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Jiri Kulich

Atlantic Notes: Kulich, Peterka, Norris, Jokiharju

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Sabres forward Jiri Kulich has been placed in concussion protocol, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters today (video link).  He left yesterday’s game against Vegas early after taking a hit.  However, there’s some hope that it won’t be a long-term injury for the 20-year-old as Ruff wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Kulich could join the team at some point on their upcoming road trip.  Kulich has done pretty well in his rookie NHL season, tallying 12 goals and seven assists through 49 games while logging a respectable 14:23 per night of ice time.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Ruff’s presser also provided updates on two other injured Sabres. JJ Peterka skated before practice today and accompanied the team on the trip; Ruff wouldn’t rule out the winger returning to the lineup on Monday.  Peterka has missed the last two games due to a nagging injury, resulting in him slipping to third on the team in scoring with 51 points in 61 games.  Meanwhile, recently acquired center Josh Norris had treatment today on his undisclosed injury and was expected to accompany the team on their road trip but he’s not believed to be as close to returning as Peterka.  Norris has a goal and an assist in his first three outings in a Buffalo uniform.
  • Things have gone relatively well for new Bruins defenseman Henri Jokiharju. After playing time was quite hard to come by in Buffalo, the 25-year-old is logging over 20 minutes a night through his first four outings with Boston.  Accordingly, he told reporters including Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that he’s open to starting discussions on a contract extension already.  Jokiharju has a $3.1MM cap charge this season and will be slated to reach unrestricted free agency for the first time in July.  But with just seven points in 46 games this season and his limited role before the trade, it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to command a similar price tag this summer.

Snapshots: Peterka, Kulich, Hintz, Werenski

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The Buffalo Sabres will exchange young forwards in Wednesday night’s lineup. Centerman Jiri Kulich is expected to return to the ice after missing Buffalo’s last game with an illness, while top-line winger JJ Peterka is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.

Adding Kulich back to the fold is a positive step for the Sabres. The 20-year-old centerman has recorded two points and eight shots on net in his last four games, bringing his year-long totals up to 12 goals and 19 points in 48 games. Kulich has taken on more-and-more role in the second half of the season, and appeared in a season-high 19 minutes of ice time in his most recent appearance. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff made no indication of what line Kulich would play on in his return, but he could be set to head back to the top-six with Buffalo down one of their top players.

To that end, losing Peterka for even a short time is a hard blow for the Sabres. He’s confidently led the team over their latest stretch, with 10 points in nine games since returning from the 4-Nations Face-Off break. Peterka is quickly evolving into a star – with 19 goals and 51 points in 61 games this season putting him on a year-long pace of 26 goals and 69 points in 82 games. He’s already lapped his career-high of 50 points scored last season, with no signs of slowing down. Peterka’s absence should lead to increased minutes for wingers like Jason Zucker and Zach Benson – though Buffalo could also opt to move Ryan McLeod or Peyton Krebs to the wing with Kulich back in the fold.

Other quick notes from around the league:

  • Top Dallas Stars centerman Roope Hintz is progressing well after taking an Adam Henrique shot to the face on Saturday. Hintz sat out of Dallas’ Sunday win over the Vancouver Canucks and is set to miss Friday’s game against Winnipeg – but head coach Pete DeBoer shared that Hintz could return as soon as Sunday, per NHL.com’s Mike Heika. Hintz has been red-hot since the end of the 4-Nations break, with 16 points in his last eight games. That includes back-to-back four-point games on February 28th and March 2nd. Dallas managed a confident win over Vancouver in his absence, but will undoubtedly be eager to bring their second-line centerman back before his scoring touch cools off. With Hintz out, Dallas has awarded more minutes to Jamie Benn, Wyatt Johnston, and Matt Duchene.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has become the Norris Trophy favorite in NHL.com’s recent poll of their staff writers. Werenski has been lights out this season after being held to just 83 games combined over the last two years. Now back to full health, he has a team-leading 69 points in 63 games on the year. That includes 20 goals, making Werenski the first 20-goal-scoring defenseman in Blue Jackets history. His 2024-25 campaign marked the most goals from a Blue Jackets defenseman in February, when he passed Seth Jones’ previous record of 16 goals set int he 2017-18 season. Werenski’s 69 points are also a club record. He has shown everything Columbus could ask for and then some. His performances are a key reason why Columbus is one of five teams in the race for the Eastern Conference Wild Cards, and could soon earn Werenski the first Norris Trophy of his nine-year NHL career. He previously received Norris votes in 2019-20 (eighth-place finish) and in his rookie season of 2016-17 (18th-place finish).

