Helenius earns second straight AHL Top Prospects Team selection

Konsta Helenius did more than stay on the prospect map. He strengthened his place on it. Rochester’s 19-year-old forward earned a second straight selection to the AHL Top Prospects Team, a recognition that landed just as the Amerks were measuring how far one of the league’s youngest regulars had come in a season built on production, responsibility and survival against older competition.

Helenius led Rochester with 63 points in 63 games, scoring 21 goals and adding 42 assists. That total ranked ninth in AHL scoring and stood as the best season by a teenager in franchise history, a marker that gives real weight to what might otherwise read like another prospect honor. The second straight selection mattered because it confirmed that his first-year burst was not a flash. He followed it with a larger, more complete campaign while keeping his scoring pace intact through NHL callups and the extra attention that comes with being a high-end young player in the Buffalo organization.

Buffalo took Helenius in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, and the expectations attached to that pick have only grown sharper. Rochester saw him meet them while carrying the burden that comes with being one of the youngest players in the league. The Amerks also pointed to his place among the club’s 2026 AHL All-Star Classic selections, another sign that he was not just piling up points but becoming a central figure in the lineup.

What stands out now is how the role has expanded. Helenius is no longer being tracked only as a scorer with upside. Rochester views him as a player with the vision, pace and maturity to push toward a larger NHL role, which is the real measure behind a second straight Top Prospects Team nod. For a franchise that regularly asks young forwards to produce immediately, Helenius has already answered with numbers. The next step is turning a standout development season in Rochester into a permanent opening in Buffalo.