Sabres Just Added Two Rochester Names Worth Watching Closely

The Rochester Americans bolster their roster with promising talents Thomas Bordeleau and Talyn Boyko for the upcoming AHL season, marking a fresh chapter in their careers.

The Rochester Americans have added two more names to the mix for 2026-27, signing forward Thomas Bordeleau and goaltender Talyn Boyko to one-year AHL contracts, the team announced.

Bordeleau, 24, arrives with the more established offensive track record. A former second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, he spent two seasons at the University of Michigan and put up 20 goals and 67 points in 61 games while posting a plus-36 rating. He never won a National Championship with the Wolverines, but he was part of a powerhouse regular-season group that featured seven first-round picks, including four taken in the top five.

After his sophomore year, Bordeleau turned pro and signed his entry-level deal with San Jose. He flashed quickly, recording five assists in eight NHL games and adding three assists in two games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. The next season, his first full pro campaign, he delivered 22 goals and 41 points in 65 games for the Barracuda, while also picking up two assists in eight NHL appearances for the Sharks.

Since then, the path has been less straightforward. Bordeleau has continued to score at the AHL level and had a productive run with San Jose in 2023-24, but he never carved out lasting space on a crowded Sharks forward group.

He was traded to the New Jersey Devils before the 2025-26 season, spent much of that year with the Utica Comets, and then was moved again midseason into the St. Louis Blues organization.

Boyko, 23, comes in with a thinner AHL résumé, but he’s seen plenty of pro action elsewhere. Most of his North American experience has come in the ECHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones and Tulsa Oilers. His only AHL work so far came with the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he went 2-4-2 with a .906 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average in 10 games.

He also spent much of last season on loan to KalPa in Finland’s Liiga, finishing 8-4-4 in 16 games with a .876 save percentage and a 2.97 goals-against average.

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