Minor Transactions: 3/7/25

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Similarly to the NHL, AHL playoff rosters are also due today before the trade deadline. Any player currently rostered in the AHL is eligible for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, regardless of a future call-up. Today’s list will continue to grow until the 3 p.m. deadline.

  • According to a team announcement, the Dallas Stars have reassigned defenseman Lian Bichsel to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Although the reassignment came with a formal announcement from the team, it should only serve as a paper transaction for Bichsel to ensure he’s eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs. The rookie defenseman has scored two goals and three assists in 20 games for the Stars this season, averaging 14:54 of ice time per night. He’s made his presence known by averaging over four hits a game, but he’s been on the wrong end of some highlight videos early in his NHL career. Dallas confirmed it as a paper transaction later, recalling Bichsel quickly after the deadline.
  • As alluded to yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed the reassignment of netminder Aleksei Kolosov to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Given that he’s been Philadelphia’s third-string option for much of the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kolosov’s reassignment extend beyond the trade deadline. The second-year netminder has a 4-8-1 record in 15 games with the Flyers this season with a .870 SV% and 3.45 GAA. His performance hasn’t been any better with AHL Lehigh Valley as he’s recorded a 2-4-1 record in seven AHL contests with a .874 SV% and 3.59 GAA.
  • The Calgary Flames are making Adam Klapka available to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, per a team report. Similarly to Kolosov, this reassignment may extend through the deadline. Klapka has spent much of the year in AHL Calgary, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 31 contests. He’s been far less utilized by the Flames, registering one goal in 13 contests and averaging 8:10 of ice time per game.
  • According to Andy Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey, the San Jose Sharks are expected to reassign defenseman Jimmy Schuldt and Jack Thompson to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. As a minor contextual update, Max Miller of The Hockey News believes Thompson’s reassignment is a paper transaction to make him eligible for the AHL postseason. Despite low scoring output, Thompson has been an effective defenseman for the Sharks this season, averaging a 92.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength, the best on the team among defensemen with more than 20 games played.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they’ve reassigned forward Joseph Labate to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. As one of the most feel-good stories of the 2024-25 campaign, Labate took the ice in the NHL for the first time in eight years this season. The 31-year-old winger had spent the last several years bouncing around on AHL contracts with a one-year pitstop in the KHL. He scored six goals and 13 points in 33 games with AHL Cleveland before being elevated to an NHL contract with the Blue Jackets.
  • After announcing that defenseman Colton Parayko would miss the next six weeks due to a knee injury, the St. Louis Blues were expected to make a recall on defense. The team announced that recall this morning, sharing that they’ve brought up Matthew Kessel from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Phoenix, AZ native has already spent time as a seventh defenseman for the Blues this season, tallying three assists in 27 games while averaging 13:05 of ice time per game.
  • Strictly as a paper move, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned forward Colton Dach and defenseman Ethan Del Mastro to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Both players will remain in the Blackhawks’ lineup for the rest of the season before they are returned to AHL Rockford at the end of the season, should they qualify for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Dach has scored two goals and six points in 18 games with Chicago, while Del Mastro has registered two goals and three points in 12 contests.
  • As expected, the Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Carter Mazur on injured reserve one day after his debut. Mazur suffered a dislocated elbow approximately one minute into his NHL career, and he’s likely done for the regular season. In a corresponding transaction, the Red Wings have recalled forward Dominik Shine from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Shine is only a couple of weeks removed from signing the first NHL contract of his career, tallying one assist in four games for Detroit in late January.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced they’ve reassigned forward Owen Beck and goaltender Jakub Dobes to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for eligibility in the Calder Cup playoffs. Beck has been an extremely effective forward for the Rocket this year, scoring 13 goals and 32 points in 47 games. Meanwhile, Dobes has made a name for himself in Montreal, managing a 6-2-1 record in 10 games with a .909 SV% and 2.63 GAA, including one shutout.
