Sabres 2026-27 Prospect List

[dudacek]

I can’t see why the Sabres can’t afford to be paying their top 4 D $32Mish under a 115-130M cap, which is where we are headed 2027-30.

[LGR4GM]

25 minutes ago, tom webster said:

And my point previously was that this defensive prospects are worth more on the trade market than lesser forwards would have been. It’s crazy to me that anyone advocates drafting for position when almost all drafted guys are four years away from contributing.

Finally, it would be a coup of epic proportions if they found someone in rounds two through seven that were better forwards than the guys they got. You get those better forwards by trading your multiple defensive prospects and future draft picks to acquire the likes of a true number one center which is really the only thing the team needs upfront.

For the record, I enjoy the back and forth. You clearly study the prospects on a higher level. I rely on the people I know and trust. I can tell you, they don’t agree with a lot of what you say but they are impressed with the depth of your knowledge. 
 

 

You are conflating a few things together. There are 12 forward spots and 6 defensive spots. Sure you can argue that a top 4 defender is worth more than a middle 6 forward, that is true mostly. However is a 2nd pairing defender worth more than a 2nd line forward? What would it take to trade 1 for the other? 

The Sabres almost routinely pass on high end talent for a preference on "traits" that they really want. That extends into the first round as well. Benson, Kulich, Östlund, and Helenius were interesting because for the most part they were exceptions to how they Sabres draft. They went in on talent as the top trait, talent mixed with motor. Then they drafted Mrtka and I have to pause at that. He wasn't even close to the best thing available and sure he is a RHD but is he closer to Power or Kesselring (well aware he isn't a 1st round pick). I ask because Kesslering got traded with another high asset to get a 2nd line winger. 

The Sabres have drafted defender after defender after defender. It has been a parade of taking defenders in the 2nd and 3rd round and if you are saying they are doing that because of the "value", you are going to start losing value because you don't even have enough spots in Rochester for the RHDs. McCarthy and Strbak are going this year. Mrtka and Kleber will go next year. None of those players have a path to a spot in Buffalo's top 4. Meanwhile we are about to lose Tuch and Tage is really their only high end scorer. In fact it was a big talking point how much Buffalo's defense scores and makes up for the the forward depth. 

They need to think about is they are really getting value by taking Bedkowski or whoever on defense in the 2nd or the 3rd. What if they take another 1st round defender this year? At some point you aren't getting value, you just haven't recognized the bias in the drafting process. They think that RHDs are a position group worth more than wingers in particular and sure that is generally true, but goal scoring wingers are also a commodity. Buffalo is going to have to trade some defenders in the next couple years to adjust. 

 

To the bolded: I think we will see several forwards in the 2nd and 3rd round that went after Buffalo picked, that end up better than the defenders they drafted instead.

[DarthEbriate]

15 minutes ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

I see it a bit different, but both are possible.  
 

I think if you extend Bryan there is no way you can afford Power.  Power is a great trade piece and with a 1st rd pick will get us a much needed 1C.  Mrtka then can eventually compete for that 4D role and if he doesn’t make it he’s a solid 5-6D (big body, gritty game, etc).  I see him as a Tyler Myers/Zadorov/Stanley type D that isn’t going to be in your top pairing, but he serves a purpose and is going to give us cap flexibility for the next 3 years.

My counterpoint is that Mrtka is not giving you flexibility yet because he is far from NHL ready. Adding him to the top 4 would hurt this team -- which has opened its window. By year three, maybe. This year and next, he's got to be in Rochester. Next season, Ruff would play Mrtka less than he played Kesselring.

Subbing Mrtka for Power for 22 minutes undoes the gains of a Thomas. Now, if it's Power for McDavid, maybe you're fine.

[LGR4GM]

22 minutes ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

I see it a bit different, but both are possible.  
 

I think if you extend Bryan there is no way you can afford Power.  Power is a great trade piece and with a 1st rd pick will get us a much needed 1C.  Mrtka then can eventually compete for that 4D role and if he doesn’t make it he’s a solid 5-6D (big body, gritty game, etc).  I see him as a Tyler Myers/Zadorov/Stanley type D that isn’t going to be in your top pairing, but he serves a purpose and is going to give us cap flexibility for the next 3 years.

These are 3 widely different styles of defender

Mrtka is years away. Just keep that in mind. 

