BUFFALO — After his contract in the Kontinental Hockey League expires next year, the Sabres expect prospect Prokhor Poltapov to come to North America and immediately jump into their lineup.

Where could the Russian, a winger the Sabres drafted in the second round in 2021, 33rd overall, fit in?

kAm%:> z6??65J[ E96 $23C6D’ ?6H 5:C64E@C @7 A=2J6C 56G6=@A>6?E[ H@C<65 4=@D6=J H:E9 !@=E2A@G 😕 9:D AC6G:@FD C@=6 2D 2 56G6=@A>6?E 4@249] w6 36=:6G6D E96 G6CD2E:=6 J@F?8DE6C 42? A=2J 😕 E96 E@A D:I @C E@A ?:?6]k^Am

kAm“w6’D =:<6 2 $H:DD pC>J 6?E 42>A 😕 {tr~| w2C3@C46?E6C] “w6 42? A=2J H:E9 2 =@E @7 5:776C6?E A=2J6CD[ A=2J 2 =@E @7 5:776C6?E C@=6D] (6 =@G6 9:D 4@>A6E6 2?5 9:D D<:==]”k^Am

kAm!@=E2A@G[ ab[ 92D DA6?E E96 =2DE 7@FC D62D@?D 2?5 A2CE @7 2?@E96C H:E9 r$zp |@D4@H[ D4@C:?8 cb 8@2=D 2?5 `_b A@:?ED 😕 aee 82>6D]k^Am

kAmw6 D4@C65 `e 8@2=D 2?5 c_ A@:?ED 😕 eg 82>6D =2DE D62D@?[ ?62C=J :56?E:42= E@ 9:D AC@5F4E:@? W`f 8@2=D 2?5 c_ A@:?ED 😕 eg 4@?E6DEDX 😕 a_ac\ad]k^Am

kAm!@=E2A@G D4@C65 7:G6 8@2=D 2?5 `_ A@:?ED 😕 de @FE:?8D 2D 2 C@@<:6 😕 a_aa\ab]k^Am

kAm“%96 7:CDE J62C H96C6 96 H2D A=2J:?8 😕 E96 zw{[ :E’D 2=H2JD 92C5 7@C 2 J@F?8 A=2J6C E@ 86E @AA@CEF?:EJ[ 2?5 x E9:?< 96 92D 56G6=@A65 G6CJ H6== 😕 E96 =2DE 76H J62CD[ 2?5 96’D 86EE:?8 >@C6 E:>6 @? E96 E@A 76H =:?6D[” z6??65J D2:5] “w6’D 86EE:?8 >@C6 A@H6C\A=2J E:>6[ 2?5 E96 A@:?ED 96’D AFE FA[ x E9:?<[ 😕 E96 =2DE 76H J62CD 2E 9:D 286 92D 366? 8C62E]”k^Am

kAm!@=E2A@G’D zw{ 4@?EC24E CF?D E9C@F89 a_ae\af[ 244@C5:?8 E@ >F=E:A=6 C6A@CED] w6 92D?’E D:8?65 2 562= H:E9 E96 $23C6D]k^Am

kAmz6??65J D2:5 #FD=2? !649@?<:?[ E96 $23C6D’ #FDD:2? D4@FE[ 96=AD E96> 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 !@=E2A@G] z6??65J D2:5 96 2?5 y2C<@ #FFEF[ E96 E62>’D tFC@A62? 56G6=@A>6?E 4@249[ H2E49 !@=E2A@G’D 82>6D[ D6?5 9:> 4=:AD 2?5 E2=< E@ 9:> @?46 2 H66<]k^Am

kA DEJ=6lQE6IE\2=:8?i 46?E6CjQm•••k^Am

kAm$23C6D 7@CH2C5 !6JE@? zC63D 92D 7:=65 7@C D2=2CJ 2C3:EC2E:@?[ E96 }w{ !=2J6CD’ pDD@4:2E:@? 2??@F?465 $F?52J]k^Am

kAmzC63D[ ad[ 😀 E96 $23C6D’ @?=J F?D:8?65 C6DEC:4E65 7C66 286?E]k^Am

kAmu:=:?8[ @7 4@FCD6[ 5@6D?’E >62? 2 A=2J6C H:== 8@ E@ 2C3:EC2E:@?] }68@E:2E:@?D 42? 4@?E:?F6] %96 D:56D FDF2==J C6249 2 562= 367@C6 E96 2C3:EC2E:@? 962C:?8]k^Am