  • The Los Angeles Kings aren’t entirely sold on Brandt Clarke’s future with the team. A report from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN this morning indicated the Kings were shopping Clarke on the trade market, and they’ve now reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, along with Samuel Helenius (Twitter Link). Both players should be back on the NHL roster tomorrow, with the move signifying they’ll be eligible for the AHL postseason. Still, it’s a notable development as it indicates Los Angeles may want Clarke in the AHL for the Reign’s postseason run rather than their own.
  • According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have reassigned defenseman Riley Stillman to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Stillman filled in for Dmitry Orlov in last night’s contest but didn’t make it through the full game due to getting his face cut by a skate. He finished last night’s contest against the Boston Bruins with zero points after skating in 18 seconds of the game’s action.
  • In addition to Schuldt and Thompson, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News shares that the Sharks have reassigned defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and forward Collin Graf to AHL San Jose. They’re both expected back on the Sharks’ roster later today or tomorrow, but the roster move will make them eligible for the AHL postseason. Mukhamadullin and Graf have both spent much of the year with the Barracuda. In short order, Pashelka reports the Sharks have recalled both players back to the NHL roster.
  • Due to another injury to netminder John Gibson on Wednesday, the Anaheim Ducks were expected to recall another goaltender. Anaheim announced they’ve recalled Ville Husso from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, to fill the void left by Gibson. It’s Husso’s first call-up with the Ducks since being acquired from the Red Wings on February 24th. He posted a 1-5-2 record in nine games in Detroit this season with a .866 SV% and 3.69 GAA.
  • For the fifth time this year, the New York Rangers have assigned defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Ruhwedel has primarily played for AHL Hartford this season in his first extended stay in the AHL since 2016-17. The veteran defenseman has recorded three goals and 12 points in 36 contests with a +8 rating.
  • After a flurry of trade activity over the last couple of days, the Seattle Kraken are making a small roster move for the benefit of their AHL roster. The Kraken announced they’ve reassigned forwards Jacob Melanson and Ben Meyers to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and have recalled John Hayden in a corresponding transaction. The former debuted in the NHL last night, notching four hits and one takeaway in 9:53 of ice time.
  • In a major boost to their playoff chances, the AHL’s Providence Bruins will have several players available for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports the Boston Bruins have papered down Marat Khusnutdinov, Vinni Lettieri, Patrick Brown, Ian Mitchell, Riley Tufte, and Matthew Poitras to the AHL for their postseason eligibility. All six players are expected back on the Bruins roster by this evening or tomorrow morning.
  • As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have papered down forward Jiří Kulich to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Kulich has been an impressive player for AHL Rochester over the last few seasons and should continue to be in the postseason. He’s scored 53 goals and 94 points in 123 games on the Americans’ roster.  Later in the day, the Americans announced that forwards Isak Rosen and Joshua Dunne were recalled on an emergency basis so they won’t count toward the post-deadline limit.
  • According to a team announcement, the Edmonton Oilers have returned defenseman Cam Dineen to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, from his emergency recall. Unlike many of the roster moves on today’s list, Dineen has a solid chance of playing the remainder of the year with AHL Bakersfield. The 26-year-old defenseman has scored five goals and 29 points in 45 games for the Condors this season while only registering one game with the Oilers.
  • In addition to recalling Emil Andrae, the Philadelphia Flyers are also making two more player recalls to their NHL roster. The team announced they’ve recalled forwards Olle Lycksell and Rodrigo Abols to the NHL roster for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Abols has scored one goal and one assist in nine games for the Flyers this season, while Lycksell has gone scoreless in six contests.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have joined in on the mix of teams ensuring their top prospects are eligible for the AHL playoffs. They have assigned defenseman Victor Mancini, forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and goaltender Arturs Silovs to the AHL. Lekkerimaki has three points in 12 NHL games this season, while Mancini didn’t manage any scoring in his sole appearance with the Canucks so far. Silovs has operated as the team’s third-string goalie and has a 1-6-1 record and .858 save percentage on the year.  All three players were subsequently recalled soon after the deadline.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Jack St. Ivany from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis.  The 25-year-old has played in 19 games with Pittsburgh this season, recording one assist while averaging 16:22 of playing time per game.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Afternoon Notes: Kulich, Stolarz, Savage, Durzi

