Sabres Draftees Show Potential At Prospects Showcase

Buffalo Sabres prospects were on display this weekend at the club’s two-game Prospect Showcase against the Boston Bruins, but with nearly half of their roster free agent invitees. The Sabres were outgunned by the Bruins prospects, who were led by 2025 seventh overall pick James Hagens, but the Sabres most prominent  performers were recent draftees. 

In the 6-2 loss on Sunday, the scoring stars were 2026 sixth-rounder Dylan Dumont and fifth-rounder Doman Szongoth. Dumont had a goal and assisted on Szongoth’s second-period power play goal. In the 4-3 overtime loss on Monday, Buffalo’s defensive prospects contributed, as 2023 draftees Maxim Strbak and Gavin McCarthy tallied, as well as Liam Valente.

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Valente is an intriguing prospect who signed a one-year AHL deal after his senior season at Western Michigan where he led the club with 20 goals. The 23-year-old scored his first professional goal with the Amerks at the end of last season and could be depended upon to fill some of the scoring gap with the Sabres affiliate, who will not have leading scorer Konsta Helenius, center Noah Ostlund, and ex-Sabres Lsak Rosen, or contributors Anton Wahlberg and Zac Jones. 

On Tuesday, the club announced that four players: Szongoth, Dumont, defenseman David Bedkowski, and goalie Samuel Meloche, were being sent back to their CHL clubs. Szongoth played at the junior level in Finland last season and internationally for Hungary, and will play for the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds. Dumont (Drummondville) and Meloche (Saint John) return to their QMJHL clubs, while Bedkowski will return to the Ottawa 67’s to play in his fifth OHL season.  

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