What a tournament it was for Sabres prospects. The long drought of the NHL offseason is over, and this year’s World Juniors provided a great warmup for Sabres fans in the lead up to the start of the season. This tournament was a look into a [hopefully] bright future for Sabres fans, for every single prospect showed that they belonged.
Jack Quinn
First, I am going to get into the prospect that most fans are probably disappointed in, Jack Quinn. For a player that put up 52 goals last year in 62 games and was drafted to be a pure goal scorer, Jack Quinn certainly did not put up the numbers you would expect. 1 goal and 3 assists is all that Quinn would contribute to the scoresheet in the tournament, with that lone goal being an empty netter. Not the typical numbers that you want from your 8th overall selection, but let’s try to put a positive spin on this.
After Jack Quinn had a great camp for Team Canada and made the team, he was placed on the first line alongside fellow Sabres prospect Dylan Cozens and the Blackhawks’ Kirby Dach, who are both more so playmakers than goal scorers. Quinn would have been the guy looked at to put the puck in the net, being in the right spot and waiting for the right pass. However, we’ll never know as Kirby Dach was injured in an exhibition game against Russia, breaking his wrist and sidelining him for the next 4-5 months. After this, things just kinda fell apart for Quinn. He was kept on Cozens’ line to start the preliminary games, but was taken off after they didn’t show enough chemistry to start. He was then tossed up and down the lineup, being centered by all of Byfield, Suzuki, and Newhook at one point. Quinn just never could gel quick enough with any one line, which isn’t really fair to him considering he had a short leash for each line.
What it comes down to plain and simple is that Quinn did not have a good enough tournament, though I’m sure he knows that. However, that isn’t to say there weren’t any positives to take away. He did have a few nice plays and assists that showcased his playmaking ability, showing that he was still helping the team offensively at times. I’d say that the highlight of this tournament for Quinn was unquestionably his defensive ability. For the sniper that he is described as, defense would be the area you’d think he’d most struggle in, but it was the opposite. Quinn was all-around solid defensively and never a liability, but rather an asset.
For Quinn’s development, I only hope that Sabres fans can treat him as they did with Josh Allen, with patience. While I don’t think he’s going to develop into the franchise piece that Allen seems to have (although it would certainly be welcomed), I do think that if given enough time to fully develop and surrounded with the right pieces to succeed, then Quinn can become a very impactful player for this franchise.
Ryan Johnson
Now for the gold medalist of the group. Ryan Johnson has had an… interesting relationship with Sabres fans to start his career. In 2019, he was selected 31st overall by ex-GM Jason Botterill, which at the time was a very confusing pick considering how barren the prospect pool was at forward. As time went on, fans only soured on Johnson with a less than stellar freshman season at the University of Minnesota, scoring just 8 assists in 37 games. Not to mention fellow second rounder Arthur Kaliyev scored 44 goals in 57 games in the OHL, who was a forward that many Sabres fans wanted to have been selected.
Many had already given up on the young man coming into this season, believing that he was another failed pick by Botterill. Instead, to start this year Johnson has shown immense improvement in both his defensive and especially his offensive play. Prior to the start of the tournament he put up 4 assists in 6 games at Minnesota, which was already half of what he put up last year in ⅙ of the amount of games.
This would continue into the World Juniors. For the better part of the tournament Johnson was stuck playing in a third pairing role alongside Ducks Prospect Henry Thrun, not being on either of the team’s power play units. However, this would not stop Johnson from being able to produce. In the seven round robin games Johnson would put up 1 goal and 3 assists, a point total which would only be behind the top pair of Cam York and Brock Faber in points. In the playoffs, Johnson would notch one more assist, but not only his production improved, but also his impact. Johnson was near the top for the whole tournament at controlled exits, meaning that he was usually successful at getting the puck out of the defensive zone, which as a third pairing defenseman is what is wanted.
Johnson’s play probably warranted more ice time, but you can’t really fault a team that won the gold medal. Johnson did get more as the tournament went along which was great to see, as it seemed as if the USA did start to trust him more and more. He was getting regular shifts towards the end of the Gold Medal game against Canada trying to defend a 2-0 lead, showing just how much they trusted him. What stood out to me the most this tournament was Ryan Johnson’s skating ability. He is a silky smooth skater, that so effortlessly moves around the ice creating so much time and space. The way he turns on his edges is almost Skinner-esque which is just so satisfying to watch.
