Young Buffalo Herd

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Hopson has notes on two of the Buffalo Sabres top prospects, Tyler Myers (pictured) and Tim Kennedy, as well as German forward Philip Gogulla.

Tyler Myers D, Buffalo

Myers signed an entry-level contract with the Sabres in May and has made the roster out of training camp .. still growing and reportedly up to six-foot-eight now, Myers is physically prepared for the NHL, but his mental readiness is not quite there yet .. although his range is one of his most valuable assets on defense, during an exhibition game against Toronto, he did not rely on it enough and tried to do too much in certain situations .. this, in turn, caused him to make some bad decisions in his own end .. by keeping things simple and showing more confidence in his reach and stickchecking abilities, Myers will go a long way in the NHL .. furthermore, if he can put on some weight and develop a more physical game, he can eventually become a dominant defenseman .. he already possesses quality mobility and puck-moving skills for a player his size, which allows him to jump into the rush and contribute on the man advantage .. just imagine how good he can be when he fully matures his game.

Tim Kennedy C/LW, Buffalo

The Buffalo native, who was picked up in a trade with Washington in 2005, led Portland and all AHL rookies with 49 assists last season .. it is not difficult to see why, as he made several beautiful passes in an exhibition game against Toronto and could have easily had three or more assists on the night .. he owns supple hands and can survey the ice with hawk-eye precision .. Kennedy also enjoys an undemanding skating stride, providing him with great agility and quickness when he needs it .. Kennedy's quality two-way game is deserving of special teams play and his impressive strength on the puck, particularly along the boards, warrants praise by coaches and teammates alike .. if there is one obvious weakness in Kennedy's game, it is his faceoff discipline .. against Toronto, he was kicked out of the faceoff circle more times than not .. Kennedy's transition to playing center last season was a successful one, but he still has some learning to do.

Philip Gogulla (Buf), LW, Kolner Haie (German Elite League)

Gogulla played in the German Elite League last season, putting up 38 points in 48 games with Kolner Haie .. despite recording 17 goals with the team, Gogulla appears to be more of a set-up guy than a pure scorer .. while Gogulla's size allows him to battle along the boards and operate in a power forward role, it is his solid vision and puck distribution skills that stand out the most .. because of these strengths, he has powerplay potential .. skating wise, Gogulla's turns could be cleaner, and his top-end speed leaves a little to be desired.