[tom webster]

32 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Not sure I'm reading this correctly. All three of these guys were original Tampa draft picks in the 2nd-3rd round. They didn't trade for them. Point was with a traded pick to move around in the draft at the time so you could say they targeted him, but Cirelli's pick was via a trade made the day prior with no knowledge of how the board would shake out two rounds later.

Or is the "that strategy" relating to the quoted "high ceiling low floor" types?

Yes, it was my point that they draft for skill, trade for grit and sometimes their skill guys have a little edge to them.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, tom webster said:

Yes, it was my point that they draft for skill, trade for grit and sometimes their skill guys have a little edge to them.

I think sometimes skill isn't skillful enough to outperform grit/motor/bensonitist 

 

[DarthEbriate]

11 minutes ago, tom webster said:

Yes, it was my point that they draft for skill, trade for grit and sometimes their skill guys have a little edge to them.

Coincidentally, the one Sabres 3rd-7th pick who truly hit. Like, really hit. Out of all the 15 years of Peguladom, is Hagel, who also plays for Tampa.

 

 

That's really the most damning thing. 15 years of Pegula. Every single season drafting in the top 16 (first season #16 Armia), every season since until this year -- drafting 14th or better. The first rounders have actually all been OK -- everyone made it to the NHL, no massive injuries or completely lost busts.*

There have been a handful of good 2nd rounders for sure, solid guys all around: Compher, McCabe, Samuelsson who is finally fully realized, JJP, and expecting good things from Kleber. You expect some hits in the 2nd.

Then, exempting goalies because you pick them and wait until they're 24 and then make a decision.

But for everyone else rounds 3-7, this roster had holes up and down it for 13 years (until 2 years ago). Any draft pick could've kicked a door down and said, "I'm taking a spot and no one can stop me. I'm a top-6 or top-4 guy and no one can stop me." Instead, they had a No-Blockers mantra from up high so there wasn't even any door to kick. And you could argue, of all those picks (from 2011-2021, because the newbies haven't had time yet --- 49 guys minus the goalies)...  only one guy ever made it to the Sabres top-6 or top-4: Victor Olofsson.

The only stud was Hagel who they didn't even offer a contract.

And their best bang for their buck guys who did try to kick down the door were William Borgen, Jacob Bryson, Tyson Kozak, and ... Lukas Rousek who at least led the Amerks in scoring a couple times.

 

*The worst being Nylander who is still in the AHL and has been traded a couple times for role players -- heck, the Sabres probably could've gotten a bottom 6 NHLer or some "change of scenery type guy" for him in his D+1/+2 season, and Grigs who is still a top-6 lineup guy in the KHL to this day, he's been fine and the Sabres turned him into O'Reilly. And probably Ryan Johnson... though it likely won't be with the Sabres. The 1st rounders have worked.

[tom webster]

58 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I think sometimes skill isn't skillful enough to outperform grit/motor/bensonitist 

 

That is for sure true.

[freester]

2 hours ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

I see it a bit different, but both are possible.  
 

I think if you extend Bryan there is no way you can afford Power.  Power is a great trade piece and with a 1st rd pick will get us a much needed 1C.  Mrtka then can eventually compete for that 4D role and if he doesn’t make it he’s a solid 5-6D (big body, gritty game, etc).  I see him as a Tyler Myers/Zadorov/Stanley type D that isn’t going to be in your top pairing, but he serves a purpose and is going to give us cap flexibility for the next 3 years.

Power will not be traded under any circumstances. He is a combination of Victor Hedman and  Niklas Lidstrom. He will be a Norris finalist in 2 years. 

[Brawndo]

[Archie Lee]

11 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Say what you will about Brycen Martin, but he had good leg power. 

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

Darn shame for him and us that Murray's family business was hockey and not horse racing.  He probably would've been excellent as a breeder.

[Brawndo]

4 hours ago, Taro T said:

Darn shame for him and us that Murray's family business was hockey and not horse racing.  He probably would've been excellent as a breeder.

It wasn’t Murray or Forton 

[Pimlach]

23 hours ago, Brawndo said:

It wasn’t Murray or Forton 

who was it? 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Post-Draft prospects list
 

Forwards

1. Helenius -C/W - Likely to make the Sabres next season - his speed is off the charts 

2. Östlund - C/W - Likely to make the Sabres next season - Elite hockey IQ

3. Kulich - C/W - Recovering from blood clots. Health status unclear, but if healthy should also compete for a Sabres roster spot next season. Remember he beat Östlund to the NHL despite being in the same draft class and playing a similar position.  

