The changes with the Buffalo Sabers are not limited to trading former head coach Don Granato for Lindy Ruff, acquiring Jeff Skinner and a complete overhaul of their third and fourth lines, the AHL-affiliated club will also see some significant changes.
Ruff’s promotion of Rochester 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 the reality that youngsters like Jiri Kulich may be ready to join an NHL roster.
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The Sabers at the NHL level have 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. These additions will likely limit the opportunities of the young forwards who played with the Amerks unless there are a rash of injuries.
The exception to that rule might be 20-year-old Jiri Kulich, who scored 20+ goals for the second consecutive AHL season. The former first-round pick will likely compete with second-year Zach Benson for a top-six spot if the Sabers don’t make a trade before the start of training camp to replace veteran Jeff Skinner.
Leaving Rochester were 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 undrafted free agents),
Former first-round pick Isak Rosen played 7 games in Buffalo, but because he is young and exempt from waivers, it is likely that he will start the season in the AHL and be the first call-up due to injury, 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-round pick Noah Ostlund and 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius. Ostlund joined the club after playing for Sweden in the World Junior and complete his season with Vaxjo in the SHL and played three games during the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Related: Helenius’ Development Path Could Start in Rochester
Helenius signed his initial contract earlier this month after being selected 14th overall at the NHL Draft in Las Vegas and Sabers GM Kevyn Adams didn’t rule out the 18-year-old going straight to the AHL like Kulich did in 2022 rather than returning to Jukurit in the Finnish SM-Liiga.
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