C Jiri Kulich - Rochester Americans, AHL (2022, 28th, BUF)

[person5000]

Does the Kulich lobby think a 45-point AHLer has a shot at pushing past a 47-point NHLer like Dylan Cozens as a rookie? Even when Cozens scored 31 in the NHL a year previous?

Or Jack Quinn, who paced for close to 30/30 in a season cut short by injury? And was a far more dominant player than Kulich as D+2 AHLer?

I mean they're right, I guess. If Kulich is as good as either of those guys, he will make the team easily. And he will also easily win rookie of the year.

Kulich as a 45 pt player is a misleading….he left for wjc and didn’t play all the games. He led his ahl team in ppg at 19 lol. He is not gunna supplant Quinn or Cozuns yet but he can easily be the best player of the three in time. The kid is an absolute beast and the NHL will find out soon enough.

 

[Forsbergaura21]

Kulich as a 45 pt player is a misleading….he left for wjc and didn’t play all the games. He led his ahl team in ppg at 19 lol. He is not gunna supplant Quinn or Cozuns yet but he can easily be the best player of the three in time. The kid is an absolute beast and the NHL will find out soon enough.

I agree on the production being misleading.

I don’t think he will ever reach Cozens level, maybe Quinn level.

But he is also not the same type of player. I think he can become a really good 2-way player for Buffalo who can play with an edge. They don’t have a ton of those guys in the top 9 yet.

So I would start him on the 3rd line and let him continue to work on that 2-way game. Then see where he fits in best…

 

[Matt Ress]

I agree on the production being misleading.

I don’t think he will ever reach Cozens level, maybe Quinn level.

But he is also not the same type of player. I think he can become a really good 2-way player for Buffalo who can play with an edge. They don’t have a ton of those guys in the top 9 yet.

So I would start him on the 3rd line and let him continue to work on that 2-way game. Then see where he fits in best…

I’m a big believer in Kulich but his work on being a two way player and playing with an edge are no doubt, the two biggest things Kulich needs to improve upon and coincidentally would be the reasons he spends more time in Rochester.

He’ll probably get ice in Prague because of the feels but will probably have a tough time cracking the roster barring injury, yet is most likely the first call up. We’re all hoping for the same thing here. It’s just a matter of Sabre fans wanting to wait and see rather than leaving the spot open and gifting it to Kulich.

 

[GettingYourMoms]

I agree on the production being misleading.

I don’t think he will ever reach Cozens level, maybe Quinn level.

But he is also not the same type of player. I think he can become a really good 2-way player for Buffalo who can play with an edge. They don’t have a ton of those guys in the top 9 yet.

So I would start him on the 3rd line and let him continue to work on that 2-way game. Then see where he fits in best…

Oh God, stop making Cozens somebody he is not! He is just mediocre player, decent 3rd line center on playoff team that´s who he is, Kulich will allways be special player, his ability to score in different ways and havin clutch gene will allways make him desirable for every team, also alot of Sabres fans hyping soft tiny Savoie showed clearly your bias against czech players, then he was traded. Fortunately your management and training staff knows better.

 

[Matt Ress]

Oh God, stop making Cozens somebody he is not! He is just mediocre player, decent 3rd line center on playoff team that´s who he is, Kulich will allways be special player, his ability to score in different ways and havin clutch gene will allways make him desirable for every team, also alot of Sabres fans hyping soft tiny Savoie showed clearly your bias against czech players, then he was traded. Fortunately your management and training staff knows better.

Idk is this satire? Nobody cares about anyone's nationality. That's just a dumb and frankly, insulting take. Also, Sabre fans are over Savoie and you should be too.

Go ahead and have fun pumping your player, we love him too. But the transparent petty insults against the team because they haven't put him on a pedestal makes it clear that anyone with that take has a poor idea of how the league works, how a team works and how to assess players. Some posters are just embarrassing themselves and it's pitiful.
Stop. Get some help - MJ

 

[person5000]

Idk is this satire? Nobody cares about anyone's nationality. That's just a dumb and frankly, insulting take. Also, Sabre fans are over Savoie and you should be too.

Go ahead and have fun pumping your player, we love him too. But the transparent petty insults against the team because they haven't put him on a pedestal makes it clear that anyone with that take has a poor idea of how the league works, how a team works and how to assess players. Some posters are just embarrassing themselves and it's pitiful.
Stop. Get some help - MJ

Except there clearly is bias against players not from Canada, US, Russia; in that order.

From fans not by teams

 

[Mattilaus]

N

Except there clearly is bias against players not from Canada, US, Russia; in that order.

From fans not by teams

Not in this case. All that was said in the comments preceding this reaction was that Cozens is better. Cozens has already had an almost 70 point season as a 2C in the NHL. You can for sure think Kulich will be the better player. I have no issue if you believe this. However, to act like there needs to be some bias based on nationality to think Cozens is and will continue to be better is absolutely ridiculous.

Again, thinking Kulich will be better than Cozens is NOT a ridiculous stance. Believing anyone who thinks Cozens is and will continue to be better only does so because there is a bias against Kulich based on his nationality IS ridiculous.

It's a stupid stance that absolutely kills any discussion on prospects. How can you discuss them when you try to make a point and all you get back is "your biased so your points are irrelevant"?

