The NHL off-season is in full swing, giving us the perfect opportunity to look at each team’s prospect pools, continuing now with the Buffalo Sabres.
It is worth noting that a player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for the purposes of these exercises.
In this series, Tony Ferrari will dig into each team’s strengths and weaknesses, a quick overview of their latest draft class, where each team's positional depth chart stands and who could be next in line for an NHL chance!
Initial Thoughts
The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season, which is tied with the New York Jets for the longest drought in North American pro sports at the moment. They haven’t really even been close, having finished in the bottom half of their division every year during their drought. They haven’t been able to find the right mix, but it’s given them a very promising prospect pool.
Konsta Helenius had a very solid first season in the AHL last year, showcasing his two-way game while growing into an offensive contributor throughout the season. His game has always been one of little flash and flair, built more on substance and intelligent habits. Helenius might not be a top-line center, but he has the potential to be a very good matchup center who can win his minutes. Amping up his pace will be the biggest growth opportunity heading into next season.
Speaking of pace, Noah Ostlund is a center who brings plenty of pace and speed to the game. He can play on the wing if needed as well, which gives him some versatility, but it’s his intelligence and playmaking that make him a dangerous offensive player. He has the highest upside of the forward prospects in the system because of his combination of intelligence, speed, and puck skill, but he needs to show that he can handle the physicality of North American pro hockey, something he began to show with a great first full AHL season.
Anton Wahlberg continued to prove his worth as a prospect with a 30-point rookie year in the AHL and an excellent performance at the World Junior Championship for Sweden. He has size and speed, which are tough to handle because he works his tail off, especially around the net and along the boards. Wahlberg might end up as a winger at the NHL level, but he’s the kind of high-work-rate player that finds himself playing with better players than he probably should because he finds a way to help make their life easy.
Seemingly right on the cusp of breaking onto the NHL roster, Isak Rosen has a whippy shot that comes off a quick, deceptive release. He is an excellent offensive creator in space and thrives when he is able to create separation with subtle changes in speed or quick cuts. Rosen could be one of the first players called up this season when they need some top-nine help.
With a huge step up in his age-21 season in the KHL, Prokhor Poltapov put himself back on the map for the Sabres. His dynamic dangles and slick offensive tools are what have allowed him to become an impact player for CSKA. His skating is the biggest thing holding him back, but he’s made strides in that department, no pun intended.
The blueline is an area that has been a strength for the Sabres as well. They have Owen Power, 22, already on the roster, and Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson are still just 25, so the core of the defense group is young. They have Bowen Byram on the trading block at the moment because they feel like they lean too far offensively, which makes the presence of a couple of solid defensive blueliners in the system a blessing.
Maxim Strbak has been a steadying defensive presence for the Michigan State Spartans the last couple of seasons in the NCAA as the school has become one of the best hockey programs in the country. Strbak isn’t often the first player named when the Spartans' success is brought up, but he’s always a player that coaches and teammates rave about. His attention to detail and defensive acumen are both excellent, understated qualities.
Another excellent defensive blueliner in the system is University of Minnesota-Duluth defender, Adam Kleber. His reach and mobility allow him to track and shadow opposing attackers with ease, surfing back until the moment is right to strike with a well-timed poke check or a quick close out along the wall. Kleber isn’t dynamic or flashy, but he’s very effective.
Although Devon Levi isn’t eligible for the Calder Trophy anymore, he remains the Sabres' top goaltending prospect. The 23-year-old has been fantastic at the AHL level, but he’s struggled to solidify himself at the NHL level. His agility and athleticism have always been impressive, but his 6-foot frame is going to be an obstacle for him to get over.
The Sabres' pipeline has impressive depth in goal. Topias Leinonen, Scott Ratzlaff and Ryerson Leenders would all be the top netminder in nearly half of the systems across the league. It will be interesting to see which of them emerges as the alpha in the system as each of them brings excellent qualities in their own right.
Key U-23 Players Likely To Play NHL Games This Season
Zach Benson (LW), Jiri Kulich (C/W), Owen Power (D)
2025 NHL Draft Class
Round 1, 9th overall - Radim Mrtka, D, Seattle (WHL)
Round 3, 71st overall - David Bedkowski, D, Owen Sound (OHL)
Round 4, 103rd overall - Matous Kucharcik, C, Slavia Jr. (Czech)
Round 4, 116th overall - Samuel Meloche, G, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
Round 5, 135th overall - Noah Laberge, D, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
Round 6, 167th overall - Ashton Schultz, C, Chicago (USHL)
Round 7, 195th overall - Melvin Novotny, L, Leksands IF Jr. (Swe)
Round 7, 199th overall - Evgeny Prokhorov, G, Babruysk Dinamo-Shinnik Jr. (Rus)
Round 7, 219th overall - Ryan Rucinski, C, Youngstown (USHL)
The Sabres’ draft was one that came with some questions from fans and analysts alike, but it wasn’t because they took bad players, it was because they played it fairly safe throughout the draft. Radim Mrtka is a big, rangy blueliner who is at his best when he plays a simple, controlled game with a focus on his own zone. He has some really intriguing flashes of offensive skill thanks to his creativity and mobility, but his offensive game may stagnate as he advances toward the NHL.
