Prospect Info: C/W Jiri Kulich, 28th Overall, 2022 NHL Draft; Recalled 11/15/2024

[Dex]

I'm sure that Kulich will be fine, but my heart goes out to him right now. We all know that this heartbreak will pass and he will focus on the fact that he had an outstanding tournament and helped his team earn the silver medal, but that does not mean much right now. It sure does seem that he has an bright future ahead of him. I'm sure the fans in Rochester will give him and Rosen a warm welcome when they return to the Amerks. They both have a lot to be proud of.

I'm very interested to see what happens with Suchanek. I thought it was a smart move to invite him to be the Sabres goalie in the Prospect Challenge. I hope that Buffalo signs him to an ELC

 

[DustyZ]

Yeah really...unfortunately. He's a one-trick pony who's drawbacks get highlighted in a playoff series. He's not a good TDL acquisition for any GM.

Yes, who needs a sniper on the power play.

Sabres have already blown it with him. He's become invisible. No sense even trying to move him at this point.

 

[Zman5778]

Our best forward prospect. Top 15 talent in the draft last year but dropped due to his small pedigree and unknown of the Czech league.

Now I think he has one of the best pedigrees of the entire draft at this moment in time to go with that talent. Got a great one late boys.

Kulich's a really good prospect. But I feel as though it's a bit reactionary to put him as our best forward prospect when Savoie is still around.

Is he our 2nd best forward non-NHL forward prospect? Yeah, probably....though Rosen and Ostlund are certainly battling him for it.

It's a good time to be a Sabres fan......we're stupid rich in NHL-likely forwards who can't even drink yet.

 

[K8fool]

Yes, who needs a sniper on the power play.

Sabres have already blown it with him. He's become invisible. No sense even trying to move him at this point.

Don't give up on Donny. I could see mitts or oloffson switching w Krebs to get their confidence and having cozens play w mitts or oloffson get time w some tuch or the skin Thompson. He hasn't had time to deal w them and I believe they look like the blow as Donny is asking them to play d, play pk and sucker top lines into thinking they can be run over.. I trust Donny about mitts and would love a kulich call up to play mitts Krebs kulich or play cozens mitts kulich and try jost w Peterka and Quinn or reunite Krebs peterks and quinn and have cozens save mitts
Donny is the detective on the Case and if all the D is back to cover and create breaks then who knows what line can loan another some energy to get in a rhythm..

All I know is we have good depth and good problems and 8 winnable games to finally see what anc who can create 4 dangerous lines.
Who can be physical for 60;min to win a tight game as we clearly can ruse to any beat down , give or take from the smallest to the the tallest..
Who can elevate others w styles and freewheel while flying back to deny on D. If We win 6 of 8 coming up .. the kids can say we are ready now and then prove it w
Wins over the panthas w kachook douchebag in the minus, beat the Islanders , the leafs , hurricanes and flames. AND come to play hard against the others in between. The western jets stars kraken are good tests

We have 19 games until the Feb 21 that are winnable and true tests to beat Carolina , Florida stomp to leafs w a 60 min pk to help the League by punching those wuuusses individually in the face to prove we can win 4 on 5 enjoying their cottony softness. I Want a hungry 19 game winning streak w comrie and UPL battling shutouts while Anderson still legally on the roster coaches from Tahiti w his family. Hinostroza switches in and out and kulich Rosen and biro get games to light fires under cocky winners asses as asplund mitts vo go on tears ww a ppg to cling to their spots

 

[MOGlLNY]

Kulich's a really good prospect. But I feel as though it's a bit reactionary to put him as our best forward prospect when Savoie is still around.

Is he our 2nd best forward non-NHL forward prospect? Yeah, probably....though Rosen and Ostlund are certainly battling him for it.

It's a good time to be a Sabres fan......we're stupid rich in NHL-likely forwards who can't even drink yet.

Don't agree, Savoie's ceiling is probably higher but at this moment in time I think Kulich is the most NHL ready guy we have. He's doing it in the AHL against men and getting better every week and just had a great tournament.

 

[Zman5778]

Don't agree, his pedigree is much more proven than Savoie at this moment in time. Savoie's ceiling is probably higher but at this moment in time I think Kulich is the most NHL ready guy we have. He's doing it in the AHL against men and getting better every week and just had a great tournament.

The bolded is exactly why I think Savoie is a better prospect. Ceiling matters a fair bit to me.

 

[MOGlLNY]

The bolded is exactly why I think Savoie is a better prospect. Ceiling matters a fair bit to me.

That's fair enough, just not how I rank things personally. I think Kulich will be a great player in the NHL at best and a 3rd liner at worst, and what he's doing as the youngest player in the AHL is proving he can be that. So I think that's where I rate him a bit higher than Savoie at this moment in time.

 

[Dingo44]

2023 World Juniors standouts and disappointments

Corey Pronman takes a look at the prospects who impressed and those who fell short at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

theathletic.com

Jiri Kulich, LW, Czechia (Buffalo)

Kulich’s development has been on a sharp upward trend over the last 18 months and that continued at this tournament. There’s nothing spectacular about Kulich’s game, but he does everything well and looks like a pro. He plays fast, has good skill, can shoot the puck and plays in a direct style. He attacks the net, gives an honest effort every night and wins a lot of one-on-one battles. After his play in the AHL in the first half and now at this event, I would imagine if you re-did that 2022 NHL Draft, he would go well higher than the 28th slot where he was selected.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[Jim Bob]

2023 World Juniors standouts and disappointments

Corey Pronman takes a look at the prospects who impressed and those who fell short at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

theathletic.com

Jiri Kulich, LW, Czechia (Buffalo)

Kulich’s development has been on a sharp upward trend over the last 18 months and that continued at this tournament. There’s nothing spectacular about Kulich’s game, but he does everything well and looks like a pro. He plays fast, has good skill, can shoot the puck and plays in a direct style. He attacks the net, gives an honest effort every night and wins a lot of one-on-one battles. After his play in the AHL in the first half and now at this event, I would imagine if you re-did that 2022 NHL Draft, he would go well higher than the 28th slot where he was selected.

