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 revamped their bottom-six forwards with the signings of Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Jason Zucker, and Sam Lafferty, as well as trades to acquire Beck Malenstyn and Ryan McLeod. Those additions will likely limit the opportunity of young forwards who played with the Amerks unless there are a slew of injuries.
The exception to that rule may be 20-year-old Jiri Kulich, who scored over 20 goals for the second-straight AHL season. The former first-round pick will likely be in competition with sophomore Zach Benson for a top-six position if the Sabres do not make a trade before the start of training camp to replace veteran Jeff Skinner.
Gone from Rochester are Brandon Biro (signed with Seattle/Coachella Valley), Linus Weissbach (signed with Frolunda – SHL), and Tyson Jost (Carolina), with possibly veterans Michael Mersch and Justin Richards (who are unsigned free agents),
Former first-round pick Isak Rosen played 7 games in Buffalo, but due to him being young and waiver-exempt, it is likely that he will start the season in the AHL and be the first callup In an injury situation, rather than being an extra forward with the Sabres.
Veteran center Joshua Dunne was added to provide some size, but the most impactful additions in Rochester could be 2022 first-rounder Noah Ostlund and 2024 first-rounder Konsta Helenius. Ostlund joined the club after playing for Sweden in the World Junior and completing his season with Vaxjo in the SHL and played in three games during the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Related: Helenius’ Development Path Could Begin In Rochester
Helenius signed his entry-level deal earlier this month after being selected 14th overall at the NHL Draft in Las Vegas and Sabres GM Kevyn Adams did not rule out the 18-year-old heading right to the AHL as Kulich did in 2022 rather than heading back to Jukurit in the Finnish SM-Liiga.
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