4. Poltapov - LW - I'm adding Poltapov, a 2021 2nd rd pick, back to the board as he is only 23, has only 1 year left on his Russian contract and recent comments from Tim Kennedy show the Sabres remain high on him as a player and the liklihood that he'll come to NA after his KHL contract end. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sabres-excited-prospect-prokhor-poltapov-035900411.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEORxiFEBysqZ5g5rKita_Ft7b-g-gdeRuheBqxy2TBQiuJQQi4PphaqPgnbZKa_k8lH7z7Mam8NhFN8i9eVIbSIz2AJRr6iKHBL2lUxPkl4ruEFwHVUksqtvtPnE0AtvftMczxia4AKRCw74EIuRAuHFgmvwVNjrnpPmvdOMI4H

5. Zeimer - RW - high energy forward that had a strong 2nd college season.  In the mold of Doan and Benny. Key piece of US World Jr Team.  

6. Morozov - C - 1st rd pick 2026.  Youngest D1 player at Miami.  Offense needs to improve.  Everything else is NHL quality.

7. Richard - F - 2022 6th rd pick.  Breakout season at UConn in 2024-25, but struggled to repeat last year. Recently signed his ELC.

Honorable Mention - Ryan Rucinski - 2025 7th rd pick had a strong USHL season with 27g 35a in 59 games.

Defense

1. Rudolph - RHD - 4th overall in 2026 - Great offensive toolkit and solid yet still improving defense. Not overly physical.  Great write up https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/daxon-rudolph-2026-nhl-draft-prospect-scouting-report.  This pick has really grown on me since the draft. Compared by scouts to Shea Theodore and Charlie McAvoy.  Heading to U Denver in the fall.

2.  Mrtka - 6’6” RHD - 2025 1st rd pick. Likely a few years from the NHL

Still not sure of order but an interesting group of size and skill

3. Kleber - 2nd in 2024 - US World Jr - 6’5” 209 - showed improvement in 2nd college season.  Showing well at development camp. 

4. Osburn - 4th rd pick 2024 - US World Jr - 21 pts in 33 NCAA games

5. McCarthy - 3rd in 2023 - signed ElC after strong 3rd season at BU

6. Strbak - 2nd in 2023 - signed ELC - Physical stay at home D.

7. Bedkowski - 3rd in 2025 - 6’6” 220; 39 pts in 68 games

8. Laberge - 5th rd in 2025 - 56 pts in 62 games in the Q. 

Honorable Mention - Komarov - 2022 5th with 2 seasons in the AHL under his belt. Not sure his skating is good enough

Goalies 

1. Ratzlaff - 2023 5th - spent time in ECHL and AHL

2. Leinonen - 2nd in 2022 - spent time in ECHL and AHL

3. Prokhorov - 7th in 2025 - had a stellar season in the MHL (Russian Jrs)

4. Meloche - 4th in 2025 - Decent season in the Q.

Edited July 9 by GASabresIUFAN

[Jorcus]

16 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Post-Draft prospects list
 

Forwards

1. Helenius -C/W - Likely to make the Sabres next season - his speed is off the charts 

2. Östlund - C/W - Likely to make the Sabres next season - Elite hockey IQ

3. Kulich - C/W - Recovering from blood clots. Health status unclear, but if healthy should also compete for a Sabres roster spot next season. Remember he beat Östlund to the NHL despite being in the same draft class and playing a similar position.  

4. Zeimer - RW - high energy forward that had a strong 2nd college season.  In the mold of Doan and Benny. Key piece of US World Jr Team.  

5. Morozov - C - 1st rd pick 2026.  Youngest D1 player at Miami.  Offense needs to improve.  Everything else is NHL quality.

6. Richard - F - 2022 6th rd pick.  Breakout season at UConn in 2024-25, but struggled to repeat last year. Recently signed his ELC.

Honorable Mention - Ryan Rucinski - 2025 7th rd pick had a strong USHL season with 27g 35a in 59 games.

