Buffalo’s system is led by 2021 No. 1 draft pick Owen Power, who is still on the path to potential stardom. After Power, there’s a lot of skill up front and it will be interesting to see how Buffalo tries to find spots for all of its skilled, average-sized forward prospects — which likely led, in part, to their trading Matthew Savoie this summer.
Key additions: Konsta Helenius, Adam Kleber
Key graduates: Dylan Cozens, Matthew Savoie, Ryan Johnson
2023 ranking: 3
2024 NHL Draft grade: B-
Player Ranking
1. Owen Power, DNov. 22, 2002 | 6-foot-6 | 221 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 1 in 2021
Tier: Bubble NHL All-Star and top of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: High-end
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Power was a big minutes player for Buffalo last season and put up good offensive numbers despite playing on the same team as Rasmus Dahlin. Power is a super intelligent defenseman. He sees the ice and has the skills of a 5-foot-10 defenseman while being 6-6. He can hit seams at a high rate and has the hands, patience and vision to run a power play and create off the blue line. Power is quite mobile for a big man, and although he’s not that physical, he projects to shut down top forwards due to that reach and mobility. He has the potential to be a premier matchup defenseman who can provide decent offense, although he may never be an elite scorer.
2. Jack Quinn, RW
Sept. 19, 2001 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 8 in 2020
Tier: Top of the lineup player
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: High-end
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Analysis: Quinn missed most of the season due to injury, but when he returned, he looked like himself and was an important part of Buffalo’s offense. The pure skill and creativity Quinn has with the puck stand out instantly. He has the soft touch to make plays that few others have, and his small-area skills are elite. He sees the ice very well and can finish plays. Quinn has average size but works hard and plays both ways well enough. The only downside in his game is a lack of great speed, but the rest of his skill set is so good that he still projects as a legit top-line wing.
3. JJ Peterka, RW
Jan. 14, 2002 | 6 feet | 189 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 34 in 2020
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: High-end
Analysis: Peterka was one of Buffalo’s most important forwards this past season and a leading part of its offense. Peterka is full of speed and skill, and coming down the wing he can beat a lot of NHL defenders. He has high-end one-on-one ability and can make a lot of difficult plays in small areas. He can make tough passes and do so with pace. His shot is excellent, as he’s a threat to score from range constantly and often tries to score from bad angles. Peterka isn’t that big, but he competes well enough. He wins back pucks, and despite his size, he’s able to create offense at the net and is a dangerous perimeter shooter. He’s a legit top-six NHL wing.
4. Konsta Helenius, C
May 11, 2006 | 5-foot-11 | 189 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 14 in 2024
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Analysis: Helenius was very good at the Liiga level and was a top player for Finland’s U20 team. He had a strong playoffs for Jukurit, leading to an invite to Finland’s national team. He is a highly skilled playmaker who can make a lot of difficult passes consistently. He shows the vision to run a pro power play effectively. He skates well and creates a lot of offense with pace for himself and others. Helenius isn’t a big center, but he gives strong efforts off the puck, doesn’t shy from going to the net and has an edge to his game. Inside the NHL, the debate is whether he’s a good or a special 5-11 forward. I’ve seen enough flashes to think the latter, but his so-so U18 worlds and world juniors give some pause. He projects as a top-six center.
5. Zach Benson, LW
May 12, 2005 | 5-foot-10 | 170 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 13 in 2023
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Benson had a very productive 18-year-old year in the NHL after forcing his way onto the Sabres. He has a ton of positive traits in his game. He’s full of skill and offensive creativity, and makes a lot of high-end plays with the puck through defenders and to teammates. What drives his game, though, is his work ethic. He’s a tireless competitor, which has allowed him to have so much success despite average natural athleticism. Benson goes to the net to score, wins way more battles than you’d expect versus men, and projects as a two-way NHL winger. His size and lack of explosive speed are the knocks on him, which is why, despite all his talent and compete, some scouts still wonder about his long-term upside. I see a potential top-six forward but I’d stop short of calling him a future star.
Jiri Kulich played one game with Buffalo last season and recorded 45 points in 57 AHL games. (Rich Graessle / NHLI via Getty Images)
6. Jiri Kulich, C
April 14, 2004 | 6-foot-1 | 186 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 28 in 2022
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: High-end
Analysis: Kulich continued to tear up the AHL level and was a top scorer at the world juniors for Czechia. He is a strong skater with good hands and vision who can make plays in transition. He is a consistent, hardworking forward. He won’t run over guys, but he wins a lot of battles and gives a strong effort every night. Kulich’s shot is a consistent threat. He can pick corners from a long way out with his wrist shot and one-timer and scored a ton of goals this season from range. He has a well-rounded game, but outside of his shot, I don’t see a trait that stands out. He projects as a middle-six wing coaches can rely on.
7. Noah Ostlund, C
March 11, 2004 | 5-foot-11 | 163 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 16 in 2022
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Ostlund was quite good for a teenager in the SHL and was a top player at the world juniors for Sweden. He has a lot of talent. He’s got quick feet with strong edges and top speed. He makes high-skilled plays with pace. He’s an excellent passer who sees the ice at a high level. Ostlund is more of a pass-first type of center, but he has quite a good shot and can score from range, which, combined with his plus IQ, lets him run a power play very well. He’s not very big or physical, but he gives a solid effort. Ostlund is a good all-around player, but whether he’s dynamic enough at his size is a minor question in his game for the NHL level. He has the tools to be a potential third-line center or second-line wing.