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The Buffalo Sabres cleared up space in their bottom six by placing winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel on waivers. After the team’s practice, head coach Lindy Ruff shared that the decision was influenced by how well 20-year-old Jiri Kulich has performed as of late, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Ruff elaborated that the team will face a roster crunch with Jordan Greenway expected to return to practice soon. An undisclosed injury has forced Greenway out of 28 of Buffalo’s last 32 games.

Through the weeds of roster moves, this news shines a spotlight on Kulich. The young center recorded the first three-point game of his career last Tuesday, and was promptly awarded with the most ice time of his career on Thursday. Kulich didn’t manage any scoring, but made sure to find the scoresheet in Buffalo’s Saturday game – scoring one goal on a career-high seven shots. He’s playing much more confident and determined than he was earlier in the year, and the Sabres seem ready to reward him with a hardier role and a chance to prove his worth.

Across the Atlantic Division, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told media after practice that he won’t hold back goaltender Anthony Stolarz if he’s healthy before the league breaks for the 4-Nations Face-Off, captured in a video from TSN. Stolarz participated in his first full practice after missing the last 21 games with a knee injury. He’s been upgraded to day-to-day and nearing a return, but will have just five chances left to return before the Leafs go on a two-week break.

Stolarz effectively leads the league in save percentage among goalies with 10-or-more games played. He’s recorded a .927 through just 17 games this season, backed by a stout 9-5-2 record. Stolarz seemed to be the reliability in net that Toronto had been seeking, but his untimely injury has put the team in a challenging spot. The Leafs have been outscored 70-to-69 since Stolarz’s injury, though they’ve still managed a 12-9-0 record. His return will be hotly anticipated as, hopefully, the catalyzing piece of a second-half run in Toronto.

Traveling south of Toronto, Michigan State Spartans captain and Detroit Red Wings prospect Redmond Savage has suffered a season-ending injury, Spartans head coach Adam Nightingale told local reporter Conor Earegood of Detroit News Sports. Savage’s season will end with 11 points in 20 games – a dip in scoring pace from his 27 points in 38 games last season, but still a better pace than his two years at Miami University of Ohio. Detroit drafted Savage in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, but haven’t yet signed him to his entry-level contract. They will lose his rights next summer if he doesn’t sign.

Finally, out in the plains of the Western Conference, Utah Hockey Club defender Sean Durzi returned to the team’s practices on Tuesday. Durzi has missed Utah’s last 45 games with a shoulder injury. Head coach Andre Tourigny joked about the defender’s return to Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune, saying that Durzi looked a bit rusty but that the team is incredibly excited to have him back. Utah signed Durzi to a four-year, $24MM contract this summer, but he’s so far only played four games on the deal. He was still productive enough to illicit excitement in the brief showing – recording two assists, seven penalty minutes, and a +2. Durzi will likely return to a role on Utah’s second pair, once he eases his way back to full practice.

Buffalo Sabres Activate Jiri Kulich, Reassign Tyson Kozak

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The Buffalo Sabres are taking one small step toward a completely healthy roster. The Sabres announced they’ve activated forward Jiri Kulich from the injured reserve and have reassigned forward Tyson Kozak to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, in a corresponding roster move.

Kulich has missed Buffalo’s last four games with a lower-body injury but he’s back in the lineup today as the Sabres take on the Seattle Kraken. He finally cracked Buffalo’s roster out of training camp this season after a few dominant years with AHL Rochester. Unfortunately, Kulich hasn’t been as effective as the Sabres may have hoped.

Similarly to his peers on offence, head coach Lindy Ruff has tried Kulich with multiple combinations throughout the season. He’s had the most success next to Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs but has also been made a healthy scratch numerous times. Overall, Kulich has scored seven goals and nine points in 31 games in Buffalo this year averaging 13:53 of ice time per game.

Kozak returns to the AHL after going scoreless in his last four games with the Sabres. The high-motor forward will look to build upon his quality junior season in the AHL having scored six goals and 12 points in 24 games which ties his career-high from a year ago.

Sabres Recall Tyson Kozak

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The Sabres recalled center Tyson Kozak from AHL Rochester on Wednesday, per a team announcement. He’s primed to replace forward Jiri Kulich, who left Monday’s shootout win over the Capitals with a lower-body injury, in tomorrow’s lineup against the Senators. Buffalo doesn’t have an open spot on the active roster, so Kulich is presumably headed to injured reserve to make Kozak’s recall happen.

Kozak has been recalled once this season, making his NHL debut in relief of the injured Sam Lafferty early last month. The 22-year-old pivot skated in three games, scoring his first NHL goal while averaging 9:55 per game and winning 53.3% of his faceoffs.

The Sabres were out-chanced 26-19 while Kozak was on the ice at 5-on-5, but he primarily played a defensive bottom-six role. A seventh-round pick in 2021, he’s producing at a career-best pace in Rochester this season with 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 24 games with a plus-seven rating.

