July.
The bolstering of the prospect pipeline – drafting was also a strength of former general manager Jason Botterill – has helped brighten the long-term outlook of a franchise that's building around its young core in Buffalo.
Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka, draft choices in 2020, could make the Sabres' roster out of training camp in the fall. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will compete for the starting job.
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Even if those three graduate to the NHL, the Rochester Americans will have promising young talent to develop under coach Seth Appert and his staff. The Sabres have notable prospects in the junior, collegiate and overseas ranks, many of whom will compete in Buffalo for the first time when the club hosts development camp July 13-17.
Here's a look at the organization's pipeline, not including Quinn, Peterka, Luukkonen and restricted free agents Brett Murray, Brandon Biro and Arttu Ruotsalainen.
Rochester
Isak Rosen, winger: Drafted 14th overall with the pick acquired in the Rasmus Ristolainen trade, Rosen had a difficult season of development. The 19-year-old winger received limited playing time with Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League, which forced him to bounce between the men’s pro team and its Under-20 club. He then suffered a season-ending hand injury during his third game with Mora IK of the Sweden’s second-tier pro league. The Sabres signed Rosen to an entry-level contract to gain control over his development. He’ll participate in NHL training camp but should be a key player for the Amerks.
Aleksandr Kisakov, winger: An undersized, ultra-skilled winger, Kisakov was chosen in the second round of the 2021 draft but didn’t receive much of an opportunity to play against men in Russia. He spent most of the season in the country’s top junior league, where he was dominant for a second consecutive year. Kisakov likely will need time to adapt to the physical demands of the American Hockey League, but he was signed now so the Sabres can ensure he gets the ice time and opportunity needed for his development.
Filip Cederqvist, winger: Cederqvist was slated to play another season in the SHL with Leksands IF, but he recently signed an entry-level contract with the Sabres that allows him to make the move to Rochester. Cederqvist needed two full seasons in the SHL to learn how to unleash his offense against older, stronger competition, but he emerged as a standout forward in the league in 2021-22. He totaled 14 goals with 32 points in 49 games to rank second on Djurgardens IF, a team that featured top 2021 draft prospect William Eklund of the San Jose Sharks.
Linus Weissbach, winger: Chosen with the 192nd pick in 2017, Weissbach played four seasons at the University of Wisconsin, capped by a career-high 41 points as a senior, before signing with the Sabres. He was a standout rookie with the Amerks this season, ranking 20th among the league’s first-year players with 16 goals. Weissbach finished with 37 points. A high hit in the Amerks’ playoff opener ended his season.Â
Lukas Rousek, winger: A breakout performer during Rochester’s playoff run, Rousek missed most of the regular season because of a torn ACL that required surgery shortly before the Sabres’ Prospects Challenge in September. The 23-year-old had six points in 10 playoff games and should slot into a top-six role for the Amerks next season.
Matej Pekar, winger: A fan favorite for his pesky play at the Prospects Challenge in 2018 and 2019, Pekar has struggled to adjust to pro hockey. He has 12 points in 72 games with the Amerks and suffered a season-ending injury in March.Â
Oskari Laaksonen, defenseman: Laaksonen, 22, was named an AHL All-Star for 2020-21 but hasn’t developed his game defensively at the rate the Sabres would like. He’s not engaged enough physically and tends to struggle with coverage in his own end, which led him to play in only two of Rochester’s 12 playoff games.
Junior hockey
Josh Bloom, winger, Saginaw (OHL): The Sabres took a risk by selecting Bloom in the third round of the 2021, when he hadn’t played a game in the Ontario Hockey League since March 2020. But the 19-year-old winger had a breakout season with Saginaw, totaling 30 goals and 61 points in 67 games. He signed his entry-level contract in April and practiced with the Amerks during their playoff run. Bloom, like others in Canadian junior hockey, isn’t eligible to play in the AHL until he’s 20.
Olivier Nadeau, winger, Shawinigan (QMJHL): A 6-foot-2 skilled power forward, Nadeau used his improved skating to make a greater offensive impact with Shawinigan. He had 35 goals and 78 points in 65 games during the regular season before totaling 16 points in 16 games to help the Cataractes win the QMJHL title, qualifying the club for the Memorial Cup. Models his game after Zach Hyman of the Edmonton Oilers and signed an entry-level contract with Buffalo in May. Nadeau is excellent with the puck around the net and an underrated playmaker.
Viljami Marjala, winger, Quebec (QMJHL): A fifth-round draft choice in 2021, Marjala will need another year in junior before he’s a candidate for an entry-level contract, but the Finnish forward showed progress in the QMJHL playoffs with eight points in 12 games. He's a lanky, skilled winger who needs to gain strength.