kAm!=2J6CD H9@ 7:=6 7@C 2C3:EC2E:@? H2?E >@C6 E92? E96:C BF2=:7J:?8 @776C H@F=5 A2J E96>]k^Am

kAmu:7E66? A=2J6CD 7:=65 7@C 2C3:EC2E:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 }w{!p]k^Am

kAm%96 5625=:?6 7@C E62>\6=64E65 2C3:EC2E:@? H2D |@?52J 2E d A]>]k^Am

kAmw62C:?8D H:== 36 96=5 7C@> yF=J a_ E@ pF8] `]k^Am

kAmzC63D[ @?6 @7 E96 $23C6D’ >@DE G6CD2E:=6 7@CH2C5D[ D6E 42C66C 9:89D 24C@DD E96 3@2C5 =2DE D62D@?[ C68:DE6C:?8 `a 8@2=D[ bh A@:?ED 2?5 2 A=FD\`b C2E:?8 😕 ga 82>6D]k^Am

kAmw6 ;FDE 4@>A=6E65 2 EH@\J62C[ Sa]h >:==:@? 4@?EC24E]k^Am

kA DEJ=6lQE6IE\2=:8?i 46?E6CjQm•••k^Am

kAm%96 $23C6D @? $2EFC52J 25565 8@2=:6 56AE9[ D:8?:?8 |2EE ‘:==2=E2 E@ 2 @?6\J62C[ EH@\H2J 4@?EC24E]k^Am

kAm’:==2=E2[ af[ 8:G6D E96 $23C6D 2 G6E6C2? ?6E>:?56C 7@C E96 #@496DE6C p>6C:42?D] w6 H:== =:<6=J D92C6 E96 ?6E H:E9 AC@DA64ED %@A:2D {6:?@?6? @C $4@EE #2EK=277[ 3@E9 @7 H9@> DA6?E E:>6 😕 E96 pw{ =2DE D62D@?]k^Am

kAm%96 e\7@@E\b[ `h_\A@F?5 ‘:==2=E2 92D DA6?E >@DE @7 9:D 42C66C 😕 E96 pw{[ 4@>A:=:?8 `ab\gb\a_ C64@C5 H:E9 2 a]hb 8@2=D\282:?DE 2G6C286[ 2 ]h_b D2G6 A6C46?E286 2?5 `_ D9FE@FED 😕 abd 42C66C 82>6D]k^Am

kAmw6 DA6?E E96 =2DE E9C66 D62D@?D H:E9 E96 %F4D@? #@25CF??6CD[ E96 &E29 |2>>@E9’D E@A 277:=:2E6] w6 H2D ?2>65 E@ E96 pw{ p==\$E2C r=2DD:4 😕 a_ab\ac]k^Am

kAm’:==2=E2 C68:DE6C65 2 `e\`a\b >2C< H:E9 2 b]`_ 8@2=D\282:?DE 2G6C286[ 2? ]ghd D2G6 A6C46?E286 2?5 @?6 D9FE@FE 😕 bb 82>6D =2DE D62D@?]k^Am

kAmw6 92D A=2J65 E9C66 }w{ 82>6D[ 4@>A:=:?8 2 `\`\_ C64@C5 H:E9 2 b]ec 8@2=D\282:?DE 2G6C286 2?5 2? ]gec D2G6 A6C46?E286]k^Am

kAm%96 {@D p?86=6D z:?8D 5C27E65 ‘:==2=E2 😕 E96 E9:C5 C@F?5 😕 a_`f[ fa?5 @G6C2==]k^Am

kAm%96 $23C6D ?66565 2 8@2=:6 7@C #@496DE6C 27E6C EC25:?8 s6G@? {6G: E@ E96 t5>@?E@? ~:=6CD @? (65?6D52J]k^Am