Kozak is in his third professional season after a junior tenure with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, whom he captained in the 2021-22 campaign. The pending restricted free agent is expected to center Lafferty and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel in Thursday’s tilt with Beck Malenstyn also expected to miss the contest with an illness.

That makes three forwards unavailable for Buffalo, at least for now. Jordan Greenway remains on injured reserve after undergoing mid-body surgery in December and doesn’t have a timeline for a return.

If Kulich was placed on IR to make room for Kozak, he’s been ruled out of their next two games. Head coach Lindy Ruff told Heather Engel of NHL.com that Kulich is week-to-week with his injury, so he likely won’t be back upon becoming eligible for a return next Wednesday against the Hurricanes, either. The 2022 first-rounder has nine points in 31 games this season, his first as a full-time NHLer.

Sabres Recall Jiri Kulich, Place Tage Thompson On IR

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The Buffalo Sabres have placed top-line forward Tage Thompson on injured reserve retroactive to November, 11th, shares Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Buffalo has recalled top prospect Jiri Kulich in a corresponding move.

Thompson was pulled from Buffalo’s Monday loss to Montreal after the first period with a lower-body injury. He ended his night with one goal in 6:49 of ice time, continuing his scoring streak into its fourth game. He went on to miss Buffalo’s Thursday win over St. Louis, and will now miss at least one more game before being eligible to return on November 18th. He’s continued to stand as one of Buffalo’s absolute best, currently leading the team with 11 goals, 18 points, and 114 shot attempts through 16 games. Thompson has scored an NHL-leading 10 of his goals at even-strength.

Buffalo also announced that winger Jordan Greenway has been playing through an injury and is now questionable for Saturday night. The news is a bit of a surprise, with Greenway continuing to serve in a go-to bruiser role over the last five games. He only has one point, but has added 16 hits and one fight in that span. That emerging injury has prompted Buffalo to bring Kulich back to the NHL lineup after four games in the AHL. He was productive in a return to the minors, totaling two goals, three points, and 17 shots. The Sabres will hope that spur of scoring will spark Kulich’s game at the NHL level as well, with the rookie currently sitting with just one goal in eight NHL games this season.

Sam Lafferty stepped into the lineup in Thompson’s absence, while Ryan McLeod filled his hole on the top line. McLeod recorded one goal and one assist with the boosted minutes, and should hang onto a strong hold of ice time. Meanwhile, Lafferty and Kulich will battle for the role of fourth-line center, unless Greenway is unable to play.

Sabres Reassign Jiri Kulich, Activate Zach Benson

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The Sabres have assigned winger Jiri Kulich to AHL Rochester, per a team announcement. The move paves the way for Zach Benson to come off injured reserve before tonight’s game against the Senators, which head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters yesterday was an option. The team’s Heather Engel confirmed Benson was back on the active roster.

Kulich, 20, was the final of Buffalo’s three selections in the first round of the 2022 draft. The Czech forward immediately came over to North America, suiting up for Rochester in his post-draft year. He was one of the club’s best players over the previous two seasons, accumulating 51 goals and 91 points in 119 games and representing them at the 2024 AHL All-Star Game. He made his NHL debut last season during a brief call-up in November, registering a -1 rating and a shot on goal in a lone appearance.

As such, his stock was high heading into training camp. After an impressive preseason, Kulich found himself on the Sabres’ opening night roster for the first time, although he was a healthy scratch for their season opener against the Devils in his home country. He’s gotten extended looks in the lineup, including a four-game stretch without being scratched in late October, but hasn’t been able to make the offensive impact the team hoped. Through eight appearances, Kulich has one goal and no assists with three blocks and five hits. It’s not for a lack of ice time – Ruff has deployed him for an average of 14:36 per game. He’s done well to get pucks on net, totaling 17 shots on goal, but he’s finishing at just 5.9%. The Sabres are also controlling 48.8% of shot attempts with Kulich on the ice at even strength compared to 55.5% without him.

Thus, a little more seasoning in Rochester should be helpful for the cerebral 6’1″ forward. His underwhelming start, combined with the fact that he’s the only waiver-exempt skater on the active roster, made it clear he would be heading down when Benson was ready to return.

