Try to get better every day.
It’s a simple mantra, but it’s one that Isak Rosen repeated multiple times in his postgame interview on Monday, and his body of work from the Prospects Challenge reflects it.
Rosen recorded an assist in each of the first two games, then had three more assists in the Sabres’ 8-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the finale at LECOM Harborcenter on Monday. His five total helpers were the most by any Sabres player in the event.
“The third game was my best game,” Rosen said. “I think I did better in the decision-making with the puck. I think in the first two I was little bit lazy in making plays that I don’t want to do. It’s the first three games of the season and I wanted to get into it, and I think I did.”
Rosen’s performances on the ice in the past week were a continuation of his team-leading 50-point season in Rochester last year, one that included 30 assists – and the beginning of what he hopes will be a push for Buffalo's opening-night roster.
Rosen had a seven-game cup of coffee with Buffalo last season, during which he was held off the score sheet and averaged 8:35 of ice time. Still, it was an introduction to the NHL that he revisits along with his Rochester games.
“The NHL games, the AHL games, all the games I watch trying to get better,” Rosen said. “That’s something I do every day.”
Last season saw Rosen develop a two-way game to complement his offensive talents. Former Rochester coach Seth Appert, who was promoted to the role of Buffalo assistant coach this summer, referred to Rosen as one of the Amerks’ top defensive wingers.
Michael Leone, the incoming Rochester coach, noted Rosen’s strong habits in that department on Monday.
“I think he’s come a long way and Seth and his staff did a great job of him becoming a more complete player,” Leone said. “He’s really smart, he’s obviously elite on the power play, but he does a lot of really good things for the team.”
Leone called the 2021 first-round pick an “elite playmaker,” specifically noting his puck movement on one of two goals scored by Jiri Kulich, Rosen’s roommate and teammate for the last two years in Rochester.
Rosen and Kulich’s paths have been intertwined to start their pro careers. They both came from Europe to Rochester in 2022-23 and made their NHL debuts on the same night last season.
Now, they’re both pushing to make the jump to the NHL on a full-time basis, and both stated their case this weekend. While Rosen had a team-high five assists, Kulich scored a team-best five goals at the Prospects Challenge – four of which were set up by Rosen.
“We came over (to North America) both young and it was a new experience for us so it’s easy to do it together, and it’s the same now,” Rosen said. “We’re both trying to make the NHL and we’re trying to do it together and help each other with whatever it can be.”
Here are more notes from the Sabres 8-5 loss on the final day of the Prospects Challenge.
1. Rosen and Kulich were joined on the top line and top power-play unit by second-year forward Viktor Neuchev, a third-round pick in 2022. Neuchev also scored twice on Monday, including a power-play goal to open the scoring during the first period.
“We have a lot of skill on that line and it’s good that we scored some goals," Rosen said.
2. Konsta Helenius finished with two assists in the Prospects Challenge, impressing his teammates and coach with the details in his game.
“(Helenius) doesn’t look like he’s 18-years old,” Kulich said. “He’s a great guy, great kid and what he does on the ice is amazing.”
Helenius, the 14th-overall pick in this year’s draft, spent the past two seasons playing in Finland’s top pro league.
“I thought he was really good tonight,” Leone said. “Obviously, you could tell he’s played pro hockey before. When you watch the game back, he stops on pucks. He’s got really good stick detail, the amount of plays that he breaks up on forechecks, his poise with the puck.”
3. The Sabres played Monday with five defensemen after Norwin Panocha and Jack Bodin sustained upper-body injuries on Saturday. Robert Calisti, who plays for Buffalo’s ECHL affiliate, was added to the roster as the fifth defenseman.
“It happens in hockey, it’s a short tournament,” Leone said. “Obviously the prior game against the Devils was really physical and it’s tough, but it’s good to go through that. Guys have to play, and you have to find a way.”
