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Noah Ostlund, Buffalo Sabres (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Sabres’ Rookie Noah Ostlund Deserves a Bigger Chance

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jacob D. Strozyk | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 4:10 PM ET

Recently, the Buffalo Sabres have come down with a bit of an injury bug, losing Jordan Greenway, Josh Norris, and even Tyson Kozak, leading them to call up hot young forward Noah Ostlund from the Rochester Americans to fill that gap. With most of the top scoring roles already being filled on the Sabres’ roster, there are not many real chances for Ostlund to fit in anywhere besides the bottom six. However, with the season essentially all but over, they should really give him a chance to mesh with some offensive style forwards that suit his play style, rather than burying him on the fourth line to grind things out with Sam Lafferty and Beck Malenstyn.

Let Ostlund Thrive in His Element

The Sabres were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday evening when the Montreal Canadiens hit the 87-point mark, so this leaves them in a spot where they can look to build. While they have been on a nice hot streak, winning five-straight games, this does not mean that they cannot make adjustments to their roster composition to give Ostlund — who has 36 points in 44 American Hockey League games this season — more of an opportunity to be the kind of player he is meant to be.

As a smooth skating playmaker with the capacity to score goals, spending time in the fourth line alongside Lafferty and Malenstyn is not going to benefit him the most. While it may force him to think responsibly and focus on his physical and defensive game, it does not give him the proper look at the NHL with the right kinds of players he would likely be playing alongside in the future.

Head coach Lindy Ruff should give Ostlund the third line spot where Peyton Krebs currently resides, and let him see some ice time with wingers like Alex Tuch, Jack Quinn, and/or Jason Zucker. Giving him a chance to play with the veteran forwards would do wonders for the kid in showing him how to play on the ice with experienced wingers. Not to mention, they would teach him all the right lessons on what it means to be a good center in the NHL, having learned from played with some of the best in the league themselves. The Sabres have some great veterans in Tuch and Zucker to teach Ostlund some valuable lessons he can take back to the Calder Cup playoffs and back to Rochester next season as well. It would be a shame to waste this opportunity.

Ostlund Has To Build On Success With The Sabres

Regardless of how he spends his time in the NHL, Ostlund needs to make the most of his call up to Buffalo. This does not necessarily mean he needs to record a bunch of points while he is up here, but it does mean he needs to adapt and learn what it means to play at a higher level. Jiri Kulich learned that lesson very well last season, it translated to this season spectacularly with a very impressive showing, and Ostlund is in the position to do the same. He can take his time in Buffalo as a lesson in pacing, strength, and timing and apply it to his game in the minors as he improves there.

He will be a key part of the Americans’ playoff run at the end of this season, and seeing how he finishes will be a testament to how his time in Buffalo affected him. He is not going to be a mainstay on the NHL roster by any means, as he has some things to iron out and there is no real roster space for him, so his goal needs to be to become one of the top, if not the top center for the Americans when he gets sent back down. I have praised him before in my Sabres prospect rankings, and he continues to show why he deserves those praises as each game goes on. Now he just has to build on that success and take the next step.

Ostlund Has Work To Do Regardless of His Future

The Sabres are in a tight spot with their top prospects as they have a lot of them knocking on the door to the NHL, but not enough space to let them all make it on to the roster full time. With this problem comes the inevitable reality that some of them will need to be traded to other teams (this has already been done once as Matt Savoie was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Ryan McLeod.) Ostlund is one of the prospects subject to this issue, as he is within a year or two of being ready to make the jump to the NHL. With his development being steady and consistent to this point, there is no reason to rush him, but there is also no reason to strand him in the minors and stunt his growth and value when it could be used elsewhere.

The Sabres’ organization need to decide if they have the room for him sooner rather than later, and make a choice on if they should move him for NHL-ready assets or continue to develop him in their system. Ostlund on the other hand, needs to decide if he is going to develop himself more as an offensive player or a two-way one. He has the skills to do both on a decent level, but he needs to focus in on one skill over the others if he is going to make the jump to the NHL sooner. A focused approach to his skills will stand out more than being a “jack-of-all-trades” sort. That is the difference between how a prospect like Kulich has developed, and a player like Krebs has developed. Ostlund needs to pick his path and stick to it so he can stand out and not just be another prospect on the pile.