The changes with the Buffalo Sabres are not limited to swapping out former head coach Don Granato for Lindy Ruff, the buyout of Jeff Skinner and a complete revamping of their third and fourth lines, the club’s AHL affiliate will likewise see some significant alterations.
Ruff’s promotion of Rochester head coach Seth Appert to his staff has former USHL bench boss Michael Leone taking his place with the Amerks, and he will have to deal with the departure of some from the organization, the addition of some new faces and reality that youngsters like Jiri Kulich may be ready to graduate to the NHL roster.
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The Sabres at the NHL level have a pretty set group of Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, Bowen Byram, Henri Jokiharju, and Connor Clifton for their top six. The club re-signed Jacob Bryson (who spent most of the first half as an extra defender in Buffalo and was sent to AHL Rochester briefly) and signed WNY native Dennis Gilbert.
Bryson and Gilbert will be on the bubble at training camp, and their spot will depend partially on whether head coach Lindy Ruff decides to keep two or three goaltenders, so either could be playing some time for the Amerks next season.
Gone from Rochester are Jeremy Davies (signed with Ottawa/Belleville), Joseph Cecconi (signed with Minnesota/Iowa), Calle Sjalin (signed with Rogle-SHL), and Riley Stillman (signed with Carolina), while the returning Kale Clague, Ethan Prow (AHL deal), Zach Metsa (AHL deal), Noah Laaouan (AHL deal) provide some continuity, along with veteran AHLers Jack Rathbone and Colton Poolman (signed as free agents).
Former first-round pick Ryan Johnson was recalled in December and played 41 games in Buffalo, but due to him being young, waiver-exempt, and left-handed, it is likely that he will start the season in the AHL and be the first call-up if there is a long-term injury.
Nikita Novikov showed some surprising offense (23 points) in his first season in North America and is an intriguing developmental project. The player to keep an eye on is another big Russian Vsevolod Komarov. The 20-year-old has nothing left to prove at the junior level after being named QMJHL Defenseman of the Year last season and winning a Memorial Cup in 2023, and his path to the NHL could be quicker than expected depending on how well he adjusts to the pro game with Rochester.
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