Despite the bleakness of the near future, the Buffalo Sabres have a plethora of young prospects to look forward to. The fans will just have to endure “suffering” for a few years until some of their top prospects are ready.
Though many question his ability as a general manager, Darcy Regier has made sure to infuse the prospect pool with talented players at all positions. However, there appears to be a distinct lack of talented wingers beyond Joel Armia near the very top of the list. There are a long line of young centermen that could make the adjustment to the wing as they come up through the junior and AHL ranks. Chances are that the long standing question of where they’d get true men in the middle will be answered shortly with this many center prospects in tow.
The rich crop of defensive prospects boasts multiple players (Mark Pysyk, Brayden McNabb, Chad Ruhwedel) who have experienced some time in the NHL already. This likely means the long-term defensive corps in Buffalo will take shape much quicker than the forward lines.
There will be many immediate questions Buffalo must answer that will dictate the future of many prospects on this list. Whether or not Ryan Miller remains with the team will likely decide whether Matt Hackett has a chance to make the NHL club next season. Either way, it appears that Miller’s time has reached its potential breaking point. The situation with Thomas Vanek seems similar to that of Miller, and his exit would bring an instant need for more NHL-ready scorers.
The answers to these major questions and more will likely add even more talent to this list of prospects. The future of the Sabres will ride largely on how well these young players are coached and developed.
(Prospects are considered any player that is both under the age of 24 and has played less than 50 games or remained on an NHL roster for an entire season. Some players may occasionally break these guidelines under special circumstances).
This list will be updated as players’ performances dictate their place on the list. Players will be removed from the list when they surpass the prospect definition above, and others will be added when acquired.
Sabres of Tomorrow 