Buffalo Sabres forward Jiri Kulich is on track to return in the fall, but the road back has carried more uncertainty than the public knew.
Kulich played only 12 games early in the 2025-26 season before a blood clot shut him down for the rest of the year. He said in May that he expects to pick up where he left off: "I think everything's going the right way, and I'm looking forward for next season," he told reporters.
On Monday’s episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman said the Sabres were initially alarmed by the situation.
"Kulich got hurt, missed time with the blood clot, [is] coming back," Friedman said. "I'm actually really happy to hear that. I heard initially, when they found out what he had, they were really worried about his career."
That concern makes sense given how much promise Kulich had already shown. The 2022 first-round pick put together his first full NHL season in 2024-25 and finished with 24 points, scoring 15 goals and adding nine assists in 62 games. His shot stood out then, and it should be a welcome weapon for Buffalo again, especially on the power play.
Before that, Kulich spent more than two productive seasons with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. He posted 94 points, including 53 goals and 41 assists, in 123 games with the Amerks.
His return matters for a Sabres team that has already lost offense after Alex Tuch was sent to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade agreement. Tuch had been scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Even with Kulich expected back, Buffalo may choose patience when the 2026-27 season opens. He has not played a competitive game since Nov. 1, which means he’ll be nearing 11 months without game action by the time preseason arrives in late September. The Sabres also have four exhibition games packed into a six-day stretch.
That kind of layoff could make a short stint with Rochester a logical step. A quasi-rehab assignment would give Kulich a lower-pressure setting to get his timing and pace back, and he would not need to clear waivers.
Roster math could push the same direction. Buffalo has 14 NHL forwards under contract for next season, and that number would rise to 15 once RFA center Peyton Krebs signs an extension or gets an arbitration hearing. But the Sabres are expected to carry only 13 forwards on the final roster because the front office has indicated it wants to keep a three-goalie rotation.
There are ways to trim the logjam. A trade could open space, with Jack Quinn mentioned as a possible piece in a major deal for Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Buffalo could also place Justin Danforth or Tyson Kozak on waivers. But general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has emphasized depth and competition, which makes it unlikely the club would want to lose either player for nothing.
The Sabres have also been linked to free-agent winger Patrick Kane, a Buffalo native.
With all that in play, starting Kulich in Rochester looks like the cleanest path. A stretch of 8 to 10 games there could help him get back up to speed, and by then Buffalo may already have an opening created by injury.
Nothing is locked in yet. Kekalainen could still make additional moves to create more flexibility, and Kulich could be with the Sabres on Opening Night. But whether he begins in Buffalo or Rochester, he looks set to be a major part of the team before long.
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