18-year-old Finnish center was selected 14th overall at the Draft in Las Vegas last month
The Buffalo Sabres were fortunate one year ago in Nashville when winger Zach Benson fell into their lap when their pick came up at 13th overall at the 2023 NHL Draft. Benson ended up staying in the NHL all of last season and there are hopes that he will bloom into a high-scoring forward.
At the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas, the Sabres had the 11th overall pick but traded down three slots to get an extra second-round pick that they ended up dealing to help bolster their bottom-six. The deal did not hinder GM Kevyn Adams, as San Jose selected defenseman Sam Dickinson with their former pick, and at #14, Buffalo took highly coveted Finnish center Konsta Helenius.
The 18-year-old Helenius was expected to go earlier by many draft prognosticators after scoring 36 points with Jukurit in the Finnish SM-Liiga last season. He played internationally for his country at the 2024 Under-18 World Junior, Under-20 World Junior, and the World Championships, and many analysts believed his highly advanced game at both ends of the ice made him close to being pro-ready.
Helenius impressed at the club’s Development Camp earlier in the month, and Buffalo soon after signed the young center to a three-year, entry-level contract. Early indications are that the Sabres plan to bring the youngster over to North America next season to play in the American Hockey League.
The Sabres confidence in Helenius may have been a factor in the club’s willingness to deal prospect Matthew Savoie to Edmonton earlier this month. The 20-year-old, along with fellow 2022 first-rounder Noah Ostlund was expected to start the season in the AHL, but his trade may have opened up a center spot with the Amerks. Buffalo has brought players over from Europe immediately in the past.2022 first-rounder Jiri Kulich played two full years with AHL Rochester and will be in the mix for an NHL roster spot at training camp.
While each player will be evaluated on an individual basis, it is likely that Helenius will spend at least one season in Rochester before he gets a chance to crack the NHL roster.
