The Sabres drafted Huglen in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft
The Buffalo Sabres are considered one of the best deepest prospect pools in the NHL, not only because of their selecting high in recent drafts but also due to their eye for talent and their organizational choices of either leaving players to develop in their home countries or bringing them to North America. 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.
READ ABOUT OTHER SABRES PROSPECTS
30. VASILI ZELENOV
29. Aaron Huglen – Right Wing (Minnesota - NCAA)
Huglen was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 Draft in Vancouver, where the Sabres selected Dylan Cozens with the seventh overall pick. They also chose defenseman Ryan Johnson late in the first round, who ended up being Huglen’s teammate at the University of Minnesota for two years.
The 23-year-old scored 52 points for Roseau (Minn) HS and later played 28 games for Fargo in the USHL, but prior to the draft, Huglen suffered a back injury in workouts preparing for the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, which eventually led to back surgery in May 2020. He returned to action in early 2021 and scored 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 39 games for Fargo.
After limited production in his first two seasons in Minnesota, Huglen broke through with 13 goals as a junior with the Golden Gophers last season. If his production increases as a senior, the Sabres will have to get him signed before next July or risk losing him as an unrestricted free agent next summer.
