So who are these two players, and what should we know as they arrive in Winnipeg?
Isak Rosén – RW – LH – 6’0″ – Solna, Sweden
Rosén, 22, a product of Solna, Sweden, spent his junior days playing overseas in Sweden, developing in the Leksands IF system. He heard his name called at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft when the Sabres selected him 14th overall in the first round.
He then transitioned to the Rochester Americans, the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, for the 2022-23 season where he contributed 37 points (14G, 23A) in 66 games. The following season, he made his NHL debut with Buffalo but still spent the majority of the year with Rochester, managing to hit 50 points (20G, 30A) in 67 contests.
Rosén kept up his strong play in 2024-25 with the Americans, posting 55 points (28G, 27A) in 61 games.
Before getting traded to Winnipeg, he was on track to surpass that mark this season as he already has 43 points (25G, 18A) in just 37 AHL games. He’s also reached a new career high in NHL games played this season (16) while contributing three goals and four assists for Buffalo.
We’ve got a first NHL goal in Buffalo!
Congrats, Isak Rosen! 👏
Rosén is excelling in the AHL, but challenges remain when translating his game to the NHL.
“You need to play him up the line-up in order to maximize him offensively,” said Patrick Williams on X. “The catch is that his defensive game is not there yet, so you can get burned on some of those top-six match-ups. This is not an uncommon problem or challenge for high-skill prospects, though.”
The 22-year-old has appeared in 31 NHL contests, posting three goals and five assists for eight points.
Jacob Bryson – D – LH – 5’9″ – London, Ont.
Bryson, 28, has been in the Sabres organization for quite some time.
He was drafted 99th overall in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and brings 289 games of experience on the Sabres blue line.
He spent time in the AHL with Rochester in 2019-20 after transitioning from college hockey, playing 61 contests and recording 27 points (4G, 23A), with additional stints in 2020-21 and 2023-24.
WHO ELSE BUT JACOB BRYSON
TIE GAME
HE HAS EARNED THIS GOAL
LETS GO
The London, Ont., native has five points (2G, 3A) in 35 games with Buffalo this season. Over his 289-game NHL career, he has recorded 48 points (6G, 42A).
Dave Minuk of Illegal Curve Hockey confirmed Bryson will wear No. 78 with Winnipeg, becoming the first player in franchise history to wear the number.