Sabres Prospects Who Deserve an Extended Look in the NHL – The Hockey Writers – Sabres Prospects

With the Buffalo Sabres’ season all but lost at the halfway point, as their play continues to look steadily worse and worse as each game passes, the time eventually comes that they need to assess the talent pool that they have sitting in the minor leagues. Their Rochester Americans farm team has been doing very well this season, as they have a 24-12-3 record in the American Hockey League (AHL), which is good for fourth overall in that league, and there are a few standout talents there who deserve a look in the NHL.

Some have gotten call-ups already this season, and they have shown promise, but the issue lies in the length of their stay. The Sabres should be rewarding good play with more NHL playing time, but instead, they insist on continuing with the roster they have assembled, and not deviating from it. If general manager Kevyn Adams refuses to make roster moves outside of the organization, at the bare minimum, he should look inward to the outstanding talent he has brewing a little over an hour down the road from his home arena.

Tyson Kozak, Center

Tyson Kozak has been one of the Sabres’ best call-up choices all season long, as he has been a steady source of grit, faceoff consistency, and work ethic in their bottom six. He was never touted to be much more than a depth piece, even when he was drafted in the seventh round back in 2021, and he has learned to be the best at his role; arguably more so than even the NHL players brought in to play in that spot this season in Sam Lafferty and Nicholas Aube-Kubel. His one point in nine games played is better or on par with both of them as far as pacing goes, and he has significantly less experience than both.

Tyson Kozak Buffalo Sabres
Tyson Kozak, Buffalo Sabres (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Kozak has the speed, drive, and right skills to be a reliable bottom-six forward on any NHL team, and in his nine games so far this season, he has proven that he deserves an extended look in the NHL from the Sabres. He can kill penalties, win draws, drive the net, instigate, and ultimately be a Swiss Army knife player that head coach Lindy Ruff can rely on in tight situations defensively. He has shown he can handle the pressure in short spurts, now it is time to see what he can do with a real opportunity.

Isak Rosen, Right Wing

Isak Rosen has unfortunately never been given a real shot at the NHL level despite being a stellar AHL performer. In his rookie season with the Americans, he managed 14 goals and 37 points in 66 games, and then boosted that to 20 goals and 50 points in 67 games last season, and is now sitting at 18 goals and 34 points in 37 games this season. That would put him on a 34-goal and 64-point pace, which would be one of the best offensive showings from a forward prospect the Sabres have had in years. It is exactly why he was one of the Americans’ AHL All-Star selections. So with all of his production in the minors, why has he not been given a shot in the NHL yet?

Isak Rosen Rochester Americans
Isak Rosen, Rochester Americans (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/ Rochester Americans)

His NHL career totals are minuscule, as he has zero points in eight games between this season and last season, but at the same time, his 8:19 average ice time tells a story. A scoring forward will always struggle when they are put in a defensive role, and if he is not being given the right tools or opportunities to be the best version of himself, he will not produce. This does not mean putting him up on the top line by any means, but seeing an opportunity on the second power play unit (especially when it is so terrible this season) would not hurt him or this team, or putting him with similar offensive players would certainly benefit him more. It is high time Rosen got a real shot in Buffalo.

Nikita Novikov, Defense

A more off-the-board move as far as a defensive depth call up here, but it is more based on play style than anything else. Investing in the long-term play and future of a prospect like Nikita Novikov will only benefit the Sabres, and it will certainly help them decide on whether they keep or move the prospect in front of him, Ryan Johnson. Novikov plays a big game and has a nice balance between being a hard-nosed defender who is tough on opponents, and a smooth-handed defender who likes to move the puck. Watching what he can do with both skills is an absolute treat, but he needs to learn how to harness it at a higher level.

Giving Novikov a taste of the NHL would do wonders for him, and that is even if he fails miserably. There is no reason to put him in the top four grouping, but he could learn a lot by playing bottom pair minutes alongside any of Jacob Bryson, Connor Clifton, or Dennis Gilbert. Gilbert and Clifton would show him exactly how to be a tough NHL defender and how to use his frame to be the best version of himself, and Bryson would be able to show him exactly how to use his puck-moving skills and skating ability and match it while they played together. There would be no wrong answer for who his playing partner would be, and the time is ripe to get him learning lessons.

Young Talent Needs to Be Showcased

If Adams is going to make a move this season outside his organization, he needs to showcase the young talent he has, or if he plans on holding firm on all of his prospects, he needs to evaluate them on a pro level sooner rather than later. As the young forwards grow and develop, they will gain more confidence, but they need to understand the speed and challenges of the NHL before they can truly grasp it. The extended look has given Jiri Kulich the push and confidence that he has needed, and he is blossoming into a dynamic scoring player; especially having moved up into the Sabres top-six forward group.

Related: Sabres Showing Interest in Canucks’ Forward Elias Pettersson

Giving Rosen a similar shot, and allowing Kozak to establish himself as a staple forward will prepare both of them for the jump next season, and getting Novikov the games he needs now will allow him to bulk up and gain the speed to keep up for his role in the next couple of years. With playoffs out of the mix, prospect development is once again key for the Sabres, and it is high time Adams focused on something realistic for this team rather than kidding himself and telling them that playoffs are possible. Give the kids some ice time.

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