 

[Faceboner]

Except there clearly is bias against players not from Canada, US, Russia; in that order.

From fans not by teams

I can assure you the Sabres fans don't care where your from or what you look like we just want hockey players who will help us get back to the playoffs. Your talking about a team who had love for Biron, hasek, afinigenov, kotalik, satan, Vanek, moginly etc... in terms of kulich he is super talented but he is only in his d+3 year and although he showed well in the ahl he didn't put on performance that screams nhl ready he might be now after the off-season, but rushing him into a top 6 spot before he is ready in a do or die season might have a negative impact and cause him to flame out now the Sabres ruined a promising goal scorer and the Czechs lose a potential national hero. With all that said I do believe kulich can make the team and help but if ruff and adams feels he needs more seasoning then I trust them. No one wants kulich to succeed more than Sabres fans. I see potential 35~ goals if we rush him and ruin him he could turn out to be the next Olofsson great shooter but provided nothing else making him ineffective in a bottom six role or top six when he wasn't scoring kulich added the elements to his off puck game during last season at center if he comes into camp doing those things amazing and it seems like he is but if he hits a wall I won't be surprised nor worried if he gets sent back. Kulich is still ahead of the curve development wise.

 

[Matt Ress]

Except there clearly is bias against players not from Canada, US, Russia; in that order.

From fans not by teams

You may be right but being on the Sabres board daily for a decade, I haven't seen it. We can certainly be critical of our players but it's never based on nationality.

Our board knows Jiri is a gem and if he doesn't make the full time roster this season, no doubt he'll break through next. Very good puck handler, skater and of course a scary shot. Still a young guy with room to grow and he beefed up this summer at home which is great to see.

 

[GettingYourMoms]

I can assure you the Sabres fans don't care where your from or what you look like we just want hockey players who will help us get back to the playoffs. Your talking about a team who had love for Biron, hasek, afinigenov, kotalik, satan, Vanek, moginly etc... in terms of kulich he is super talented but he is only in his d+3 year and although he showed well in the ahl he didn't put on performance that screams nhl ready he might be now after the off-season, but rushing him into a top 6 spot before he is ready in a do or die season might have a negative impact and cause him to flame out now the Sabres ruined a promising goal scorer and the Czechs lose a potential national hero. With all that said I do believe kulich can make the team and help but if ruff and adams feels he needs more seasoning then I trust them. No one wants kulich to succeed more than Sabres fans. I see potential 35~ goals if we rush him and ruin him he could turn out to be the next Olofsson great shooter but provided nothing else making him ineffective in a bottom six role or top six when he wasn't scoring kulich added the elements to his off puck game during last season at center if he comes into camp doing those things amazing and it seems like he is but if he hits a wall I won't be surprised nor worried if he gets sent back. Kulich is still ahead of the curve development wise.

Read my comments and you will see i had critical and reasonable take on Kulich´s game in AHL. I was reacting to Kulich supposedly not being able to crack your starless mediocre top6, which was getting ridiculous from your fans.

 

[Mattilaus]

Read my comments and you will see i had critical and reasonable take on Kulich´s game in AHL. I was reacting to Kulich supposedly not being able to crack your starless mediocre top6, which was getting ridiculous from your fans.

Why do you have to be so inflammatory with every single comment dude? Nobody has insulted you here.

 

[Faceboner]

Read my comments and you will see i had critical and reasonable take on Kulich´s game in AHL. I was reacting to Kulich supposedly not being able to crack your starless mediocre top6, which was getting ridiculous from your fans.

Fair enough there is only one top 6 spot available though barring injury. Thompson can play at a star level if he gets back to form, peterka had a bit of a break out with 28 goals and 50 points really young as well along with Quinn who seems to get injured somehow moreso to do with luck rather than durability and has shown good two way play with offensive instinct and skill we want to see what we have in him for a full year, tuch big tall speedy guy with transportation ability and is guaranteed to basically get 20 goals and 50 pts at least in a full 82 and cozens who had a dip in production but still managed near 50 points and has shown great matchup ability. Now the only real spot open is next to cozens and Quinn and his competition will be zucker and Benson, one a seasoned vet the other a sophomore who had a great rookie year showing defensive acumen great forechecking ability and non stop motor while showcasing the ability to make high end plays. Kulich might shows he meshes better but chances are he plays 3rd line across from one of the other two shuffling in the top 6 at times being a mid 6 player but you are correct it isn't impossible and the idea he couldn't be in the top 6 at all is asinine but our forwards last year had a rocky season and dealt with injuries and personally believe the underperformed I would say our core top 6 if anything is maybe upper mediocre lol

 

[gifted88]

Read my comments and you will see i had critical and reasonable take on Kulich´s game in AHL. I was reacting to Kulich supposedly not being able to crack your starless mediocre top6, which was getting ridiculous from your fans.

Non-Sabres fan here.
This season I'd take Thompson or Cozens over Kulich. No disrespect to Kulich, he looks like a very promising young player. He could end up better than one or both of those players. But you'd be taking an unknown over knowns.
Also, calling other teams players mediocre and starless is shots across the bow. I would expect kickback from fans if I said that about other teams.

As for Kulich, I hope he can make the Sabres this year on the wing. I drafted him in my sim league and would like to see him playing NHL games sooner rather than later.