After going 14th overall in this summer’s draft and subsequently signing his entry-level contract, it appears Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius’ time in his native Finland is over for the foreseeable future. Liiga club Tappara, which owns his rights, said Monday that Helenius is “looking for a place to play in the Sabres organization” this season and is unlikely to return to the club (X link).
Helenius, 18, said shortly before the draft that he wanted to move to the NHL as quickly as possible. After Buffalo signed him to his ELC early last month, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported the Sabres’ preference was to have him spend 2024-25 with AHL Rochester.
There’s a clear desire from both sides to have him suit up in North America immediately, and he’s eligible for full-time AHL assignment at such a young age as a first-round pick coming out of a European league. Because he was a first-rounder, he doesn’t need to be offered back to his Liiga team first before being assigned to the minors.
Helenius is in the unique position of already having two full professional seasons under his belt on draft day. Tappara loaned Helenius out to another Liiga club, Jukurit, for most of 2022-23 and all of 2023-24. There, he had 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in 84 games, including 14 goals and 22 assists for 36 points in 51 games last season. Each year, he led Liiga under-18 players in scoring.
Even if he’s playing primarily in the AHL this season, Helenius’ entry-level contract could still slide to 2025-26 if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games. After consistently averaging top-six minutes in a top-flight European professional league last season, it’s hard to imagine him having too many adjustment pains, regardless of whether his opening night is spent in Buffalo or Rochester.
I think a stint in Rochester is a given especially to get real familiar with the system Ruff wants to play. But if he makes significant progress I can see him with the Sabres later in the year.