Jiri Kulich will be in the lineup for the Buffalo Sabers when they play the middle game of their Prospects Challenge schedule against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.
Kulich was initially ruled out for the tournament after arriving in camp with a nagging injury.
“He was a little sore from something he came into camp with and that was aggravated in some of the testing and things like that,” Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert said. “But upon a second review and a more in-depth look from our medical team, it was deemed that there are no issues at all.”
Fans can stream the game on Sabres.com, @BuffaloSabres on Twitter, and on the team’s Facebook page.
Here are five things to know.
1. Kulich was a standout performer at development camp, where he exhibited his workmanlike game and a shot that Sabers general manager Kevyn Adams described in July as one of the best his staff had seen from a draft-eligible prospect.
He comes to training camp with an eye toward playing for the Sabres, although making an NHL roster is a tall task for any 18-year-old player. He is also eligible to start the season playing for Appert in Rochester or return to his home country Czechia.
“He’s a goal scorer that’s not just a goal scorer,” Appert said. “… He’s the guy that goes hunts pucks, comes up with puck battles, takes pucks to hard areas. He’s built differently than most 18-year-olds, so we believe he’s ready for the challenge in the American Hockey League, or [whatever] else might be.”
2. Mats Lindgrenwho was drafted by the Sabers during the fourth round this summer, described going against Kulich in practice.
“He came down 2-on-1 on me … just sniped it down the bar,” Lindgren said. “There wasn’t really anything I could do, I guess. I was kind of covering the pass. That for sure stands out. And he’s a really good skater as well. Really fast, powerful.”
3. Lindgren was another player who stood out at development camp, particularly for his skating and offensive playmaking ability. He has been paired with a fellow 2022 draft pick Vsevolod Komarov during the Prospects Challenge.
“Special skater,” Amerks assistant coach Mike Weber, a former Sabers defenseman, said. “His edge work, I wish I had that for one of the games I played in.” [NHL]. But he’s a special skater.”
4. Beck Warm, who signed a one-year AHL contract during the summer, will play the full game. Appert said he expects non-roster invitee Tomas Suchanek to play in Monday’s finale against Ottawa.
Warm and Suchanek split the opening game against Montreal.
5. New Jersey won its Prospects Challenge opener 4-3 over Montreal on Friday. Alexander Holtz, the seventh-overall pick in 2020, scored a pair of goals.
The Devils roster also features the second-overall pick in this summer’s draft, defenseman Simon Nemec.
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