The Buffalo Sabres’ top prospect is the kind of player who can change the temperature in a building fast, and Konsta Helenius has already done plenty to justify that billing.
The 2024 first-round pick spent last season splitting time between Rochester and Buffalo, and the numbers only sharpened the case for why the organization is leaning on him now. In 63 games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, Helenius put up a point per game, finishing with 21 goals and 42 assists. He added six points in eight playoff games, then earned a second straight spot on the AHL’s Top Prospects Team.
That offensive leap came after a solid first season in North America, when he had 35 points - 14 goals and 21 assists - in 65 games with Rochester and another three goals and three assists in eight playoff contests. Before that, Helenius was already carrying a heavy load for his age. At 17, he posted 36 points, including 14 goals and 22 assists, in 51 games for Jukurit, added seven points in five games at the Under-18s, played seven games at the IIHF World Juniors in Sweden, and saw limited action at the World Championships in May 2024.
That résumé helped explain why the Sabres were thrilled to land him at No. 14 overall after many draft analysts viewed him as nearly pro-ready. The fit has only gotten stronger since.
Helenius also made an impact on the international stage again at the 2025 World Junior, where he recorded six assists in seven games as Finland won the silver medal. He was important enough to Rochester that GM Jarmo Kekalainen did not release him to his country for the 2026 World Juniors.
The Sabres gave Helenius his NHL debut in mid-January after calling him up during the season. He appeared in nine games before the NHL Olympic break, then returned to Rochester. He wasn’t brought back up until after the Amerks were eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoffs in April.
When Buffalo needed him in the second-round series against Montreal, Helenius handled the moment without blinking. He stepped in for injured veteran Sam Carrick for Game 4, then scored two goals over the final four games of the series.
Now the expectation is clear: Helenius is set to begin the season in the NHL, where Buffalo is counting on him to help replace some of the scoring lost with Alex Tuch’s departure.
In Other News...
Sabres Enter Camp Still Waiting While Atlantic Rivals Keep Adding
Training camp has a way of clarifying the pecking order in the Atlantic, and the Canadiens and Maple Leafs have already made their moves. Montreal added veteran winger Chris Kreider on a one-year, incentive-laden contract, while Toronto brought in defenseman Nick Blankenburg on a professional tryout, giving both clubs another layer of competition before the season opens.
Buffalo, meanwhile, is still waiting for its next roster move after the departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram left obvious holes to fill. The Sabres have not added anyone yet, but there remains a sense that the front office could still chase a veteran forward or keep the long-discussed Connor Hellebuyck trade possibility alive as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Fans Get Their First Real Look At Buffalos Next Wave
The Sabres are giving fans an early chance to see the organizations next wave when the Prospects Showcase opens Sunday against the Bruins at 5 p.m. at LECOM Harborcenter. It is the kind of late-summer look that always draws extra attention, especially when it brings together young talent from both sides and puts Buffalos recent draft additions in the spotlight.
The roster is worth circling because it includes the full group of Sabres prospects, along with the kind of names that can start to shape the conversation about what comes next. The opener also serves as a first real measuring stick for how Buffalos youngsters stack up in a game setting, and for a handful of players, it comes with some immediate questions about where they fit once the season starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]