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Sabres Development Camp Takeaways: Thoughts on Konsta Helenius, Brodie Ziemer and More

Theo

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres’ annual development camp hasn’t had the same buzz as in years past. The focus in Buffalo this summer has been on the NHL roster. General manager Kevyn Adams said the team is in a “win now” period, so fans are more focused on the free-agent and trade market than the draft and prospects. That was evident at the end of the three-on-three tournament Thursday, as Adams addressed about 1,200 fans at Harborcenter. One fan yelled, “Trade, Kevyn!”

That sums up the state of the fan base after a 13-year playoff drought. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some notable nuggets during the few days of development camp. Here’s what we learned about some of Buffalo’s prospects this week.

Why weren’t the best players there?: The most notable thing about the Sabres’ development camp this summer was the absence of the organization’s top prospects. Matt Savoie, Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen, Anton Wahlberg, Noah Ostlund, Vsevolod Komarov, Aleksandr Kisakov, Viljami Marjala and Sean Keohane were not at development camp. Keohane is dealing with an injury. As for the rest of the players, Adams said the Sabres decided it would be best not to interrupt their summer training. Savoie and Komarov both played in the Memorial Cup, so they’re coming off a long season. Savoie has traveled all over North America playing in three different leagues, so he deserves a little break. Kulich, Rosen and Kisakov played in Rochester, but the Amerks were eliminated early in the playoffs. Wahlberg and Ostlund ended up coming to Rochester at the end of the AHL season after spending the season in Sweden.

It makes sense to not include players like Zach Benson and Devon Levi, who will factor into NHL roster plans next season. But it seems like a missed opportunity to not spend a week in person with some of the top prospects in your system. It’s a chance to check out their summer workouts and watch them lead the other prospects in drills and elevate their play on the ice. Matt Poitras, who played extensive NHL time with the Bruins last season, is at the Bruins’ development camp. Two years ago, Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka, Mattias Samuelsson and Owen Power were all at development camp before their rookie NHL seasons. I’m not sure why the approach changed, especially when prospects and their development are such a key part of Buffalo’s roster-building strategy under Adams. The hope is that these players will show up healthy and refreshed to training camp in the fall.

Konsta Helenius looks the part: The lack of top prospects at camp has allowed Konsta Helenius to shine even more. The 14th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft has shown a mature game and notable strength relative to other players on the ice. His team won the three-on-three tournament in part because of his ability to fill the net. If the Sabres invite him to training camp, it will give us a better idea of ​​how close he is to the NHL. But it’s clear his game is more pro-ready than many prospects because of his hockey sense and competitiveness. He wins puck battles and causes turnovers all over the ice. Everyone who’s talked about him in the organization calls him a “natural center,” and it’s easy to see why when you watch him play.

Stiven Sardarian shows his potential: Helenius and 2021 third-round pick Stiven Sardarian have had notable chemistry on the ice. Sardarian scored two goals in the tournament championship game. He has grown noticeably over the past two seasons. He is currently looking for a new school to play at next season in what will be a critical year as the Sabres determine if he fits into their organizational plans.

Brodie Ziemer gets off to a good start: When the Sabres drafted Brodie Ziemer, the first thing that stood out was that he was the captain of Team USA at the U18 tournament. His leadership and hard-nosed, direct play give him good potential as a prospect. But he also has offensive ability. Throughout the week, Ziemer’s shot was one of the best on the ice. That translated into goals during the three-on-three tournament. Beyond the power of his shot, Ziemer showed a quick release to get quality looks from different angles and body positions. He’ll be one to watch as he heads to the University of Minnesota this season.

“What a competitive player and what a shot,” Sabres development coach Adam Mair said. “The detail in his game, he’s fast, just really likeable from my first impression.”

Jake Richard continues to intrigue: For the third straight summer, Jake Richard caught my eye at development camp. His shot has always been his best asset and that continues to be the case. But the way he’s added size and progressed as a skater has made him a more complete player. He’s confident with the puck on his stick and as willing to set up a teammate as he is to use his excellent shot. He scored 18 points as a freshman at UConn last year and has done a lot of good work around the net.

“His skating has improved as well,” Amerks coach Michael Leone said. “You see his puck skills and his ability to deceive. He’s really good around the net. I think he’s taken a big step forward.”

Viktor Neuchev’s Improved Work Ethic: Considering how many top prospects weren’t in attendance at this camp, Viktor Neuchev’s presence was notable. The Russian spent the season in Rochester like some of the other top prospects who were absent, so it was a good sign to see him there. Clearly, his work ethic and competitiveness are two things the organization has emphasized with him and they liked how he responded.

“He’s evolved dramatically from a spoiled little brat who didn’t want to work to a guy who was working hard in practice and off the ice, in the gym, in the crease,” Amerks assistant Vinny Prospal said. “He’s made huge strides throughout the season and it’s shown in his play and his ice time. He looks great on the ice. You can definitely see he’s a cut above some of the guys on the ice right now and I expect him to play a bigger role with us in his sophomore season.”

Neuchev had 11 goals and 17 assists as a 20-year-old AHL rookie this season. It’s an encouraging start for the 2023 second-round pick. And if those work habits continue next season, he could take another leap forward.

System Defenders Updates: Defensemen aren’t the easiest to evaluate at development camp because there aren’t many hits and the tournament is played three-on-three. Rookie camp will be a better gauge. But recent second-round picks Adam Kleber (Minnesota Duluth) and Maxim Strbak (Michigan State), both of whom will play in college this season, certainly look like they’re up to par in terms of skating ability. That playmaking ability can shine in a three-on-three setting. Kleber is the taller of the two at 6-foot-6 and over 200 pounds, and that should help him adjust quickly to college hockey this season. Having two right-shot defensemen like that in the pipeline is a good bet.

Novikov and Komarov were among the players who didn’t attend, but Amerks assistant coach Nathan Paetsch was thrilled with both. Paetsch worked with Komarov when he was on the player development staff and raved about his character, how he absorbs coaching and how he’s adjusted to North America. He’s excited to have him in Rochester, where the Amerks already have another Russian in Novikov, who is coming off a solid freshman season. Paetsch’s favorite trait about Novikov is his competitive spirit. He’s also growing.

“He has this confidence that when he’s on the ice, things get done, and he wants to win,” Paetsch said.

Will Kulich have a chance to make the team? One of the biggest organizational winners in free agency was Jiri Kulich, as the Sabres didn’t add much competition at center. Management is bullish on Peyton Krebs, but Kulich has a chance to steal a roster spot if he has a strong summer. Prospal doesn’t think spending more time in the AHL would hurt Kulich, but he also seemed eager to see how the 2022 first-round pick performs in camp.

“He’s got to learn to be more consistent,” Prospal said. “He’s a good player and a great player at this level. But he’s got to stay consistent. He’s got to do a little bit better than the league and show that he’s an NHL hockey player. He’s got great skating ability. He’s got a great shot. There can’t be any dips in his game. Kulich has made huge strides in his two-way game. When he wasn’t scoring, he was doing everything he could on the defensive end. That’s a credit to him. He can also improve his faceoffs and maybe become a more versatile player and become a more effective player. He’s definitely on the right track. Is he an NHL player right now? I don’t know. Maybe he’ll come in here and wreak havoc and earn a spot. I don’t know.”

(Photo by Konsta Helenius: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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