The Athletic NHL Prospect Pool Ratings - #1 Buffalo Sabres

[Dingo44]

2024 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 1 Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres have a new wave of prospects coming and their top six or seven are as strong as any group in the league.

theathletic.com

Even with a young NHL core already made up of Owen Power, Dylan Cozens, JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn, Mattias Samuelsson and Peyton Krebs, a group that made them the No. 1-ranked pool in this countdown just two years ago, the Buffalo Sabres have another wave coming, this one led by Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, Matt Savoie, Devon Levi, Noah Östlund and Isak Rosen. This version of the pool wasn’t the clearcut choice for No. 1 in the countdown, but its top six or seven prospects are as strong as any group in the league and they’ve got B and B-plus prospects behind them well into the double digits on their list.

1. Zach Benson
2. Matt Savoie
3. Juri Kulich
4. Devon Levi
5. Noah Östlund
6. Isak Rosén
7. Nikita Novikov
8. Ryan Johnson
9. Anton Wahlberg
10. Maxim Strbak
11. Viktor Neuchev
12. Scott Ratzlaff
13. Vsevolod Komarov
14. Alexandr Kisakov
15. Gavin McCarthy

Click to read more...

 

[Chainshot]

Fascinating to see Novikov rocketing up the list.

 

[MOGlLNY]

 

[TageGod]

Looks good. His tier with Benson alone at the top is a bit odd. He won't even make it in this league will have to retire early Kaleta style due to the refs not letting him play hockey.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Looking forward to the days where we don’t win this award.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Looking forward to the days where we don’t win this award.

I would love to win it every year. As long as we are in the playoffs competing while we do it (somehow)

 

[Dingo44]

I just updated all the individual prospect threads with their write-ups.

Wheeler added at the end of the article:

Also considered were massive finish goalie Topias Leinonen, Red Deer D Mats Lindgren (who I’ve always enjoyed watching even if his game/play style may not practically work like it’s designed to), Kingston forward Ethan Miedema, signed forward Olivier Nadeau, productive Liiga forward Viljami Marjala (who I also enjoy watching but whose game, like Lindgren’s, might not work the same against AHL/NHL competition), 2021 second-rounder Prokhor Poltapov, Western Michigan transfer Matteo Costantini and UConn freshman Jake Richard.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

We are so numb to this "honor" lol

 

[enthusiast]

 

[HaNotsri]

I don't follow the other prospects close enough but I'd have Wahlberg at the same level as Rosén.
Really good passer with size.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

 

[Zman5778]

And the crowds rejoiced.

yay

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Some of you would be mad if they didn't sweep the finals.

 

[brian_griffin]

Some of you would be mad if they didn't sweep the finals.

I have a photo in my work cubicle of me ca. 2013 at the HHOF next to the Stanley Cup.
My elbow is leaning on the stand / podium at the Cup's base.
It's a great photo. I look 20 years younger, fitter, trimmer than I am now.

Next time I go, I'll have to get one of me next to the Best Prospect Pool trophy* and a blow-up photo of the engraving panel with the 2022 and 2024 Buffalo Sabres listed.

*I hear it's a silver-plated one of these:

 

[old kummelweck]

Can't wait to see them succeed with other organizations.

 

[HOOats]

Lol I'm old enough to remember when this site was called Hockey's Future Those were the days.

 

[Chainshot]

Lol I'm old enough to remember when this site was called Hockey's Future Those were the days.

I remember the scrolling forum where it was 200 posts max and things fell off as new messages went up. Ah, the ‘90’s… :

 

[Ace]

Some of you would be mad if they didn't sweep the finals.

Some people would hand waive missing the playoffs for 13 straight years.

Of course the difference is…I can prove mine

 

[sabremike]

Some of you would be mad if they didn't sweep the finals.

We were essentially eliminated from the playoffs by New Year's Day for the thirteenth consecutive season. People are tired of the talk of our alleged "bright future" that never comes and how we just need to wait another half decade and THIS time it will be different.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

We were essentially eliminated from the playoffs by New Year's Day for the thirteenth consecutive season. People are tired of the talk of our alleged "bright future" that never comes and how we just need to wait another half decade and THIS time it will be different.

I get the frustration, but its ok to hold multiple thoughts at once:

1. Missing Playoffs = bad
2. Good prospect pool = good

Certainly missing the playoffs has increased the value of their pool, but it's also possible to miss the playoffs and have a bad pool. A team can also make the playoffs and have a good pool.

It would be substantially worse to have a terrible pool and continually miss the playoffs

 

[Duddy]

Having a good prospects pool and not turning that into a winner is also quite bad. Being ranked at having the best kids around isn't helping the team, considering a lot of those kids have question marks and still can bust

 

[TageGod]

Youngest team in the league. Best prospect pool. How often have these two things been stated on a team that makes the playoffs?

 

[Tatanka]

I get the frustration, but its ok to hold multiple thoughts at once:

1. Missing Playoffs = bad
2. Good prospect pool = good

Certainly missing the playoffs has increased the value of their pool, but it's also possible to miss the playoffs and have a bad pool. A team can also make the playoffs and have a good pool.

It would be substantially worse to have a terrible pool and continually miss the playoffs

Having a good prospect pool is a direct result of missing the playoffs and being bad. That they cannot turn those assets, or worse, won’t, into a winning team in 13 years is extremely bad.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Having a good prospect pool is a direct result of missing the playoffs and being bad. That they cannot turn those assets, or worse, won’t, into a winning team in 13 years is extremely bad.

It's correlated, but right now the biggest reason their pool is ranked so highly is a result of trading Eichel, Reinhart, and Ristolinen. Take away those extra assets and they're middle of the pack.

Still, it's ok on Hockey's Future to be glad they have a good prospect pool, while disappointed they're missing the playoffs again.

 

[Tatanka]

It's correlated, but right now the biggest reason their pool is ranked so highly is a result of trading Eichel, Reinhart, and Ristolinen. Take away those extra assets and they're middle of the pack.

Still, it's ok on Hockey's Future to be glad they have a good prospect pool, while disappointed they're missing the playoffs again.

Sure. It is ok to be glad they have snazzy gear in the gift shop too.