Buffalo Sabres
What Sabres Should Do With Jiri Kulich

When Nicolas Aube-Kubel returned to the lineup on Monday for the Buffalo Sabres, 20-year-old rookie Jiri Kulich was the healthy scratch. Balancing the right lineup decisions for winning now and developing players properly can be tough, and this is the latest example. What the near future holds for Kulich creates a difficult conversation for Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff.
Kulich has shown flashes of brilliance and being NHL-ready, while at other times he has disappeared. The default answer for anyone that young is that he needs to play games. Whether that’s in the NHL or in the AHL, the consensus is that game action would help his development much more than being a healthy scratch.
The solution isn’t always simple, as there are a few variables that go into making a decision on what to do with Kulich. His contract status, the health of the roster, and Kulich’s ability to succeed in the NHL now all weigh into the decision.
Kulich’s Performance
Jiri Kulich was widely regarded as the top Sabres prospect heading into the season. He was completely dominant in the Prospects Challenge, earning rave reviews for his performance against his peers. This gave him an edge heading into training camp, as Kulich began camp practicing with the NHL group.
The initial plan, as it seemed, was for Kulich to join the Sabres in Europe on the extended roster before heading to the AHL. The Sabres, when healthy, carry 13 forwards and eight defensemen. This makes Kulich, still on his entry-level deal, the likely Sabres player able to head to Rochester without any risk of a waiver claim.
Various injuries to JJ Peterka, Zach Benson, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel have forced Kulich into the lineup, and it’s been a roller-coaster experience.
Kulich Sabres Game Grades
Referencing the Sabres Grades, our individual game grades for each player, here’s how he graded out so far:
- 10/5/24 – F
- 10/10/24 – C-
- 10/12/24 – B
- 10/17/24 – B
- 10/19/24 – C-
- 10/22/24 – D-
- 10/26/24 – C-
There were two games, against the Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets, where he was one of Buffalo’s best players. He has faded in his three games since, which led to the decision to healthy scratch him last game.
Kulich possesses the offensive tools of a top-six forward, which the Sabres desperately need. His primary linemates, Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, have yet to produce at the rate they’re expected to. Kulich is part of that production lapse, with his one goal as his only point in seven games. So far, the tools haven’t led to nearly enough goals.
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Kulich WAR
To further evaluate the offense, let’s turn to the PuckLuck WAR model. If you’re unfamiliar, WAR stands for “wins above replacement” and is a way to isolate a player’s impact. In terms of even-strength offense, Kulich ranks in the 26th percentile of all players this season.
His powerplay impact measures much better, ranking in the 66th percentile. The Sabres like Kulich’s shot from the right flank on the powerplay, and he has top powerplay upside thanks to his historical efficiency.
Another strong point of Kulich’s game so far is his defensive impact. Where common linemates Cozens and Quinn rank in the 13th and 31st percentile, respectively, the Czech rookie grades out in the 69th percentile for defensive WAR.
The isolated impacts overall put Kulich ahead of not only Cozens and Quinn, but Sam Lafferty and Ryan McLeod in overall impact as well. That said, he ranks in the 42nd percentile for overall wins added, which is not a desired number from a top-six regular.
Roster Jam
As previously mentioned, the Sabres have a full roster when healthy, likely pushing Kulich down to AHL Rochester. Buffalo remade their bottom-six and like their line combinations. McLeod, Jason Zucker, and Jordan Greenway have formed a formidable shutdown line and is currently the team’s source of secondary scoring. Lafferty, Aube-Kubel, and Beck Malenstyn are a fast, hard-hitting trio that the Sabres loved together heading into the season.
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This makes Kulich’s competition Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn, and Zach Benson. Kulich has outplayed Quinn, but Quinn has 113 games of NHL experience under his belt. He’s shown he can produce in the NHL, scoring at nearly a 58-point pace last season.
Benson is battling a lower-body injury, but is regarded as a lineup mainstay when healthy. Ruff raved about Benson in the preseason, quipping that he really hasn’t had to coach him because he does everything right.
Krebs fell out of favor early, slotting in as the Sabres’ extra forward. Since then, he has competed his way into the lineup and is one of Buffalo’s best faceoff and shutdown forwards.
To unseat one of these players for a full-time NHL job, Kulich has to string together some high-end offensive performances if he gets back into the lineup. Benson is still on injured reserve, which gives Kulich a short window of time to take another step.
Kulich Contract
Krebs is on a one-way NHL deal and would require waivers if ever sent down. Quinn is still on his entry-level contract, but would also require waivers to be sent to Rochester thanks to the amount of games played. Both players would surely be claimed by another team, so they’re Sabres roster locks all season.
Benson and Kulich are on similar entry-level deals with waiver-exemption, making both susceptible to a move to the AHL. Benson’s performance and rave reviews from Ruff makes it highly unlikely that his name would ever come up in consideration for this, unless it’s on a conditioning stint.
That leaves Kulich as the lone forward option to be moved off of the Sabres roster. Buffalo could waive one of their extra defensemen, Dennis Gilbert and Jacob Bryson, to keep Kulich, but the rookie would have to demand it with his play.
Carrying two extra forwards would likely mean even more healthy scratches for Kulich, which is not ideal for his development. To reach his potential, he’s going to have to fight through the ebbs and flows of the season. The brief NHL experience has shown Kulich what he needs to work on to become a Sabres regular.
The writing is on the wall that Kulich will eventually be sent down to the Amerks. The sooner Benson is ready, the less time Kulich will have to alter anyone’s mind. Even if another injury occurs, there’s an argument to be made that the older Lukas Rousek or Josh Dunne would better serve as Buffalo’s extra forward while Kulich plays AHL games.
The flash plays show that Kulich has the talent to perform in the NHL. It may not be time yet, but his time is near.