8. Anton Wahlberg, C
July 4, 2005 | 6-foot-3 | 194 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 39 in 2023
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Wahlberg was decent versus men this season and was a top player for Sweden’s U20 team. He is a 6-foot-3 forward who can move very well for his size and has legit offensive skills. The way he can pull pucks by opposing defensemen while moving at a fast pace looks like that of an NHL forward. He plays a direct style, and with his frame plus speed, he can get to the net very well. I don’t think he’s overly physical, but he works hard, is good along the walls and gets to the net, and coaches tend to lean on him. Wahlberg’s biggest issue is a lack of vision and so-so decision-making with the puck. I think he has middle-six NHL potential, and I could be underrating him as his best game makes him look like a potential top-six forward.
9. Adam Kleber, D
March 24, 2006 | 6-foot-5 | 215 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 42 in 2024
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Analysis: Kleber’s game developed well as the season progressed. He is a very athletic defenseman who projects to be a strong pro defender. He’s 6-5, skates well for a big man and competes hard enough. It will be quite difficult for NHL forwards to get by him or gain footing around the net. Kleber’s offensive play is what has sold me on him. I didn’t originally think he was a true puck-mover and still don’t, but he showed enough sense with the puck this season for me to think he can have an NHL career.
10. Devon Levi, G
Dec. 27, 2001 | 6 feet | 192 pounds | Catches left
Acquired via trade
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Analysis: Levi had his ups and downs in his rookie pro season. He struggled in the NHL to start the year, as one would expect from a rookie, and then was very good in the AHL in the second half of the season. Levi is a super smart goalie who moves well and can make a lot of difficult stops. He has the high-end IQ to anticipate a lot of plays and squares up pucks despite his frame. He competes well and shows a good second effort. The knock on Levi is his pure athleticism. He moves well, but he’s not very big by NHL goalie standards and doesn’t have truly elite small-guy quickness. He projects as a backup goaltender.
11. Maxim Strbak, D
April 13, 2005 | 6-foot-2 | 205 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 45 in 2023
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Analysis: Strbak was a solid freshman at Michigan State and yet again stood out for Slovakia in international play at the U20 level. He is a good skater with size and a tremendous competitor. He is very physical and gives his all every game to help his team win. He has some talent as a puck-mover and has shown it more with Slovakia than his club teams, but he’s not a natural offensive player by any means. He should make a lot of stops as a pro and make a good enough outlet pass to be a third-pair defenseman.
12. Vsevolod Komarov, D
Jan. 11, 2004 | 6-foot-2 | 182 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 134 in 2022
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: High-end
Analysis: Komarov had a huge year in the QMJHL, especially after being traded to Drummondville, and was the best defenseman in the league. He’s not a flashy player by any means. His skating is just OK and his playmaking is average. He can make a good first pass, though, and he makes a lot of stops. Komarov is big, competitive and reliable in his own end. Offensively, he has a big shot from the point. He projects as a third-pair defenseman.
Has a chance to play*
Isak Rosen is a tough evaluation. He can rip a puck, is a good skater and is quite skilled. He’s a smaller winger, though, whose compete level is probably average at best, and I don’t see what role he fills in an NHL lineup. Prokhor Poltapov, on the other end, plays hard and skates well. He does have some puck play and scoring touch, but it’s not high end. Buffalo has a few Russians of intrigue in Rochester. Viktor Neuchev isn’t a great skater or very physical, but he’s super skilled. Nikita Novikov is a big defenseman who also is just an OK skater, but he could have two-way value as a pro.Topias Leinonen, G
Jan. 25, 2004 | 6-foot-4 | 214 pounds | Catches left | Drafted: No. 41 in 2022
Gavin McCarthy, D
June 2, 2005 | 6-foot-2 | 185 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 86 in 2023
Viktor Neuchev, LW
Oct. 25, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 165 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 74 in 2022
Nikita Novikov, D
July 25, 2003 | 6-foot-3 | 196 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 188 in 2021
Prokhor Poltapov, LW
Feb. 1, 2003 | 6-feet | 176 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 33 in 2021
Scott Ratzlaff, G
March 9, 2005 | 6-foot-1 | 175 pounds | Catches left | Drafted: No. 141 in 2023
Isak Rosen, RW
March 15, 2003 | 6-feet | 173 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 14 in 2021
Brodie Ziemer, C
Feb. 22, 2006 | 5-foot-11 | 196 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 71 in 2024
* Listed in alphabetical order
Player eligibility: All skaters who are 22 years old or younger as of Sept. 15, 2024, regardless of how many NHL games they’ve played, are eligible. Player heights and weights are taken from the NHL.
Tool grades: Tool grades are based on a scale with six separate levels, with an eye toward how this attribute would grade in the NHL (poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end and elite). “Average” on this scale means the tool projects as NHL average, which is meant as a positive, not a criticism. Skating, puck skills, hockey sense and compete for every projected NHL player are graded. Shot grades are only included if a shot is notably good or poor.
Tier definitions: Tiers are meant to show roughly where in an average NHL lineup a player projects to slot in.
