The Buffalo Sabres are considered one of the best deepest prospect pools in the NHL, not only because of their selecting high in recent drafts but also due to their eye for talent and their organizational choices of either leaving players to develop in their home countries or bringing them to North America. Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club’s top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals and have played less than 40 NHL games.
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READ ABOUT OTHER SABRES PROSPECTS
40. LINUS SJODIN
39. RILEY FIDDLER-SCHULTZ
38. SEAN KEOHANE
37. Tyson Kozak – Center (Rochester – AHL)
Kozak was the Sabres last pick in the 2021 NHL Draft out of the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL and after averaging over a point-per-game in 2021-22 and making a favorable impression at the 2022 Prospects Challenge, the Manitoba native surprisingly made the jump to the AHL instead of being sent back for another year of junior.
His two-way ability made him a good fit as a bottom-six checker and penalty killer, and as a rookie, Kozak scored only 10 points in 55 regular season games, but he had five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in 14 playoff games in Rochester’s run to the Calder Cup Final. Last season, the 5’11”, 179 lb. center struggled with recurring lower-body injuries that limited him to 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in 41 games.
In spite of the injury issues, the Sabres still have hopes that the 21-year-old can resume the positive path Kozak was on as a rookie that will make him an effective AHL center and possibly in time a candidate as an NHL fourth-liner.
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