EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Isak Rosen jumped at the opportunity when he received an invite from Rasmus Dahlin to join members of the Buffalo Sabres for an offseason camp in Switzerland this past summer.
Rosen took part in 10 days of intense skates and off-ice workouts with a group that included fellow first-round pick Jiri Kulich as well as Dahlin, goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, forward JJ Peterka, and defensemen Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson, and Owen Power, among others.
“It meant a lot when the captain reaches out and wants you there,” Rosen recalled. “It was really fun to bond with the guys in Switzerland this summer and get more comfortable with the guys.”
Rosen was back with his Sabres teammates, including Kulich, for practice at the Toyota Sports Complex on Tuesday. The Sabres recalled the 21-year-old forward from Rochester in advance of their three-game road trip through California, which opens Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
The winger practiced primarily on a line with Dylan Cozens and Zach Benson. Whether he plays against the Kings could be determined by the statuses of Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, both of whom will be evaluated again Wednesday morning.
Rosen leads the Amerks with 13 points (4+9) in 14 games this season, well ahead of his team-leading pace from 2022-23 (50 points in 67 games). He entered the year focused on building on the two-way game he developed last season, when former Rochester coach (and current Sabres assistant) Seth Appert trusted Rosen as one of the team’s top defensive forwards.
“I think it’s important for me if I want to take the next step and take a jersey here (in Buffalo),” Rosen said. “It’s important to have a two-way game. I know I can play offensively, but I added a lot to my defensive play last year. I think that’s good for me.”
Rosen also returned with the hindsight of experience, having played seven NHL games with the Sabres last season.
“You’re trying to learn from it and be more ready,” he said.
Here’s more from Tuesday’s practice.
