Each player with the Rochester Americans, no matter their status or role, has shown they are committed to playing a relentless brand of team defense.
The approach implemented by first-year coach Mike Leone helped the Buffalo Sabres’ American Hockey League affiliate finish second in the North Division and carried the Amerks to a three-game sweep of the Syracuse Crunch in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
One series win away from another trip to the Eastern Conference finals, Rochester must wait to learn whether it will face Cleveland or Laval in the next round. Sabres prospect Devon Levi has a two-start shutout streak spanning 156:31, and Rochester outscored Syracuse 11-0 to finish the series.
The Amerks won’t know their next opponent until Sunday at the earliest and, though there are a dozen prospects worth watching in Rochester, here are seven whose playoff performance matters for the Sabres’ long-term outlook:
Jiri Kulich
Kulich is an NHL player who’s getting extra postseason experience because injuries limited him to 66 games between Buffalo and Rochester in the regular season. He didn’t make enough of an impact in the playoffs last year, either, with two assists in five games.
The 21-year-old center was arguably the best player on the ice during the Amerks’ sweep of the Crunch. Kulich had one goal, a one-timer on the power play in Game 2, and three points while leading Rochester’s top line. Management wants to see how Kulich responds to the challenge of facing the other team’s top players. Opponents will game plan to try to stop him, a dynamic that’s very different than what he experienced as a rookie with the Sabres.
Konsta Helenius
Helenius is only 18 years old and less than one year removed from the Sabres selecting the center with the 14th pick in the NHL draft. He was moved to the wing for the first-round series because the Amerks’ other centers have more experience and provide consistent defense, but Helenius had one goal with three points against Syracuse. As impressive as the offense, he didn’t back down in scrums involving bigger and stronger opponents.
The Sabres aren’t going to bring Helenius to the NHL anytime soon. It was a surprise that he didn’t play another season in Finland’s top pro league, Liiga. He’s a talented prospect who has the potential to become a reliable, two-way, middle-six center. Helenius had 14 goals with 35 points in 65 regular-season games as the youngest player in the American Hockey League.
Anton Wahlberg was a second-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2023.
Anton Wahlberg
The 6-foot-3 power forward missed two playoff games because of illness, but he can be a difference-maker in the next round. Wahlberg had 11 goals with 30 points in 63 games during his first full season in Rochester. He’s a big, physical presence who has enough speed to become an NHL player. Wahlberg impressed Amerks coaches and Sabres management when he filled in at center last month. Don’t be surprised if he’s used there more next season because versatility is invaluable for any prospect trying to earn in a spot in Buffalo.
The 2023 second-round draft pick doesn’t turn 20 years old until July.
Devon Levi
Levi’s a long shot to be the Sabres No. 1 goalie in the fall, even if he leads the Amerks on a long playoff run. They can’t afford to rely on an inexperienced prospect when there’s urgency to snap a 14-year playoff drought. Levi can stake a claim to a roster spot, though, if he continues to play as well as he has this season.
Levi had a .919 save percentage, 2.20 goals-against average and seven shutouts in 42 regular-season appearances. His excellence continued in the playoffs as the 23-year-old prospect became the first Amerks goalie to record consecutive postseason shutouts since Mika Noronen in 2000. Levi’s defense corps has made the job easier by clearing lanes to allow him to see the puck. Rochester’s team defense is among the best in the NHL, but it shouldn’t overshadow Levi’s performance in goal. He’s improved his rebound control and showed poise against Syracuse.
Blues center Radek Faksa watches Sabres goaltender Devon Levi take control of the puck on Nov. 14. Levi is coming off back-to-back-shutouts in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Noah Ostlund
You probably won’t be wowed by Ostlund’s production in the playoffs. He had two shots on goal with a minus-1 rating in the North Division semifinal. His coaches will want to see him create more scoring chances and drive play, but he’s given them shutdown defense during his rookie season in Rochester.
Ostlund rarely made a mistake in the defensive zone during his eight-game audition with the Sabres. Management wants to see him do more with the puck, though, especially if he’s going to be an option for the NHL roster at some point next season. The 2022 first-round draft pick was exceptional for the Amerks after returning from injury, as he produced 19 goals with 36 points in 45 games.
Isak Rosen
The 2021 first-round draft pick did not look ready for the NHL during his eight games with the Sabres this season. His role and usage were part of the problem. Lindy Ruff stuck Rosen on the fourth line for most of those games, and the slender, 22-year-old winger needs to be next to playmakers. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if Rosen is the next prospect to be traded, even though he had 28 goals and 55 points in 61 regular-season games with the Amerks.
Rosen has a bullet for a shot and he’s an excellent skater, but he has disappeared at times and, according to an NHL scout, projects as a complementary forward like Victor Olofsson.
Tyson Kozak
The 22-year-old center is the only Sabres’ player drafted after the fifth round in 2021 to appear in an NHL game. He was in the Sabres’ lineup 21 times this season and produced three goals with five points while averaging 10:29 of ice time. A physical presence who’s relentless on the forecheck, Kozak skated on Buffalo’s fourth line and killed penalties. He can use this playoff run to show that he should be considered for a roster spot in the fall.
Kozak had two assists while centering Helenius and Riley Fiddler-Schultz against Syracuse. The Amerks’ next series will allow Kozak to show whether he can handle difficult matchups, particularly on the road, and how he can impact the penalty kill. He’ll be on the Sabres’ roster bubble next season, though he’s currently facing long odds to make a team that has strong center depth in Kulich, Josh Norris, Ryan McLeod and Peyton Krebs.
