The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club’s top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
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22. Vasili Zelenov – Right Wing (Wisconsin – NCAA)
Zelenov was the first of the Sabres two seventh-round picks at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. The Moscow-born winger played at various lower-level youth leagues in Austria since 2021 and posted an impressive 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 40 games for the Salzburg RB Hockey Juniors in his draft year.
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The 6’0″, 181 lb. winger was selected by the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in their Phase II draft in May while Rochester Americans head coach Michael Leone was their GM and instead of staying in Austria, he headed to North America to play for the Gamblers to pursue a US college track. In 54 USHL games, he scored 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists).
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Last season, as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin, Zelenov had 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists) in 28 games. He is a teammate of 2024 fourth-round pick Luke Osburn, who played for Team USA at the World Junior Championships last December.
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