theathleticuk
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres' war room was buzzing with anxiety during the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft. General manager Kevyn Adams was working the phones frantically while Jerry Forton, the team's director of amateur scouting, sat nearby hoping his intuition would hold up.
The Sabres had already made two of their three first-round selections that would shape the franchise's future. At No. 9, they took Winnipeg Ice center Matt Savoie. At No. 16, Forton faced a tough decision between Swedish center Noah Ostlund and Czech center Jiri Kulich, who were neck-and-neck on the team's board.
Forton believed Kulich had a better chance of falling to Buffalo's next pick at No. 28 because Ostlund's role on Sweden's gold-medal-winning under-18 team might push him higher. But he wasn't certain. After drafting Ostlund, Adams tried to trade up from No. 28, calling six teams from pick 17 onward, but no one would deal. The wait from No. 16 to No. 28 was agonizing.
“I was sick to my stomach every pick that went by, as were other members of our staff, that Kulich was not going to be there at 28,” Forton said. The tension broke when the San Jose Sharks selected Swedish forward Filip Bystedt at No. 27, allowing the Sabres to grab Kulich without a trade.
Ironically, Forton's logic for Ostlund going earlier was based on Sweden's U18 success, but Kulich was the tournament MVP, scoring nine goals and adding two assists in six games for Czechia. His goal total was the 14th-best in tournament history, and per game, it ranked 12th. “On the power play, he had five or six goals at the under-18s,” Forton recalled. “I remember (Sabres scout) Frank Musil and I joking the one game that he looked like (Alex) Ovechkin out there.”
Forton still struggles to explain why Kulich fell to No. 28. “Maybe he was viewed a little bit more as a shooter and not a playmaker,” he said. “But the athleticism was very evident back then. The skating, the compete. But he was more of a shooter at that level, and he was playing with the men in Czechia and didn't produce much there.” Despite the uncertainty, Forton believes the team made the right call. “I had plenty of teams that came up to me and said they were going to take Ostlund at like 11, 12, 13, 14. So I think we were right in that assessment, but I'm stunned it worked out. A lot of teams I'm sure are happy with their players but probably wondering the same thing. How did Kulich drop that low? It didn't make any sense to us, but I'm happy it fell that way.”
Key Analysis
When Forton and his staff scouted Kulich, they saw a player who excelled at shooting off the pass and had the potential to become a high-end goal scorer based on his international production. But they also recognized he was more than just a shooter—he was competitive and had the skating ability to command the middle of the ice as a center. “That was always a debate for us. Is he a center or more of a scoring winger?” Forton said. “That's where I give the player and the coaches all the credit in the world. We all view him as a two-way center now.”
The Sabres staff saw that immediately at development camp and the prospects tournament. Kulich aimed for the NHL right away but instead jumped to the AHL as an 18-year-old, posting the second-best point total for any 18-year-old in league history. That season solidified the team's belief he was a center. Then-Amerks coach Seth Appert would have Kulich lead drills on defensive angling and was hard on him about defensive details. Early in the season, with Kulich still struggling with English, Appert printed a translated message explaining he was being tough because of Kulich's potential. It resonated. Appert believed playing center helped Kulich engage more in games.
Lindy Ruff saw the same when Kulich reached the NHL, starting the 2025-26 season as Buffalo's No. 1 center. But his season ended abruptly due to a blood clot issue. The scary development paused his on-ice growth but accelerated his off-ice maturity. With team and agent support, he navigated the medical situation, gaining perspective rare for a 22-year-old. His English improved through appointments. The clot was fully removed at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He gained weight while off the ice but has been skating since April and expects to be ready for the season opener.
Kulich watched from the sidelines as the Sabres had a dream season in 2025-26, seeing other young prospects break into the NHL and impact the playoffs. It fueled his eagerness to return. “I can't even describe how excited I am for next season,” Kulich said. “Just watching those guys is just awesome. I watch every single shift. I'm so glad I can be part of this team even though I'm not playing, so I can see the guys working hard and having fun. So, yeah, it was really nice to see them doing really well.”
Four years ago, Kulich was overlooked. Now, after missing so much time, questions linger about his return and fit in Buffalo's crowded forward picture. But as in 2022, he has many believers. “The center utility now and the commitment to a two-way game has the potential to be a game-changer for our organization,” Forton said. “That's been something that was a bonus for us and maybe something we didn't see coming at quite that level.”
Originally reported by theathleticuk.