Sabres Have Most Overrated Prospect System in NHL

The Sabres have the most overrated prospect groups in the NHL.

Jul 7, 2022; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Matthew Savoie after being selected as the number nine overall pick to the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Sabres are trying to take the next organizational step. They want to compete in the powerful Atlantic Division but are still a few pieces away.

The Sabres believe they have those pieces internally. For the past few seasons, they’ve collected myriad high draft picks and prospects, and are frequently ranked among the best prospect systems in the NHL.

Looking at their current group, this has to be the most overrated one in the NHL. Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News, DobberProspects, and The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler are all high on their system. Wheeler even ranked the Sabres number one in his 2024 prospect group rankings.

There is talent in the Sabres’ pipeline, there’s no use denying that. Are they a top-5 prospect system in the league? Absolutely not. The reality is that they are barely top-10.

Going into the 2023-2024 season, the Sabres had an elite group of prospects. They just drafted the most NHL-ready rookie of the group, adding forward Zach Benson. Top prospect Jiri Kulich was set to debut in North America, goaltender Devon Levi was on the track to stardom, and Matthew Savoie was on the cusp of a roster spot.

Fast forward to 2024 and Matt Savoie is no longer in the Sabres organization. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for scrappy forward Ryan McLeod. Many feel Savoie is ready for the NHL in 2024, and the Oilers will be the ones giving him that chance.

To the Sabres’ credit, they are developing several prospects well. Kulich and Devon Levi are still top prospects in the NHL. Zach Benson graduated to the NHL as many anticipated. He’s only 19, but he should be a mainstay in Buffalo for the next few seasons, so he’s no longer deserving of the prospect moniker.

After that, the outlook is less encouraging. They have several players with NHL upside, but not with the potential of Savoie, Benson, Kulich, or Levi.

Konsta Helenius was the team’s most recent first-round pick. The Finnish center projects to make some noise once he cracks the NHL lineup and the organization is very high on his abilities.

Isak Rosen and Noah Ostlund are call-up candidates this season, but they project as bottom-six forwards at the NHL level.

Maxim Strbak is the team’s top defensive prospect. He had a terrific freshman season with Michigan State University. At the NHL level, he will most likely be a bottom-pairing defender who makes a living killing penalties and blocking shots.

The Sabres have talent in their system, but looking at who is on the way, it’s hard to determine who the difference maker will be. They have pieces to be better, sure, but not the elite talent so many believe. Benson has the potential to be elite, but can he carry the Sabres to the postseason? Can Devon Levi surpass Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as the starting netminder? Can Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Isak Rosen force their way into the top-six?

Unfortunately for the Sabres, contenders don’t have this many unanswered questions. The potential, talent, and reason for hope are endless in Buffalo, but that doesn’t change that their prospect group is the most overrated in the league.

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