The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club’s top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games.
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#5 – Isak Rosen – Right Wing (Rochester – AHL, Buffalo – NHL)
Rosen was selected 14th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft following the Sabres selection of Owen Power first overall. The speedy forward played mostly at the junior level for Leksands in his draft year. After short stints in junior and the second-level Allsvenskan, Rosen played 28 SHL games and had four goals for Sweden at the IIHF World Juniors in 2022. The Sabres then chose to bring him to North America to play with the Rochester Americans.
The 6’0”, 174 lb. winger started slowly in his first season with the Amerks but improved as the season went along, posting 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 66 games. He also made an impact in Rochester’s comeback first-round victory against Syracuse, scoring four points in two of their victories, and eight points in 14 playoff games in their run to the Calder Cup Eastern Conference Final.
The 22-year-old in his second AHL season finished with 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 67 games, and earned an NHL promotion, playing seven games with the Sabres in late November and early December. Last season, Rosen set a career-high with 28 goals in 61 games and led the Amerks with 55 points, but despite the Sabres struggling most of the season, Rosen was not given a chance at significant playing time in the NHL, playing mostly a bottom-six role in eight NHL games.
There continues to be a question of whether Rosen will ever get a legitimate chance to earn an NHL roster spot in Buffalo, or if that only happens if he is traded by the Sabres.
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