Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres vs. Canadiens

Isak Rosen smiled when Seth Appert brought up the improvement the forward has already displayed since development camp in July.
"You can tell he knows it," Appert said. "He has put in a ton of work just in the two months since we saw him."
Rosen, the 14th-overall pick in 2021, will be one of four first-round draft selections on the ice when the Sabres open their three-game Prospects Challenge schedule against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. The others are Sabres forward Matt Savoie - whose "electric" first practice was the subject of Wednesday's notebook - and Canadiens forwards Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar.
Tickets for the game at LECOM Harborcenter are available for $10.
The game will be streamed live on Sabres.com as well as on the team's Twitter and Facebook pages.
Here are five things to know.

1. Lineup notes

Jiri Kulich will not play in the tournament due to a lower-body injury, Appert announced. The forward - who was drafted with the 28th-overall pick this summer - will be reevaluated during training camp.
Fellow forward Filip Cederqvist, who missed practice on Wednesday because he was under the weather, will play.

2. The goalies

The two goalies on Buffalo's Prospects Challenge roster will split the opener, Appert announced. Beck Warm, who signed a one-year AHL contract with Rochester during the summer, will start. Non-roster invitee Tomas Suchanek will enter in relief.

3. Rosen's big leap

Appert listed the ways Rosen has improved in the two months since he attended development camp, which included a productive stint at the World Junior Championship in August.
"He looks faster," Appert said. "He looks harder on the puck. And his first step looks like it's got either more pop or more assertiveness. So, some of it's physical. But I think some part of why you train so hard is also what it does to you mentally. You know you've put the work in, and you know you're ready."

Rosen, 19, is preparing for his first season in North America after signing an entry-level contract this summer. Appert pointed to JJ Peterka, who also played one year professionally in his home country before making the jump to the AHL, as an example of how Rosen can make a successful transition.
Peterka has four goals before Christmas last season. He finished with 28 goals and 68 points, earning a spot on the AHL's All-Rookie Team before leading the Amerks with 12 points during the playoffs.
"Those are all going to be adjustments that [Rosen] and Kulich eventually and (2021 second-round pick Aleksandr) Kisakov are going to have to face," Appert said. "But as I mentioned yesterday, and I'm just such a firm believer in this, is that adversity is going to make them grow their game."

4. On the power play

The Sabres opened their morning skate with power-play drills. The units were as follows:
Filip Cederqvist
Aleksandr Kisakov - Tyson Kozak - Matt Savoie
Oskari Laaksonen
Josh Bloom
Linus Weissbach - Lukas Rousek - Isak Rosen
Mats Lindgren

5. Scouting the Habs

Montreal's lineup is headlined by Slafkovsky, the No. 1 overall pick this summer. He becomes the fourth No. 1 pick to participate in the Prospects Challenge, joining Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo), Nico Hischier (New Jersey), and Jack Hughes (New Jersey).