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Isak Rosen has a better chance to make the Sabres roster than some think

by Chad DeDominicis - 1

It will be difficult for any Buffalo Sabres prospect to earn a roster spot in training camp. Currently, Kevyn Adams has his bottom six solidified with the new additions. Breaking into the top six as a rookie isn’t in the cards with where the team wants to be.

Isak Rosen, Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, and Lukas Rousek are the four players who will be fighting to earn one of the final forward spots in September. Odds are that these four will start next season in the AHL, but I feel one of them has a better chance of starting in the NHL than people think.

Development Factors

Rosen is about to start his D+4 season as a first-round pick from 2021. The 21-year-old is coming off a second solid season in the AHL. He scored 20 goals and 50 points in 67 games after putting up 37 points in 66 games as a rookie the year before.

He performed well in the Amerks’ 2023 long playoff run and was one of the few forwards that was noticeable in their first-round series this past season. You can see the growth in his game year over year from when he came to North America to put himself closer to being NHL-ready.

The Swedish winger is in a spot in his development curve that Kulich and Helenius are not. Helenius is going to be getting his first taste of pro hockey in North America this year. While he may be close to stepping into the NHL, it makes more sense for him to get familiar with this style of play as a center in the AHL.

Kulich is also being developed as a center. The organization feels that he has the potential to play that position in the NHL and wants to continue to build on his success. I feel that Kulich may be the most NHL-ready from an overall standpoint, but I understand the plan to work on certain areas of his game.

Rousek is the one that I feel he would have to beat out in training camp. Rosen has more upside than Rousek and can fit into a bottom-six role as a rotational forward. Of course, there are still things that Rosen can work on in the AHL, but he may have maximized his potential in that league at his age.

There’s nothing wrong with Rosen starting as the 13th forward and rotating in as he acclimates to the next level. This is once again becoming a more common practice in the NHL.

Bottom Six Skill Set

Rosen’s ceiling is a middle-six winger in the NHL. He likely lands as a bottom-six forward with an offensive upside. He’s often thought of as a prospect on the path of a top-six winger, but that’s only because of the role he plays in the AHL. He has shown an ability to drive offense in the AHL and has flashed the high-end skill. His forechecking is what is overlooked.

The primary reason behind that is because of his size. At 5’11” and 173 pounds, I get why that may be the perception. When you watch him play, his size is not an issue that shows up often. He’s not afraid to go into the corner or the front of the net. Winning battles along the wall is an underrated trait because of his small space quickness and stick positioning.

Rosen’s speed and determination on the puck make him an effective forechecker in the offensive zone. It’s the prime example of a player being difficult to play against without being physical.

In our Amerks tracking data, Rosen graded out as the second-best offensive forechecker on the team. This means that he was one of the best players on the roster getting possession back in the offensive zone.

These parts of his game that are refined are why I think he has a better chance of earning a spot over other prospects that will be in consideration. Outside of Rousek, there isn’t another one of those forwards with the type of play style that can slide into a bottom-six role and still be consistently effective.

I understand that in his short NHL opportunity last year, he didn’t sustain consistency. As I said, it’s more likely that he ends up starting in the AHL, but don’t sleep on the possibility of him stealing one of the final roster spots.

Photo Credit: Micheline Veluvolu/Rochester Amerks

One thought on “Isak Rosen has a better chance to make the Sabres roster than some think”

  1. I like this article a lot.
    Too many people look at raw talent when trying to project who should make the roster. But, fitting a role is the real key. And I could see Rosen or Rousek being viewed as the better fit to fill a bottom 6 role on this team than a guy like Kulich.

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