What to Expect at Sabres Rookie Camp

Rookie camp for the Buffalo Sabres begins at 3:00 pm today, as preseason mode officially kicks off in downtown Buffalo. The list of those expected to report runs pretty deep, considering no prospects playing in the NCAA or Europe this season are included. The slew of Canadian Hockey League prospects, combined with AHL and NHL hopefuls, make up the bulk of those expected to lace up and step on the ice Wednesday.

The Sabres announced the official roster for the 2024 Prospects Challenge yesterday ahead of camp.

Forwards

It will be the first time we’ll see Buffalo’s top five forward prospects on the ice together, with Jiri Kulich, Noah Ostlund, Isak Rosen, Anton Wahlberg, and newcomer Konsta Helenius. All five are expected to compete for NHL jobs this season while likely playing most of the year in AHL Rochester. Here’s the complete list of AHL-eligible forwards on the roster:

• Ty Cheveldayoff (AHL contract)
• Riley Fiddler-Schultz (AHL contract)
• Konsta Helenius
• Aleksandr Kisakov
• Tyson Kozak
• Jiri Kulich
• Olivier Nadeau
• Viktor Neuchev
• Noah Ostlund
• Isak Rosen
• Tyler Tullio
• Anton Wahlberg

Russian prospects Kisakov and Neuchev represent the next wave of intriguing forwards. They are expected to be big contributors on the Amerks this season. Kozak and Tullio, who came over from Edmonton as part of the Ryan McLeod trade, are also AHL mainstays. Nadeau spent most of last season in the ECHL and is looking to establish a role in Rochester.

Cheveldayoff and Fiddler-Schultz are on AHL contracts, meaning they’re likely candidates to bounce between ECHL Jacksonville and the AHL. One notable omission is Graham Slaggert, who is also on an AHL deal. Slaggert is 25 years old and considered an AHL veteran at this point in his career despite no NHL experience.

There’s one forward prospect on the roster who is not AHL-eligible:

• Ethan Miedema

Miedema had 41 points in 68 games in the OHL last season and was one of the standouts at Sabres Development Camp.

Related: Biggest Stock Risers from Sabres Development Camp

Defensemen

One curious addition to the Sabres Prospects Challenge roster is defenseman Ryan Johnson. Johnson is expected to take the ice for Rookie Camp despite playing 41 games in the NHL last season and losing his official “rookie” status. Of all the defensemen on the roster, he has the best chance of making the Sabres outright by far. Here is who is eligible on the roster to end up in the AHL:

• Ryan Johnson
• Vsevolod Komarov
• Noah Laaouan (AHL contract)
• Nikita Novikov

Komarov and Novikov make up the second tier of defensemen like fellow countrymen Kisakov and Neuchev do for the forwards. Laaouan is on an AHL deal, making him an AHL-ECHL fringe player. 28-year-old Peter Tischke is also on an AHL deal but was not invited, as he already has parts of five professional seasons under his belt.

Must Read: Don’t Forget About Sabres Second Year Defenseman

Here are the non-AHL candidates on the Prospects Challenge roster:

• Simon Brunet-Pier
• Jack Bodin (non-roster invite)
• Norwin Panocha

Brunet-Pier is the only other skater from the 2024 draft in rookie camp besides top pick Helenius. The fourth-round pick will return to the QMJHL this season to develop. Panocha has come a long way from his seventh-round draft status and will look to dominate the QMJHL this season.

Bodin is the only non-roster player invited to participate in camp. The Swedish defenseman went undrafted after recording 12 points in 46 games in the Swedish juniors.

Goalies

The goaltenders in Rookie Camp are exactly as expected:

• Ryerson Leenders
• Scott Ratzlaff

Leenders, selected in the seventh round in June’s draft, is the third component of the 2024 draft class participating. He’ll play in the OHL this season, looking for more opportunity to show what he can do.

Ratzlaff is quickly evolving into Buffalo’s top goaltending prospect despite struggling for WHL Seattle last season. He’ll garner the majority of attention in net and look to build some momentum before he heads back to the WHL.

Rookie Camp

One of the key focal points of Rookie Camp will be to see how some of the Development Camp standouts fare against prime competition. Helenius, Miedema, and Neuchev displayed their offensive skills and dominated sections of the camp. If that continues against higher-quality competition, the Sabres will be pleased about their outlook.

Then there are the top prospects, who should dominate the practices and tournament. Kulich and Rosen in particular should stand out, given their point totals in the AHL over the past two seasons. Ostlund and Wahlberg have less experience on North American ice but play at a similar level.

Rookie camp is a good way for prospects to start jockeying for higher depth chart spots within the organization. If Kulich, Rosen, Ostlund, Wahlberg, or Helenius want to take a serious stab at making the NHL opening night roster, their run starts today.

More: Updated Sabres Organizational Depth Chart