EP Rinkside 2024 NHL Prospect Pool Rankings: No. 16-ranked Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres prospect pool may have fallen from eighth in last year's ranking to 16th ahead of this season, but that's a good thing. You can attribute it mostly to the fact that they've already graduated Devon Levi and Zach Benson, and prospects of that quality aren't easy to replace.

Keeping Matthew Savoie would have pushed the team up a spot or two, but looking at the composition of the prospect pool, trading him may have been a smart move. We analyzed the forward’s development and his trade in this article a few weeks ago. 

The Buffalo Sabres have one of the most homogeneous prospect pools in the NHL, especially at the forward position. Konsta Helenius and Noah Östlund have a similar value and set of strengths. Jiří Kulich plays more of a straight-line, shooting game, but just like Helenius and Savoie, he also projects to a middle-of-the-lineup role. Some elements of his skill-set overlapped with Savoie. 

The team’s defensive prospect pool is shaping up differently. It contains many different, exciting B-level talents. We expect that at least one of them will rise up next season and establish himself as a potential top-four piece.