Tyson Kozak, center, Portland (WHL): The Sabres chose Kozak in the seventh round in the 2021 draft after he played only 18 games the previous season because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Early returns are promising, though. Kozak had a breakout year with Portland, totaling 32 goals and 69 points in 66 games before helping the Winterhawks advance to the second round of the WHL playoffs. He's a physical, two-way player who also needs to gain strength.
NCAA
Ryan Johnson, defenseman, University of Minnesota: Only 17 years old when drafted 31st overall in 2019, Johnson has gradually developed the offensive side of his game to pair with mature instincts away from the puck. He played a top-pairing role for the Golden Gophers in their run to the Frozen Four. The Sabres could offer Johnson a spot in Rochester to play big minutes, but he is expected to return to school for his senior season. The Sabres hold his NHL rights until the summer of 2023. The Sabres could trade Johnson or receive a second-round compensatory pick if he chooses to sign elsewhere.
Erik Portillo, goalie, University of Michigan: A backup goalie for the Michigan Wolverines as a freshman, Portillo performed like one of the best in the NCAA as a sophomore this season. The 21-year-old was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award and Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. He also was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Regional to lift the Wolverines into the Frozen Four. Portillo had a .926 save percentage and 2.14 goals-against average while starting all 42 games. The Sabres tried but failed to sign Portillo following his season and he, too, becomes a free agent next summer.
Devon Levi, goalie, Northeastern: Acquired from Florida in the Sam Reinhart trade, Levi had a remarkable sophomore season with the Huskies capped by winning the NCAA’s top award for a goalie. He had a .952 save percentage, 1.54 goals-against average and 10 shutouts. Levi, 20, will return to Northeastern next season, but he seems likely to sign with the Sabres next spring. He attended a Sabres morning skate in late April and sat in management’s suite at Boston’s TD Garden during the Frozen Four.Â
Aaron Huglen, center, University of Minnesota: Huglen’s remarkable comeback from major back surgery – which forced him to miss the 2019-20 campaign – continued this season with his NCAA debut at Minnesota. The 21-year-old had seven goals and 16 points in 37 games as a freshman center for the Golden Gophers. He took a significant step in his development in Minnesota’ push to the Frozen Four, totaling 12 points in 13 games to finish the season.
Matteo Costantini, center/winger, University of North Dakota: An alumnus of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres, Costantini had eight goals and 21 points in 35 games as a freshman. He’s at a great NCAA program that should aid his development. The Sabres drafted Costantini in the fifth round in 2020.
Stiven Sardarian, winger, University of New Hampshire:Â One of four Russians selected by Buffalo at the 2021 draft, Sardarian made the move to North America in 2021-22. He had eight goals and 25 points in 46 games with Youngstown of the United States Hockey League. Sardarian, 19, will play college hockey at New Hampshire beginning in the fall.
Overseas
Albert Lyckasen, defenseman: A seventh-round pick in 2020, Lyckasen flourished this season when finally given a consistent opportunity in Sweden’s second-tier league, HockeyAllsvenskan. He had nine goals and 19 points in 15 regular-season games with BIK Karlskoga before delivering five points in nine playoff games. Lyckasen, 20, is a bit undersized at 5-foot-11, but the right-shot defenseman is a strong skater and skilled.
Jakub Konecny, center: The Sabres chose Konecny with their other seventh-round pick in 2020 from the same club that developed Rousek. Konecny, 20, had seven points in 28 games with HC Sparta Praha in Czechia’s top pro league this season. He’s expected to receive more ice time and opportunity there in 2022-23.
Prokhor Poltapov, winger: A skilled, physical power forward, Poltapov split the season between pro and junior hockey. He had zero points in 17 games with CSKA Moskva of the Kontinental Hockey League and seven points in 25 games in Russia’s second-tier pro league before an exceptional run in junior hockey that was capped by his 18 points in 18 playoff games. Poltapov, 19, is under contract with CSKA Moskva for two more seasons.
Willian Von Barnekow, center: Like others on this list, Von Barnekow was exceptional against his peers but struggled to produce in pro hockey. A 2021 seventh-round draft choice, Von Barnekow is slated to play for Malmo of the SHL again next season.
Nikita Novikov, defenseman: A rugged 6-foot-4 left-shot defenseman, Novikov fell to the Sabres in the sixth round because of concerns about an NHL team’s ability to eventually bring him to North America. He has the potential to be a draft-day steal if he signs, though. Novikov appeared in 41 games with Dynamo Moskva of the KHL but averaged only 6:51 of ice time between the regular season and playoffs.
