Sabres prospects named to preliminary rosters for 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship 

Five Buffalo Sabres prospects have been named to their respective countries' preliminary rosters for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be held from Dec. 26, 2023 through Jan. 5, 2024 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Forward Matt Savoie and goaltender Scott Ratzlaff have earned invites to Canada's National Junior Team selection camp while defenseman Maxim Strbak has been named to Slovakia’s preliminary roster. Forwards Noah Ostlund and Anton Wahlberg were selected for Sweden's preliminary roster. 

Matt Savoie

Savoie, the ninth-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, made his NHL debut for the Sabres on Nov. 11 versus the Minnesota Wild. Prior to his debut, the 19-year-old reported for a conditioning stint in Rochester, where he tallied two goals and three assists in six games for the Amerks.

Since being assigned to the Wenatchee Wild of the Western Hockey League on Nov. 12, Savoie has recorded 23 points (11+12) in 10 games, including 10 points (5+5) in his last three contests.

In 2022-23, Savoie tallied 95 points (38+57) in 62 games for the Winnipeg Ice before they made the move to Wenatchee.

Scott Ratzlaff

The Sabres' fifth-round pick (141st overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, Ratzlaff has appeared in 17 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL in 2023-24. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound goalie has posted an 8-7-1 record and .900 save percentage as Seattle's top goaltender.

In 2022-23, Ratzlaff recorded a 25-8-1 record, helping the Thunderbirds to a WHL championship. He finished the campaign ranked first in the league with five shutouts and second in goals-against average with a 2.15.

Maxim Strbak

Strbak, 18, was drafted by the Sabres with the 45th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and is expected to appear in his third World Junior Championship for Team Slovakia.

The defenseman has played in 13 games for the Michigan State Spartans this season, tallying one goal and four assists, including the game-winning goal in a 6-3 win over Canisius on Oct. 19.

Strbak served as team captain for Slovakia at the 2023 IIHF U-18 World Championship, recording six points (0+6) in seven games. He added three assists in five contests in last year's World Junior Championship.

Noah Ostlund

Ostlund, selected by Buffalo with the 16th-overall pick in 2022, has registered four goals and three assists this season for the Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League

The center recorded 26 points (8+18) in 37 games last season playing with Djurgardens of HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-tier professional league in Sweden. He later joined the Rochester Americans for a portion of their playoff run, but was limited to off-ice activities due to an injury.

Anton Wahlberg

The Sabres drafted Wahlberg during the second round (39th overall) of the NHL Draft this past June and he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the organization on July 14.

The 18-year-old has tallied seven points (3+4) in 21 games for Malmo of the SHL. Last season, he posted five points (3+2) in 22 games for the Redhawks.

Stay tuned to Sabres.com as this post will be updated as additional countries announce their World Junior Championship camp and preliminary rosters.