Prospect defenseman Vsevolod Komarov continued to make the Buffalo Sabres pay attention to him right up until the last game of his season.
Komarov scored on a two-on-one play with Anaheim Ducks 2022 Nathan Gaucher to score the Memorial Cup-clinching goal in the Quebec Ramparts 5-0 win against the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Ramparts are coached by Hall of Famer Patrick Roy.
It was the first goal goal of the game. Komarov made the right decition to jump into the play and had a strong finish. He netted 12 goals during the regular-season.
The 6-foot-2 Russian was drafted in the fifth round (134th overall) in the 2022 draft, and has impressed the Sabres enough this season to earn a pro contract. The Sabres signed him to a three-year entry level deal on May 25, making him the fifth player from their 2022 draft class. The others: Matt Savoie, Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich , Viktor Neuchev and Komarov.
Developing Offensive Instincts
The Sabres originally drafted Komarov believing he could be a solid one-on-one defender, and have been pleasantly surprised by offensive development.
Komarov improved significantly this season, particularly in his skating. He’s now considered one of the Sabres’ top three defensive prospects.
He is also a right-shot defenseman. Like most NHL teams, the Sabres need right-shot D men. They will be looking for a veteran right-shot defenseman in the free agent market this summer.
Komarov, 19, is listed as 6-foot-3 on some websites. He is clearly big enough to fit into Buffalo’s collection of bigger defensemen. Owen Power is 6-foot-6. Rasmus Dahlin is 6-foot-3. Mattias Samuelsson is 6-foot-4.
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