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Buffalo Sabres Top Prospects – #32: William Von Barnekow

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The Buffalo Sabres have drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL (Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Dylan Cozens), and the club under former GM Jason Botterill and current GM Kevyn Adams have been able to replenish the organization with young prospects. Throughout the month of August and leading into training camp next month, we will rank the club’s top prospects over the upcoming weeks based on their progress in either the NCAA, CHL, Europe, ECHL, or AHL and their potential to make the Sabres roster and make a contribution in the future. Players are eligible for the list if they have not played more than 40 NHL games and are 25 years old or younger:



#32 William Von Barnekow

The Sabres must have a great deal of confidence in their scouting in Sweden, which is reflected not only at the top end of the draft (Anton Wahlberg, Noah Ostlund, Isak Rosen), but also with picks in later rounds (Gustav Karlsson, Joel Ratkovic-Berndtsson, Linus Sjodin). With the first pick in the sixth round of the 2021 Draft, Buffalo selected center William Von Barnekow out of the Malmo Redhawks junior system. Von Barnekow is a lanky forward (6’3″, 159 lb.) who averaged over a point per game in his draft year and the following year at the junior level, but since has struggled to generate any offense as a professional, due in part to limited ice time.

“He plays center and that’s certainly appealing, a guy with a big body that has a good skill set and can play up the middle,” Sabres Director of Player Development Adam Mair said in 2022. “We’re hopeful that he’s able to play at the SHL level full-time next year. But overall, (he had) a real productive season at the junior level, and also he was able to get his feet wet at the SHL level.”

In 66 SHL games with Malmo over three seasons, he has just six points (4 goals, 2 assists).