BUFFALO, N.Y. — Four months after signing his three-year entry level deal with the Sabres and two months since arriving in Buffalo from Russia, forward Aleksandr Kisakov is getting a crash course in North American hockey as he joins his blue and gold teammates for the first time at the 2022 Prospects Challenge.

What You Need To Know

  • The Sabres drafted Aleksandr Kisakov with the 53rd overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, one of four Russians in his Sabres draft class when the team hadn't selected a Russian skater since 2016
  • Kisakov was unable to join the Sabres for development camp due to visa issues but arrived in Buffalo shortly thereafter
  • Playing left wing and center, Kisakov will likely spend this coming season in Rochester developing under Seth Appert

"You can see that he's got good skill, good vision," Amerks assistant coach Mike Weber said on Friday after practice. "He can make plays through those small areas. He's got a patience and a calmness about him."

Although coaches feel his reserved presence on ice, Kisakov said via translator Frank Musil that he was nervous to take the ice in his first game with the Sabres Thursday night against Juraj Slafkovsky and the Canadiens prospects.

"It was quite difficult because he was emotionally involved, a bit nervous, different style of play," Musil explained. "It's important, every practice, every day, it's important for him to get better and to feel closer to the team and players. He expects to be better because of it."

His arrival in Buffalo has been emotionally taxing on the 19-year-old, after immigration paperwork was initially denied as Russian prospects faced difficulties leaving Eastern Europe for the United States. Kisakov was in Montreal for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, but work visa delays prevented him from meeting and skating with Sabres teammates at development camp the following week.

"It was very difficult emotionally," Musil said in translation. "He was going through ups and downs. It didn't work out the first time. It was almost a two-month process. He's happy where he is now."

Now that those hurdles are in the rearview mirror, Kisakov can look ahead to developing toward his NHL future while expecting adversity in Rochester, geared to help him grow under Amerks head coach Seth Appert.

"I coached against him, and I didn't like coaching against him. I like coaching him," Appert said of the forward likely to join him in Rochester this season to develop all aspects of his game. "He's a little bit of a magician with the puck. He really is. His creativity. His edge control is really special … Kisakov's edge control and cutbacks and his ability to find secondary plays is really unique."

"Last night, seeing him with the extra speed, playing against higher-caliber players, I think that's something he needs to improve. The footspeed aspect of it," Weber said. "Man, he made a lot of good plays in a lot of little areas and he was pretty steady. I think that's what's special about him, unique about him in a way that he has that patience and that calmness back there for a big guy."