Sabres Rookie Carving Out New Role

A rookie Buffalo Sabres forward is finding a new role with his team.

Jan 21, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Buffalo Sabres forward Jiri Kulich (20) look to redirect a shot on Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko (35) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Sabres took down the Vancouver Canucks in their most recent contest, taking down the struggling Canucks by a score of 3-2. The win ended a brief two-game skid for the Sabres, but the biggest takeaway from the game was the play of rookie forward Jiri Kulich.

After missing a couple weeks for the Sabres due to injury, Kulich has been excellent in his return. The 20-year-old forward is carving out a new role on the team, and it's a huge opportunity for one of the most talented young prospect in the organization.

Since Kulich's return, he's been playing as the team's first line center. Head coach Lindy Ruff has smartly deployed him with the team's two best scorers, JJ Peterka and Tage Thompson, in an effort to surround the youngster with consistent finishers and dependable linemates.

Against the Canucks, the line was near perfect, providing all of the offense for the Sabres. Each member of the line recorded a goal, while Kulich also added on two assists. It was a highlight-reel kind of night for the rookie center, who looks totally at home on the top line.

Where Kulich is thriving is around the net front. He was all over the crease in their victory over the Canucks, and it's where the young forward is doing a majority of his damage. Look at two of the goals he was involved in against Vancouver as the perfect example.

During his goal scoring effort, it was a result of him crashing the net and being ready for the puck. With Peterka handling the puck behind the net, Kulich goes strong towards the goal and makes himself available for a pass. Peterka feeds it to him and he precisely angles his stick to redirect the pass past Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko.

On the team's game-winning goal, he was critical in two ways. Firstly, he won a crucial face-off in the offensive zone, giving the Sabres possession. He then, again, went hard to the net and screened Demko, which gave Peterka a perfect shooting angle to beat him.

This new opportunity for Kulich is proving to be an excellent one so far. It's a small sample size, but his skill and hockey IQ are making him a strong fit. The Sabres are down and out in terms of the playoff race, but they have a new top center emerging, and his name is Jiri Kulich.

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