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
10. SCOTT RATZLAFF
9. BRODIE ZIEMER
8. ANTON WAHLBERG
7. VSEVOLOD KOMAROV
6. MAXIM STRBAK
5. ISAK ROSEN – RW (ROCHESTER – AHL / BUFFALO – NHL)
Rosen was selected 14th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft following the Sabres selection of Owen Power first overall. The speedy forward played mostly at the junior level for Leksands in his draft year. After short stints in junior and the second-level Allsvenskan, Rosen played 28 SHL games and had four goals for Sweden at the IIHF World Juniors in 2022, the Sabres chose to bring him to North America to play with the Rochester Americans.
The 6’0”, 174 lb. forward started slowly in his first season with the Amerks but improved as the season went along, posting 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 66 games. He also made an impact in Rochester’s comeback first-round victory against Syracuse, scoring four points in two of their victories, and eight points in 14 playoff games in their run to the Calder Cup Eastern Conference Final.
The 21-year-old in his second AHL season finished with 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 67 games, and earned an NHL promotion and seven games with the Sabres in late November and early December. At the club’s 2024 Prospects Challenge, Rosen registered five assists in three games, partnering mostly with Amerks linemate Jiri Kulich.
Hockey Prospect’s Black Book says that Rosen “is a prospect who merges proper fundamental skating mechanics with a fantastic sense of how to deceive opponents with subtle skating, head and stick fakes. Rosen isn’t a big winger. He’s slight. When he had to play in the SHL, he relied on his deceptive speed switches. He combined it with his edgework to manipulate defensemen into giving him the necessary space required. He did this when attempting to generate zone entries or when attempting to maintain possession off of the cycle, deep in the offensive zone.”
With the addition of a number of veteran forwards via free agency and trade this summer, it appears unlikely that Rosen will crack the Sabres roster out of training camp, but another solid AHL season could make GM Kevyn Adams take note if Buffalo has any injury issues during the campaign.
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