The 19-year-old Benson hasn’t gotten off to the smoothest start this season either. He sustained a lower-body injury in the season opener, causing him to miss the second of the two games in Europe against New Jersey. He tried playing through the injury upon returning to North America, but after being held scoreless through six games with a -4 rating, Benson was shut down in mid-October. After a five-game absence, he’ll be back in the lineup against Ottawa on the team’s second line with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.

Atlantic Notes: Kulich, Komarov, Danielson

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Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Jiri Kulich has played himself into a decent situation heading into training camp after dominating the Buffalo Prospect Showcase. Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff argued earlier today that Buffalo must get Kulich to the NHL as soon as possible for him and the team to flourish.

Kulich was drafted by the Sabres organization with the 28th pick of the 2022 NHL Draft and has transitioned well in the AHL with 51 goals and 91 points through his first 119 regular season contests. Buffalo had a genuine logjam of forward prospects looking to make their way to the NHL level but the team’s trade of prospect Matthew Savoie this summer paved the way for Kulich to make the opening night lineup.

He can play at all three forward positions and has elevated his play away from the puck with one scout saying, “But now you’re seeing the intensity away from the puck, too. It’s a work in progress but he has come a long way in making himself more rounded“. It’s difficult to see where exactly Kulich fits into the opening night roster for the Sabres Still, a strong showing at camp could allow Kulich to wrestle away ice time from anyone currently pencilled in the team’s bottom six.

Other Atlantic notes:

  • If you ask Scott Wheeler and Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, the Sabres got the steal of the draft in 2022 (Subscription Article). Defenseman Vsevolod Komarov was a relatively unknown commodity after scoring two goals and 19 points in 60 games with the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts during his draft year. He helped the Remparts to a Memorial Cup championship in 2023 but became another player entirely after being traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs last year. Komarov exploded for 11 goals and 50 points in 38 games for the Voltigeurs while adding another five goals and 15 points in 19 postseason contests. The 2023-24 QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and Playoff MVP is expected to join the AHL’s Rochester Americans this season with plenty of excitement around him.
  • The Detroit Red Wings are eager to see how the ninth overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, Nate Danielson, responds to more pressure at this year’s training camp says Max Bultman of The Athletic (Subscription Article). Danielson played well in training camp last year but was assuredly headed back to the junior level no matter how well he played. Bultman asked assistant director of player development, Daniel Cleary, where he thought Danielson would end up this year to which he responded, “I have inner thoughts that I don’t want to say out loud. But not a lot would surprise me, for Nate“. He’s showing more offensive talent than previously expected finishing last year’s WHL playoffs with seven goals and 24 points in only 18 games.

Atlantic Notes: Canadiens, Clifford, Kulich

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The Montreal Canadiens are set to begin the 2024-25 NHL season with approximately $5.45MM in cap space. With no other restricted free agents left to sign, the organization may weaponize its cap space and effectively buy draft and prospect capital (Article Link).

The Canadiens hold a major trump card up their sleeve as the team could still place goaltender Carey Price on long-term injured reserve once this season begins which would open up another $10.5MM in cap space for next season. Montreal is no stranger to weaponizing their cap space as general manager Kent Hughes has swung trades in the past which netted them a first-round pick for taking on the contract of Sean Monahan and a second-round pick to take on 40% of Jeff Petry’s salary.

There are several teams close to the cap including the Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights, Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, and Nashville Predators. A few of these organizations will utilize LTIR in their own right once the season opens up to shed some salary but some could call the Canadiens in the upcoming weeks to gain some financial breathing room for next season.

Other Atlantic notes:

  • Veteran forward Kyle Clifford refuses to hang up his skates as Jacob Stoller of The Hockey News reports Clifford has re-upped with the Toronto Marlies on an AHL contract for the 2024-25 season. Clifford is a veteran of 753 games at the NHL level with the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and Toronto Maple Leafs while helping the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2014. For the better part of the last three seasons, Clifford has been riding out the twilight years of his career with the Marlies. In 108 games with the storied AHL franchise, Clifford has scored 21 goals and 51 points while collecting 224 PIMs.
  • The Buffalo Sabres offensive core has become a little too crowded for prospect Jiri Kulich. In an article today from Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, the Sabres organization is waiting for Kulich to ’tear up the league’ before giving him a full-time shot at the NHL level. The young forward has been a solid scorer for the Rochester Americans over the last two years as he’s scored 51 goals in 119 games and another seven goals in 17 postseason contests. Buffalo is looking for Kulich to expand upon his 0.76 PPG thus far and raise his level to one of the better point producers at the AHL level.

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