ROSÉN: ‘I WANT A JERSEY IN BUFFALO’
Sep 11, 2025By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
Isak Rosén is no stranger to the Buffalo Sabres’ annual Prospects Challenge. Perhaps year one, the first-round draft pick was expected to just get a feel for playing on smaller ice. In year two, it was to continue building on being a pro after a rookie season in Rochester. Last September, it was to show how far both he and Jiri Kulich had come as the elder statesmen of the group.
Those are all assumptions. But now, in year four, there is a clear expectation set forth for the 22-year-old.
“You want to see him blow the doors off this tournament,” said Amerks head coach Michael Leone, who will serve as head coach for the Sabres for a second consecutive Prospects Challenge. “He should have the puck a lot and he should be driving a lot of our offense and dominate the tournament.”
Rosén, who will be entering his fourth professional season next month, made the decision to find a new personal strength coach during the offseason. The results have been physically apparent, with the forward gaining nearly 10 pounds of muscle.
Leone’s forecast for the Stockholm, Sweden native is echoed and enforced by Rosén himself. Since the 2022-23 season, fans have been accustomed to seeing a number 18 jersey in red, white and blue. This year, the hope is for number 63 in blue and gold on a full-time basis.
“It’s time to show that I want a jersey in Buffalo,” said Rosén when speaking to media earlier in the week. “I just have to take every opportunity I can get here. I’m going to work extremely hard every minute on and off the ice to showcase myself.”
The 2025-26 campaign in many ways is a prove-it year for Rosén. The two-time AHL All-Star and Amerks leading scorer from a season ago is now entering the final year of his three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres. Rosén has amassed 142 points (62+80) over 194 games as an Amerk. He has done it all at the AHL level: five-on-five, power play, penalty kill, wing, center. He’s been a part of three playoff runs in Rochester, including 2023, where the Amerks were two wins away from winning the Eastern Conference and advancing to the Calder Cup Finals.
From an individual accolade’s perspective, there’s not much more to chase for the 14th overall NHL Draft Pick from 2021 in the AHL.
“You want to see him make the Sabres out of camp and spend most of the season in Buffalo,” said Leone. “With any young player, it’s usually consistency. Rosey (Rosén) has taken strides towards that. He had a really good summer and we’re excited to see the results of that pay off here in camp.”
Since coming to North America together, Rosén and Kulich were two names that felt impossible to separate in a sentence. Often referred to as the dynamic duo in Rochester, the two showcased that again at the 2024 Prospects Challenge. Rosén frequently acted as the set-up man to Kulich’s one-timer; a shot that has now been proven to be every bit as dangerous in the NHL as it was in Rochester. The pairing were split up for the bulk of last season as Kulich seemingly graduated from the Amerks, only to return during the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Sabres’ rookie scored 15 goals and posted 24 points over 62 games. While Rosén would’ve enjoyed recreating that tandem in Buffalo, the absence of Kulich presented another opportunity for growth in the Swede’s game.
“I really loved to play with him, but I think when he went up last year I started to shoot more. When we were together, I would want to give him the pass and search for him. Obviously, he’s got a good shot, but I’ve got a good shoot, too.”
Rosén’s career high 28-goal season ranked fourth across all skaters in the AHL’s Eastern Conference in 2024-25.
Opportunities have come knocking for Rosén before. In 2023-24, a late November call-up saw him make his NHL debut and skate in seven games for Buffalo. Last season, Rosén earned several recalls throughout the schedule, playing in eight contests, including a March 27th outing against Pittsburgh, where the prospect tallied his first NHL point on an assist.
Seven games one year. Eight the next. The goal is far more than nine this upcoming season, but for now, Rosén is focusing on the controllables, hoping the result this year is a walk across the street from LECOM Harborcenter to KeyBank Center rather than a drive to Blue Cross Arena.
“I’m just going about it day by day. I’ve worked on my mindset a lot over the summer. I’m not thinking about next week. That doesn’t matter. I have to be the best I can every day. There’s a lot of guys here that want to make the Sabres. It’s not just me. I have to show it every day. That’s my mindset.”