Sabres stock watch: Konsta Helenius and 5 others who have helped their case in camp
Two preseason wins against the Columbus Blue Jackets have given Ruff a chance to evaluate players and prospects.
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Late in the Sabres’ 2-1 preseason win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, Lindy Ruff saw a chance to learn something about 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius. Helenius had assisted on the go-ahead goal but then took a hooking penalty with less than five minutes left in the third period.
“I could have sat him or I could see what his next shift was going to be like,” Ruff said.
Sure enough, Helenius was on the ice late helping to preserve the lead with two key defensive plays.
“I liked his answer after he took the penalty,” Ruff said. “Came out, gave us a heck of a shift and had an opportunity inside the zone where they could have beat him. His stick detail and battle was good.”
That’s been the early story for Helenius this preseason. The 19-year-old is battling. He led the Sabres in hits in the first preseason game and scored a terrific goal late. On Tuesday, he got to play with veterans Jason Zucker and Ryan McLeod. He fanned on an opportunity at a goal but it ended up as an assist when Zucker finished the play. Helenius’ work on the shift helped create the scoring chance to begin with.
“Competitive nature, the hardness he’s trying to play with, getting involved physically,” Ruff said of what he’s seen from Helenius. “Even the prospect games, getting involved physically and trying to be a hard player. We know he’s got some real good skill.”
Helenius had 14 goals and 21 assists in the AHL last season as an 18-year-old. He’ll likely need more time in the minors before he’s a permanent NHLer. But this has been an encouraging week for Helenius in his second NHL camp, and he may be on the radar for a call-up this season if his growth continues on this trajectory.
Here are five other Sabres who have helped themselves the most in the first week of training camp.
Radim Mrtka
Ruff had a hard time hiding his satisfaction with how the 2025 first-rounder played in Buffalo’s first preseason game. Mrtka got a chance to play on a pair with Bowen Byram and didn’t look out of place. He was aggressive in defending the front of the net and showed off the skating ability that made him a worthy No. 9 pick in June.“He was good,” Ruff said. “I was a little worried, the first game, nerves maybe. But he played well. He moved his feet well, his puck play was good. He’s an interesting player, for a kid that’s 18.”
The Sabres don’t need to rush Mrtka. Their top six NHL defensemen are set and the organizational depth at the position is deep. Mrtka could benefit from another season of dominating the WHL. But the way he’s acclimated to the pro game has been eye-opening. The Sabres even had him working the penalty kill with Michael Kesselring during one of the practice groups this week.
Tyson Kozak
He missed a scoring chance against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, so the offensive part of Kozak’s game is still in need of fine-tuning. But there’s a lot to like about everything else. In the preseason opener on Monday, the Sabres had 85 percent of expected goals with Kozak on the ice at five-on-five. Playing on back-to-back nights, Kozak wasn’t on the ice for a single Blue Jackets shot attempt on Tuesday.When Ruff is thinking about who to call up during the season when injuries happen, he’s going to want players he can count on to make the right decisions and handle defensive responsibilities. Kozak is that guy.
Zach Benson
One of the main questions entering training camp was who would play left wing on the top line opposite Tage Thompson. From the first day of practice, it’s been Benson, the 2023 first-round pick who already has two NHL seasons under his belt. On Tuesday, he showed why he could be a perfect fit on the top line with Thompson and Josh Norris. Benson had the puck behind the goal line, made a move toward the back of the net and then slid a pinpoint backhand pass to Thompson, who buried a one-timer.“I think he’s learning that (Thompson) is always open,” Sabres forward Jason Zucker said of Benson.
Ruff said at the start of camp that Benson will need to finish his scoring chances to stick on that top line. Whether he can do that remains to be seen. But Norris and Thompson have both been prolific goal-scorers in their careers. There’s room for a player like Benson, who can win puck battles and make in-tight passing plays, to set those two up. Benson looks quicker and stronger, too, so he’s well-positioned to take advantage of this opportunity.
Defensive depth
The Sabres have plenty of defensemen developing in their system, and a few have gotten off to a strong start in camp. On Monday, Nikita Novikov and Vsevolod Komarov were a sturdy pair. The Sabres had 77 percent of the five-on-five expected goals when those two were on the ice and they combined for four blocked shots.On Tuesday, Ryan Johnson played his typical steady game. The Sabres didn’t allow a scoring chance when he was on the ice.
Zac Jones and Jacob Bryson have been the seventh and eighth defensemen on the depth chart, but it’s clear the Sabres have options for injury replacements or internal competition.
Alexandar Georgiev
Georgiev was rock-solid in his preseason debut, stopping all 16 shots he faced. But what impressed me was the way he was on the ice well ahead of the rest of his teammates for practice the very next morning. He and goalie coach Mike Bales were working on a few movement drills. Georgiev then ended up finishing practice with a series of impressive saves in a small-area compete drill.Georgiev is clearly taking this opportunity seriously. He’ll earn some starts if he keeps this up.