Konsta Helenius took a step toward relocating from Finland to North America to continue his career with the Buffalo Sabres.
Helenius, 18, the center Buffalo drafted with the 14th pick of the first round in Las Vegas, signed a three-year, entry-level contract Monday that will allow him to join the Sabres' American Hockey League affiliate in Rochester as soon as the fall.
Helenius was a standout performer last week at the Sabres' post-draft development camp, where he showcased the playmaking and mature two-way game that convinced General Manager Kevyn Adams to select him after Buffalo traded down from the 11th pick to No. 14 to acquire an additional second-round selection.
Helenius is the first player in the Sabres' eight-member 2024 draft class to sign a contract with the club.
“He’s a very, very competitive player that’s got a skill set that we think will translate really well to the National Hockey League,” Adams said of Helenius. “You never know the timeline when when a player like this will be ready to play and help you, but when you have already the experience that he’s gained through the men’s league, through the World Championships, that certainly expedite things. So, this is a really likeable player.”
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Tappara, a club in Finland's Liiga, has Helenius under contract for the 2024-25 season, but the Sabres intend to try to bring him to the United States. There isn't a spot available on the NHL roster after Buffalo acquired third-line center Ryan McLeod from the Edmonton Oilers for one of its top prospects, forward Matt Savoie. There are ice time and development opportunities in Rochester, where Helenius can skate with recent top draft picks Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen and Noah Ostlund, among others.
Helenius' 36 points in 51 games with Jukurit in Liiga last season was the fourth-highest single-season total by an under-18 player, trailing only current NHL forwards Aleksander Barkov, Mikael Granlund and Kaapo Kakko. Helenius represented Finland at the IIHF Under-18, world junior and men's world championships. At the latter tournament, Helenius recorded one assist and a plus-2 rating in four games as the youngest participant.
There were signs of growth from Helenius throughout his three seasons in Liiga, which he first joined as a 16-year-old. He averaged 16:57 of ice time per game while winning 50% of his faceoffs this season, then logged an average of 18:32 while producing six points in six playoff games.
The Sabres also saw him excel at the Under-17 and Under-18 tournaments last year, when he won 62.2% of his faceoffs in the latter.