‘Window’s closing’ for Sabres prospect Aleksandr Kisakov in Rochester

ROCHESTER – In his third and likely final season here, Buffalo Sabres prospect Aleksandr Kisakov has become a spare part, playing just seven of the Americans’ first 45 games.

The Russian winger enjoyed semi-regular duty in his first two AHL campaigns, playing 48 and 32 games, respectively, before sitting out in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

But this year, Kisakov, 22, has often been a healthy scratch for weeks at a time, earning only occasional action.

He scored in his season debut Nov. 6, the first of four appearances that month. After playing Nov. 23, he scored in his return Jan. 4. He hasn’t played since Jan. 19, when he registered his third goal.

He has sat out seven straight games entering Friday’s contest against the Syracuse Crunch at Blue Cross Arena.

The Sabres certainly appear ready to walk away from Kisakov, a second-round pick in 2021, when his entry-level contract expires following the season.

Having been drafted 53rd overall – he was the second of six Russians the Sabres selected over a two-year stretch – a spot has been open for Kisakov in Rochester since his arrival. He just hasn’t grabbed it.

In the meantime, other prospects, veterans the Sabres signed to two-way contracts and players inked to AHL deals have solidified roles.

Kisakov possesses plenty of skill. Seth Appert, his first coach in Rochester, has called him “a little bit of a magician with the puck.” During practices, Amerks assistant Vinny Prospal said he can see the confidence and talent the youngster possesses.

“Sometimes you miss that within the regular game,” Prospal said last month. “And with the amount of the younger kids or the young draft picks that we have around, it’s tough for him right now being a third-year player to get into the lineup on a consistent basis. …

“What I would like to see is a player who’s in a third year and who’s willing to go through – how would I say it? – who’s willing to kill somebody to get into the lineup, and I don’t see it.”

Prospal sounds at his wit’s end. Has he told Kisakov to get after it, that there’s a job there for him?

“There’s only so much that you can keep saying,” he said. “I cannot put his gear on and go do it for him.”

He added: “What I want to see is a player that is a hell of a lot hungrier to go into the lineup to kind of battle for his spot on the team, to ask, ‘Why?’ I have not seen that.”

Prospal mentioned the passion Sabres forward prospects Noah Ostlund and Viktor Neuchev have displayed with the Amerks.

“Those are the players that it’s highly visible on them that they want to do something with their career,” he said. “With Kisa, I don’t see it all the time, and I’m just being honest. I don’t need to hide behind some kind of political correct (nonsense) that, yeah, he’s on the right track. No, the window’s closing.”

The Amerks want the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Kisakov to play a smarter, heavier style that fits the North American game and their system. If he can’t play on the first or second line alongside scorers, he doesn’t fit well in the bottom-six forward group.

Does Kisakov think he should alter his style?

“No, I think I’ve already adapted to this game,” he told the Times Herald. “I can play this game.”

The Amerks, of course, disagree. Naturally, Kisakov acknowledged his situation is “maybe a little frustrating.”

“But what I can do is just work and that’s it,” he said.

Coach Mike Leone said he wants his “skilled players managing the game.”

“I want guys to make plays, but there’s time where you got to get a puck in and you got to get in on the forecheck and O-zone,” he said. “… There’s a lot of times sometimes where we’re making the extra play through the box or we’re turning the puck over and it goes the other way. I think there’s certain situations like that and winning more puck battles on the wall, I think that’s the biggest thing.

“It’s something we hold (a) high standard to guys. I don’t care if you win the 50-50 (battles). You’re not going to win all of them, but you got to be engaged in those battles, and I think that’s an area of his game that’s gotten better and why (Kisakov has) played more games (in January) than the start of the season.”

While Kisakov, the first of those Russian picks to join the Amerks, hasn’t played much this season, he has enjoyed having other countrymen as teammates.

Neuchev and defenseman Nikita Novikov came to Rochester last season. Defenseman Vsevolod Komarov is a rookie this year.

“It’s a very good life with these guys,” Kisakov said. “It’s really helping me.”