This week the Buffalo Sabres will hit the ice at HARBORCENTER for training camp. Heading into this year it’s playoffs or bust for most fans, but is the roster talented enough for the Sabres to end its five year playoff drought?
As camp draws near, 7ABC will take a closer look at the training camp roster and put together our list of the “Top 20 Talents.”
Here’s the criteria on how the rankings will be established:
-Overall skill level
-Past performance
-Age, improving/declining ability
-Potential
On to the countdown:
No. 13 RW – Hudson Fasching
Why He's Here
Fasching is one of the Buffalo Sabres top prospects and is hoping to make an impact in the National Hockey League this year. Last season, Fasching dominated during his junior year at the University of Michigan, finishing with 38 points in 37 games. Those are fantastic college hockey numbers. The 21-year-old forward finished the year with the Sabres, scoring a goal in his first game like a scene out of a movie. When it was all said and done, Fasching had two points in seven games.
2016 Outlook
Fasching is one of several prospects fighting for a spot on the Sabres roster (likely third line wing). If Fasching doesn't make the Sabres, he'll spend the year developing in Rochester and there's nothing wrong with that. At 21-years-old the Sabres will want to make sure Fasching is ready at both ends of the ice before he's given a full time spot. In his seven games with the Sabres, Fasching was on the ice for two more goals for than goals against -- a nice stat, but surely a small sample size.
Fasching is just a grizzly bear compared to these prospects. Last year he played in 7 games with #Sabres (1G,1A) pic.twitter.com/H8wf8DxqNN
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) September 16, 2016
My Prediction
There's no denying that Fasching and Justin Bailey are promising Sabres prospects, but everyone ranks the two players differently. Some believe Fasching has more upside, others think Bailey. Admittedly, I think it's a toss-up. Fasching looked like a man amongst boys at Sabres Development Camp earlier in the summer, but Bailey looked like the better player at the Sabres Prospects Challenge earlier this week. It's going to be very interesting to see how it plays out at training camp, but regardless of what happens, Sabres fans should be excited about Hudson Fasching -- he's like a grizzly bear on skates.
Hudson Fasching just cleaned up the garbage in front of the net Mighty Duck style. Dude is BIG. Hopefully he'll be doing that w/ the #Sabres
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) December 29, 2014
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