The Buffalo Sabres made some interesting recalls Tuesday, bringing up Peyton Krebs, JJ Peterka, and Arttu Ruotsalainen. With several players in the COVID protocol and the Sabres set to resume their season Wednesday night, the young prospects could get a chance to show what they can do at the NHL level.
Coincidentally, this means that Krebs will likely make his Sabres debut in the same game as Alex Tuch, who has recovered from injury and will be in the lineup Wednesday night. The pair of forwards came to Buffalo in exchange for Jack Eichel last month (along with draft picks) and will be under the microscope as they make their debuts. While Tuch has been rehabbing, Krebs has been lighting it up at the AHL level, scoring 14 points in 16 games with the Rochester Americans. The 17th overall pick in 2019, Krebs is potentially a long-term option for the Sabres down the middle of the ice.
Peterka meanwhile has been wowing Rochester fans all season, scoring 20 points in 23 games as an AHL rookie. The 19-year-old forward was the 34th overall pick in 2020 and is in his first season in North America. Notably, he could be playing for Germany at the World Juniors right now but was left off the roster to continue his development in the Sabres system, as he’d already competed in the tournament twice previously. It has proved to be a good decision as it looks like he’ll get his NHL debut a few weeks ahead of his 20th birthday.
Ruotsalainen, 24, has been in the Sabres system for two years now after signing as an undrafted European free agent in 2019 and coming over to North America last season. In 33 games at the NHL level he has seven goals and 10 points, impressing whenever given regular offensive playing time. The 5-9 forward doesn’t exactly come with the same kind of excitement that Krebs and Peterka bring but could still help the Sabres fill out the lineup in the coming days and weeks.
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