If Johnson can continue the development path he is on, then the Sabres’ defensive future may look brighter than it may seem. Rasmus Dahlin, Jacob Bryson, and Ryan Johnson is a left-handed defenseman group that could have the potential to be an impactful group in the league.
JJ Peterka
When the Sabres selected Peterka in the NHL Entry Draft back in October, it was clear that he was their guy. Trading their 38th and 100th picks to move up to 34th, Kevyn Adams knew that Peterka had the talent of a 1st-rounder and it was a mistake that he had slipped so far. Peterka was the second highest ranked German in the class, only behind Tim Stuetzle who went 3rd overall, so it was obvious that he was going to be a big part of Team Germany for the WJC.
Unfortunately, out of all the teams at the tournament, Germany was by far the team that was hit the hardest by COVID-19. By the time that the preliminary games started, Germany was already down to nine forwards and five defensemen, losing key players such as Moritz Seider and Lukas Reichel. But on the plus side, this meant that a guy like Peterka was going to be relied on much more, and he very much stepped up to the task.
Four goals and six assists was good enough for Peterka to be tied for 3rd in the tournament in scoring with his fellow linemate Stuetzle, only behind Dylan Cozens and Trevor Zegras. That is some pretty elite company to be with considering where Peterka was drafted. Plus, this was enough to get Germany to the quarterfinals for the first time ever. An additional cool stat is that with his 8 goals scored at the WJC over the last 2 years, JJ Peterka is now Germany’s all-time leading scorer at the tournament, an awesome title to have for the young man.
All aspects of Peterka’s offensive game were on full display. Just like how highly ranked Ryan Johnson was for controlled exits, Peterka was at the top of the tournament for controlled entries and being able to consistently carry the puck into the offensive zone. His slick passing was also shown off, being able to consistently find linemates Stuetzle and Elias with some creative playmaking. Sabres' fans also got a look at Peterka’s rifle of a shot, getting comparisons to Olofsson when he sniped a few from his power play spot. Overall, the only part of Peterka’s game that needs work is his defense, but that was known when he was picked. Plus, some of his lackluster defensive play could’ve been inflated by a shorthanded German team.
Sadly, Germany would fall to Russia 2-1, in a gutsy effort. Germany gave them all they could handle, with Peterka continuing to be arguably the most dangerous player on the ice. For the first time in years, the Sabres may finally have drafted a guy outside of the 1st round that can turn into a difference maker for the franchise. Get excited Sabres fans, we got a good one.
Dylan Cozens
Oh man, where do we even start with Dylan Cozens? What an unbelievable tournament he had. When Kirby Dach went down in an exhibition game against Russia and was ruled out for the tournament, Cozens was the player that was going to be looked at to step up and lead the team, and if you couldn’t tell, he more than delivered.
Being named captain along with Bowen Byram, Cozens was leading the offense as the first line center for the entire tournament. In his 7 games, Dylan Cozens had 16 points (8G + 8A) which would have him finish 2nd in the tournament, only behind Anaheim’s sensational Trevor Zegras who tied the all-time American scoring record. He was without a doubt the MVP of Team Canada, which is amazing considering this was one of the most stacked Canadien teams in years with a whopping 20 first round picks on the roster.
His offensive prowess was front and center as he would dominate every game up and down the ice, filling the net with pucks or dishing them to his line mates. Without a doubt my favorite part of Cozens’ game to see was his defensive game. Not only was he the best offensive player, but he was the most trusted defensive forward on the ice, hounding pucks and grinding out every battle. Seeing his work ethic game in and game out is by far what I'm most excited to see translate to the NHL, as a strong two-way top-6 forward is what the Sabres have been lacking ever since Ryan O’Reilly was traded.
Unfortunately, Cozens’ efforts wouldn’t be able to help Canada enough, as they would fall in the Gold Medal game to USA 2-0. Once again, Cozens was the best player on the ice creating as many chances as he could in a game where Canada couldn’t generate enough offense. His time sulking in defeat would not last long as Terry Pegula would send a private jet out to Edmonton to bring him and Jack Quinn to Buffalo for camp.
If nothing else, Dylan Cozens appears to be the one saving grace of Jason Botterill’s tenure, with him looking to be a franchise piece for the years to come. If he continues to develop into the top-6 dynamo piece we know he can, then he is going to be the game breaker that the Sabres have been sorely missing.
The future looks bright for the Buffalo Sabres. If this tournament has been any indication, then the help that Jack Eichel needs may be finally on the way, and we can look forward to a young influx of talent being sent on its way.
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