Konsta Helenius has the same purpose as every player in training camp this year with the Buffalo Sabres.
Make the NHL roster.
It’s easier said than done for some players, particularly for those with minimal professional experience. Realistically, there’s little probability that Helenius will make the Sabres’ roster barring a surprise trade or an injury to a returning player. Helenius, though, is getting plenty of chances to show his growth in training camp at the start of his second professional season in North America.
The 5-foot-11 center from Ylojarvi, Finland, was expected to play in his third preseason game in four nights when the Sabres took on the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. Thursday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
“(Coach) Lindy (Ruff) told us everyone gets a chance to play here,” Helenius said Thursday at KeyBank Center prior to the game at Detroit. “Now I’m doing three in a row, so it’s nice to play.”
The 19-year-old was the Sabres’ first-round pick at No. 14 in the 2024 NHL draft and scored 14 goals with 21 assists in 65 games with Rochester of the American Hockey League last season. He admitted during the Sabres’ Prospects Challenge tournament earlier this month that adjusting to the AHL wasn’t easy, with a smaller ice surface and having less time to make decisions and execute.
Still, Helenius played his best hockey in the AHL playoffs, scoring three goals with three assists in eight games with the Amerks, and was named to the AHL’s Top Prospects Team in May.
That pace has carried into the preseason. Helenius has a goal and an assist in the Sabres’ first two games and he has made an impression on Ruff in one week of training camp.
“He’s taken steps in the right direction,” Ruff said. “To me, he looks stronger. He looks more confident. He’s making a few more plays. His skating looks good, so he’s doing all the right things.”
Last year’s camp was a learning experience for Helenius – his first professional training camp after playing the previous two seasons with Mikkelin Jukurit in Finland.
He scored 36 points in 51 games for Jukurit in 2023-24, the second-highest total by an under-18 skater in the history of Liiga, the top hockey league in Finland. He was the youngest Finnish player to represent the country at the IIHF Men’s World Championship in 2024 and played for Finland in the IIHF World Junior Championship tournament in January.
This year’s training camp is a chance to prove his value to the Sabres, roster-wise and organizationally.
“It’s just trying to be in good shape,” Helenius said. “Now that I’m playing three games in a row, I have to be in good shape.”
He showed it Tuesday night in a 2-1 win against Columbus at KeyBank Center. He set up Jason Zucker’s go-ahead goal less than 12 minutes into the third period. Helenius got called for a hooking penalty with 4:40 left in regulation and his team ahead by a goal. The Sabres killed off the penalty and Helenius went back to the ice with 1:39 remaining and the Sabres facing a 5-on-6 situation after Columbus pulled goaltender Zach Sawchenko for a sixth skater.
Helenius helped the Sabres limit the Blue Jackets to one shot on goalie Devon Levi. Helenius also put a hit on Columbus defenseman Daemon Hunt with 44 seconds left.
Putting Helenius back on the ice was a show of competitive faith by Ruff. In kind, it helped Helenius reiterate his worth as a two-way forward.
“That meant a lot, that he gave me a chance to recover (from) that penalty, and I think that I did it well,” Helenius said. “It’s nice to get the late-game minutes there, that you can do something for the team.”
Putting Helenius in the lineup at Detroit is part of a plan Ruff and his staff had to use the center, who played on a line with Zucker and Ryan McLeod on Tuesday against the Blue Jackets, a night after opening the preseason at Columbus on a line with Anton Wahlberg and Noah Ostlund.
“You look at some of the top guys, if they play well, we’re probably going to let them play an extra game,” Ruff said. “You earn it, you’ll get more action.”
Helenius skated with Ostlund and Isak Rosen on Thursday morning in practice. He played in four preseason games last season, but did he consider Tuesday’s effort his best NHL game so far in his short career in North America?
“I don’t know, there’s not many games before that,” Helenius said with a wry grin.
Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Rachel Lenzi
News sports reporter
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today