Sabres Prospect Profile - Liam Valente

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.Other Sabres StoriesSabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss37 Liam Valente – Center (Western Michigan - NCAA, Rochester - AHL) The Sabres have not been really active in adding undrafted college and CHL prospects, since they a pipeline filled with draftees, but the club has found contributors like Zach Metsa, who played a significant chunk of last season in the NHL after joining Rochester on an AHL deal in 2023, and with a number of prospects likely moving from the Amerks to Buffalo full time next season, the club has begun to tap into the free agent market to populate their organization.Last April, the Sabres signed Western Michigan University center Liam Valente to a one-year AHL deal. The 23-year-old Swede went undrafted through his junior level stint with Linkoping and in 2022 came to North America to play in the NCAA. His first two seasons were uninspiring at Providence, so he used the transfer portal to shift to Western Michigan. In 81 games over two seasons, Valente scored 68 points (34 goals, 34 assists) in 81 games. As a senior he led the club with 20 goals.The 6’0”, 190 lb center joined the Amerks on a professional tryout contract late in the AHL season, and scored a goal in his first professional game. He also played in two of Rochester’s three games against the Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies.Follow Michael on X, and Instagram @MikeInBuffaloImage