Defense

1. Rudolph - RHD - 4th overall in 2026 - Great offensive toolkit and solid yet still improving defense. Not overly physical.  Great write up https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/daxon-rudolph-2026-nhl-draft-prospect-scouting-report.  This pick has really grown on me since the draft. Compared by scouts to Shea Theodore and Charlie McAvoy.  Heading to U Denver in the fall.

2.  Mrtka - 6’6” RHD - 2025 1st rd pick. Likely a few years from the NHL

Still not sure of order but an interesting group of size and skill

3. Kleber - 2nd in 2024 - US World Jr - 6’5” 209 - showed improvement in 2nd college season.  Showing well at development camp. 

4. Osburn - 4th rd pick 2024 - US World Jr - 21 pts in 33 NCAA games

5. McCarthy - 3rd in 2023 - signed ElC after strong 3rd season at BU

6. Strbak - 2nd in 2023 - signed ELC - Physical stay at home D.

7. Bedkowski - 3rd in 2025 - 6’6” 220; 39 pts in 68 games

8. Laberge - 5th rd in 2025 - 56 pts in 62 games in the Q. 

Honorable Mention - Komarov - 2022 5th with 2 seasons in the AHL under his belt. Not sure his skating is good enough

Goalies 

1. Ratzlaff - 2023 5th - spent time in ECHL and AHL

2. Leinonen - 2nd in 2022 - spent time in ECHL and AHL

3. Prokhorov - 7th in 2025 - had a stellar season in the MHL (Russian Jrs)

4. Meloche - 4th in 2025 - Decent season in the Q.

Even though Ratzlaff played better than Leinonen last year I think the Sabers view Leinonen as the better prospect. He is a year older, was drafted in the second round, is bigger and it doesn't hurt that he is from Finland. I expect he will get a lot of Rochester time now that Levi is gone. One of the main problems of not having an ECHL team is finding work for the goalies down the pool. They can be loaned out but it's harder to keep an eye on them.

Edited July 2 by Jorcus

[LGR4GM]

19 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Post-Draft prospects list
 

Forwards

1. Helenius -C/W - Likely to make the Sabres next season - his speed is off the charts 

2. Östlund - C/W - Likely to make the Sabres next season - Elite hockey IQ

3. Kulich - C/W - Recovering from blood clots. Health status unclear, but if healthy should also compete for a Sabres roster spot next season. Remember he beat Östlund to the NHL despite being in the same draft class and playing a similar position.  

4. Zeimer - RW - high energy forward that had a strong 2nd college season.  In the mold of Doan and Benny. Key piece of US World Jr Team.  

5. Morozov - C - 1st rd pick 2026.  Youngest D1 player at Miami.  Offense needs to improve.  Everything else is NHL quality.

6. Richard - F - 2022 6th rd pick.  Breakout season at UConn in 2024-25, but struggled to repeat last year. Recently signed his ELC.

Honorable Mention - Ryan Rucinski - 2025 7th rd pick had a strong USHL season with 27g 35a in 59 games.

Defense

1. Rudolph - RHD - 4th overall in 2026 - Great offensive toolkit and solid yet still improving defense. Not overly physical.  Great write up https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/daxon-rudolph-2026-nhl-draft-prospect-scouting-report.  This pick has really grown on me since the draft. Compared by scouts to Shea Theodore and Charlie McAvoy.  Heading to U Denver in the fall.

2.  Mrtka - 6’6” RHD - 2025 1st rd pick. Likely a few years from the NHL

Still not sure of order but an interesting group of size and skill

3. Kleber - 2nd in 2024 - US World Jr - 6’5” 209 - showed improvement in 2nd college season.  Showing well at development camp. 

4. Osburn - 4th rd pick 2024 - US World Jr - 21 pts in 33 NCAA games

5. McCarthy - 3rd in 2023 - signed ElC after strong 3rd season at BU

6. Strbak - 2nd in 2023 - signed ELC - Physical stay at home D.

7. Bedkowski - 3rd in 2025 - 6’6” 220; 39 pts in 68 games

8. Laberge - 5th rd in 2025 - 56 pts in 62 games in the Q. 

Honorable Mention - Komarov - 2022 5th with 2 seasons in the AHL under his belt. Not sure his skating is good enough

Goalies 

1. Ratzlaff - 2023 5th - spent time in ECHL and AHL

2. Leinonen - 2nd in 2022 - spent time in ECHL and AHL

3. Prokhorov - 7th in 2025 - had a stellar season in the MHL (Russian Jrs)

4. Meloche - 4th in 2025 - Decent season in the Q.

I like Rudolph and the more time I have had to really dig deep into him (I try to focus on guys where Buffalo might draft and Rudolph would have been long gone by 20 or 27) the more I like the pick. He doesn't flash some of the warning signs I see with Verhoeff and I think at least offensively he has a higher ceiling than Reid. Should be fun to see how he adjusts to college. 

