Buffalo Sabres: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about
6. Mattias Samuelsson
The third prospect on this list is yet another who will be making his professional debut this season. Mattias Samuelsson, who is the son of former NHLer Kjell Samuelsson and nephew of Ulf Samuelsson, was taken by the Sabres in the Second-Round (No. 32 overall) at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old defenseman has spent the last two seasons playing for Western Michigan University. Despite being just 19-years-old last season, he was an honorable mention for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference defenceman of the year.
On top of being a great player at such a young age, he has also proven to be a great leader, serving as an assistant captain last season. Unlike the two prospects previously listed, size is not a concern for Samuelsson, in fact it is a major asset as he stands at a hulking six-foot-four, 226 pounds. It won’t be long before he becomes a regular on the Sabres blue line.
5. John-Jason Peterka
While it is very early, Buffalo Sabres fans have to be extremely happy with the team taking forward John-Jason Peterka in the Second-Round (No. 34 overall) at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old put on an absolute show at the 2021 IIHF World Juniors. Despite playing on a weak Team Germany roster, he put up 10 points, which was good enough for third in tournament scoring, despite playing in just five games.
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The great tournament for Peterka wasn’t a fluke either, as just a year prior as a 17-year-old he managed six points in seven contests. The young talent spent his draft eligible season playing in the DEL, where he had seven goals and 11 points in 42 contests. He is spending this season playing in Austria instead of Germany, and though the talent level is lower, he is still extremely impressive. This pick looks phenomenal for the Sabres early on.