The Buffalo Sabres will have another prospect under contract next season, as they have signed Josh Bloom to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will start in 2022-23, and for now, Bloom will report to the Rochester Americans on an amateur tryout.
Still just 18, Bloom was the 95th overall selection in the 2021 draft and one of the younger players selected. That pick was something of a shot in the dark, given how little he had actually played at the OHL level. As a rookie in 2019-20, the Oakville native played a depth role on the Saginaw Spirit, scoring just six goals and 14 points in 54 games. The following season, 2020-21, he didn’t play anywhere because of the canceled OHL season. That means the Sabres were spending a third-round pick on a forward with just 14 points at the major junior level, though he has quickly rewarded that faith.
This season, still with Saginaw, Bloom has 30 goals and 61 points in 67 games, showing off his blazing speed on a regular basis. Given that he won’t turn 19 until June, the young forward will not be eligible to play in the AHL next season. That means this handful of games on an ATO will be his only professional experience for a while–unless he somehow makes the Sabres out of camp in 2022-23.