[JohnC]

Has Ryan Johnson fallen off the cliff? Can he be anything more than a good AHL player? It seems that he's not a Lindy type of player. I thought he could be a solid puck moving third pairing player. Surprised that he hasn't been dealt. 

[Taro T]

25 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Has Ryan Johnson fallen off the cliff? Can he be anything more than a good AHL player? It seems that he's not a Lindy type of player. I thought he could be a solid puck moving third pairing player. Surprised that he hasn't been dealt. 

He was injured for a while last year.

But, yeah, he doesn't seem to be one of Ruff's favorites.  Maybe if he increased his footspeed he could get there.  But there are a LOT of guys that at minimum are competing with him to be the 2nd or so callup and from casually watching the Amerks, it seems he's behind several of them.

As for not trading him yet, they have him under contract for 2 more seasons and have only sent 3 Amerks out the door in deals in the Kekalainen era.  If somebody wanted a D as a throw-in he very well could end up that piece.  But so far only 2 F's with no real path to the NHL and Levi from his sort of "pool" have been dealt.  It's not like there have been a ton of deals centered around, nor including, Amerks so far.  Wouldn't be shocked if he's dealt at the trade deadline or next summer.

Edited July 2 by Taro T

[#freejame]

I’d put more money on Kulich as 1C than starting in Rochester. 

[Crusader1969]

1 hour ago, #freejame said:

I’d put more money on Kulich as 1C than starting in Rochester. 

I just watched his highlights from the 24/25 season.   I think a lot of us are forgetting how good he is 

I'm extremely confident that if the Sabres take a step back this year , it won't be because they couldn't replace Tuchs production 

[Porous Five Hole]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

He was injured for a while last year.

But, yeah, he doesn't seem to be one of Ruff's favorites.  Maybe if he increased his footspeed he could get there.  But there are a LOT of guys that at minimum are competing with him to be the 2nd or so callup and from casually watching the Amerks, it seems he's behind several of them.

As for not trading him yet, they have him under contract for 2 more seasons and have only sent 3 Amerks out the door in deals in the Kekalainen era.  If somebody wanted a D as a throw-in he very well could end up that piece.  But so far only 2 F's with no real path to the NHL and Levi from his sort of "pool" have been dealt.  It's not like there have been a ton of deals centered around, nor including, Amerks so far.  Wouldn't be shocked if he's dealt at the trade deadline or next summer.

I believe RyJo is on a one-way deal for 26-27. It’s possible he doesn’t clear waivers.

He had a down year in 25-26, but he was playing great in 24-25.

In 47 NHL games, he’s a +1. Protected minutes and zone starts and all that.
Second round pedigree and hockey bloodlines.

A needy team could certainly do worse with a waiver claim. 

[...]

What's the skinny on Strbak? I hope he's good, because he is composed and super f^&king smart. This is such a smooth presentation and he comes off like a million dollars here.

 

 

 

[Brawndo]

On 6/3/2026 at 4:35 PM, dudacek said:

Another way at looking at Forton’s record is this:

2021:

Power picked 1st, ranked 5th in games played, 1st for points by a D

Rosen picked 14th, 35th in games played, 34th in points

2022:

Savoie picked 9th, 16th in games played, 13th in points

Östlund picked 16th, ranked 24th in games played, 16th in points

Kulich picked 28, ranked 20th in games played, 14th in points

2023

Benson picked 13th, ranked 3rd in games played, 6th in points.

2024

Helenius picked 14th, ranked in 15 in games played 13th in points.

These three were fully up and running for the 2022 draft and had the greatest impact on the change in drafting philosophy imo. 
 

Without them Zach Benson is playing on Crosby’s Wing 

[Nacho Libre]

28 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

These three were fully up and running for the 2022 draft and had the greatest impact on the change in drafting philosophy imo. 
 

Without them Zach Benson is playing on Crosby’s Wing 

Who are they