World Juniors notebook: Scott Wheeler's thoughts on more than 100 NHL prospects

A look at the skills shown by the top players from each country at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

theathletic.com

Jiri Kulich (F, Buffalo Sabres): I didn’t have the Czechs beating the Canadians in a game in which Kulich was quiet on my bingo card to start the tournament, but he was phenomenal from there on out, beginning with a hat trick against the Austrians. Big minutes in all situations. Strong, balanced skater. His multi-faceted shot (wrister standing still, snapshot moving, one-timer) remains his biggest weapon but he’s impressive in several facets. Protects puck so well. Looks like a pro. I have no doubt at this point that he’s going to be an NHLer. Czechia’s best forward when it was all said and done.

 

[Matt Ress]

Good tourney you handsome sonofabitch

 

[Matt Ress]

That's fair enough, just not how I rank things personally. I think Kulich will be a great player in the NHL at best and a 3rd liner at worst, and what he's doing as the youngest player in the AHL is proving he can be that. So I think that's where I rate him a bit higher than Savoie at this moment in time.

The great part is that they're different players. Savoie the skillful sneaky guy that can do everything in the Ozone and Kulich the speedy 200 ft winger with some physicality. Both great shots and great motors and both competitive but could fill different roles at the NHL level.

 

[Bendium]

The bolded is exactly why I think Savoie is a better prospect. Ceiling matters a fair bit to me.

I could care less a players draft round or analysts supposed cielings and predictions. Once your drafted, it goes by results on the ice. You need to actually BE the better player, not the hypothetically better player. Savoie is doing fine, but not blowing anyone away at his age in the competition level he is at against his peers. Kulich is excelling for his age at a higher level game against bigger older players in the AHL, and that has translated to him dominating his peers at the IIHF. This is why at this point, many consider Kulich to be the ahead of Savoie on the prospect depth chart. Makes sense to me to go by real vs imaginary production.

 

[BG82]

Were stupid rich in quality forward prospects.

 

[debaser66]

The bolded is exactly why I think Savoie is a better prospect. Ceiling matters a fair bit to me.

in a redraft Savoie would drop and Kulich would rise. lets say one is stagnating and the other one improving

 

[BG82]

in a redraft Savoie would drop and Kulich would rise. lets say one is stagnating and the other one improving

I thought Savoie was a gift at 9. Had him pegged in the top 6. I'm not sure I'd take Kulich over him today.

 

[Fearnot]

in a redraft Savoie would drop and Kulich would rise. lets say one is stagnating and the other one improving

Savoie will be too small for C and get transferred to wing, ceiling around a Travis Konency type and should've been drafted in the same range. Honestly in the redraft they both swap draft positions because Sav is falling off like Cam Allen.

 

[Matt Ress]

Savoie will be too small for C and get transferred to wing, ceiling around a Travis Konency type and should've been drafted in the same range. Honestly in the redraft they both swap draft positions because Sav is falling off like Cam Allen.

Eh I kinda see Kulich on the wing where he can use his speed and have room to get his shot off. Maybe Ostlund can center them both.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Eh I kinda see Kulich on the wing where he can use his speed and have room to get his shot off. Maybe Ostlund can center them both.

you thinking like a L3 Rantanen lite to start ?

 

[Matt Ress]

you thinking like a L3 Rantanen light to start ?

Hopefully we have the inside track to sign Suchanek.

you thinking like a L3 Rantanen light to start ?

I mean he screams wing to me but we'll see what opportunities these guys get in the upcoming years.

Ranta light would be amazing

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Hopefully we have the inside track to sign Suchanek.

especially if Portillo is going FA or into the business world.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

ps @Chainshot posted a tweet in the all purpose goaltending thread that said that Suchanek is draft eligible.

 

[dortt]

Hopefully we have the inside track to sign Suchanek.

I've heard Suchanek is still draft eligible. We would have to draft him. Cannot sign him

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Yes, who needs a sniper on the power play.

Sabres have already blown it with him. He's become invisible. No sense even trying to move him at this point.

If only that wasn't his best/only attribute. Also, Mittelstadt, Skinner, and Dahlin have more PP goals than Olofsson. I like the guy and wish he was doing more both 5v5 and on the PP to justify keeping him or being able to trade him for more than a 3rd, but the tread on this 7th rd pick is starting to wear thin. Even your previous user name could see this.

 

[DustyZ]

If only that wasn't his best/only attribute. Also, Mittelstadt, Skinner, and Dahlin have more PP goals than Olofsson. I like the guy and wish he was doing more both 5v5 and on the PP to justify keeping him or being able to trade him for more than a 3rd, but the tread on this 7th rd pick is starting to wear thin. Even your previous user name could see this.

Such an odd response. VO was a stud on the power play with an elite shot.

The Sabres, for whatever reason, have done everything in their power it seems to lower his value.

I make these judgments as a real Buffalonian and real Sabres fan. I know we're frowned upon here.