Their next pick came in the third round, where they drafted defensive D-man David Bedkowski, one of the most physical players in the draft. He looks to punish opponents with big hits both in open ice and along the boards, bullying attackers and deterring them from coming his way. Bedkowski has a tendency to chase hits at times, but if he can rein that in, there is a solid, defensive-minded player here.
The first of two fourth-rounders, Matous Kucharcik is a 6-foot-4 defensive forward who isn’t the most offensively inclined. His game is based around intelligent back tracking, solid defensive positioning and getting the puck to his wingers and allowing them to create. He can be an asset around the net. He’s not the most awe-inspiring player, but he could be a solid depth piece.
Samuel Meloche played 51 games as a 17-year-old last year in the regular season in the QMJHL, and he more than held his own for Rouyn-Noranda. He was athletic enough to bail his team out when the defense broke down and technically sound enough to handle in-zone set attacks. He is one of the youngest goalies in the class, and having already proven he can handle nearly 65 total games between the regular season and playoffs, Meloche is a solid bet in the fourth round.
The Sabres stuck with safe, defensive-minded players in the fifth round when they selected Noah Laberge. While he’s not the biggest defender at 6-foot-1, he plays a stout defensive game with good instincts. His quick stick gets on pucks right away as they enter his space, and he creates battles all over the ice rather than allowing the attacker to dictate play. Laberge can make a solid first pass, but don’t expect him to make dynamic plays offensively.
Ashton Schultz was the Sabres' sixth-rounder. He is a support winger who can play a higher energy game at times and disrupt play on the backcheck. He’s not the kind of player who is going to put up crazy points or drive play offensively. He is more of a complementary support player who provides outlets or comes into a battle to create a numbers advantage for his team.
The Sabres deviated from their plan of going safe and defensive in the seventh with their first pick of the round, Melvin Novotny. The Swedish winger is a crafty player who thinks the game tactically. His timing and play-reading ability are what make him dangerous in the offensive zone, waiting an extra second for a passing lane to open up or quickly taking advantage of a defender's feet turned the wrong way. Novotny might have the highest upside of any forward that they drafted, and it’s not particularly close. The reason he fell is that he’s not much of a physical player, and his skating is average at best.
With their second-to-last pick, the Sabres selected netminder Yevgeni Prokhorov. The 6-foot-3 tendy had a solid season, but his six-game playoff stint, where he posted a .943 save percentage, is what really drew the attention of teams in the NHL. It’s a late swing on a goalie, and the Sabres have done a good job of identifying netminders in the later rounds.
They capped off the 2025 NHL draft by taking Ryan Rucinski from the Youngstown Phantoms. He brings some physicality and a good shot along with some solid habits in his own end. He doesn’t have any truly high-end tools, but he works hard and crashes the net in the offensive zone to try and clean up the garbage around the crease.
Strengths
The Sabres have been a team that has been building up their pipeline for quite some time now. Understandably, that means they have some really solid talent. They have a number of solid blueliners and more than a few quality netminders, but the position of true strength is down the middle. Helenius and Ostlund should compete for roles in the top six, and Anton Wahlberg is a potential third-line center of the future.
Even players like Kucharcik and Schultz could be potential centers at the pro level. The depth of centers is what is really impressive, especially since they have Kulich, 21, and Peyton Krebs, 24, who will likely be in the lineup full time this season. Young, solid center depth could be what gets the Sabres out of the futility that they’ve lived in for a decade and a half.
Weaknesses
The Sabres don’t have many weaknesses in their pipeline, but if you want to nitpick, you could say that it’s the skill on the wings. Rosen is the most skilled player on either wing, and he could wind up being a top-nine winger. They have players like Poltapov, Novotny and Ziemer who could fill depth roles, but none of them look like potential top-six players. There is always a chance that some of their centers move to the wing, so the issue may not be quite all that integral, especially since they have Benson, 20, Jack Quinn, 23, and Josh Doan, 23, who can play important roles on the wing as young players.
Hidden Gem: Luke Osburn, D
Heading into last year’s draft, Osburn was one of my favorite sleepers, so when Buffalo took him in the fourth round, it was instantly a prospect that I was keeping my eye on. His step-up with Youngstown in the USHL this year was impressive, becoming a true difference maker on the ice in transition and in the offensive zone.
Osburn is a very fluid skater who can get moving quickly to open passing lanes. His ability to activate compromises opposing defenders as they have to commit to tracking him, which gives him an open man to pass to. Osburn could be a sneaky good defenseman at the next level, but first, he’s headed to the University of Wisconsin.
Next Man Up: Isak Rosen, RW
There is no obvious answer to who will be the next man up because the Sabres have so many young players already on the roster or players who have already used up their Calder eligibility, which makes it hard to choose from the group below on the depth chart. Devon Levi is set to play a bigger role in the NHL, assuming he can take hold of a spot in camp, as the team is hoping. Kulich and Benson are both going to play major roles on the NHL roster in what could be a breakout year for both of them. Owen Power is just 22 years old and still just scratching the surface of what the Sabres hoped for when they drafted him.
If there is a player from the AHL squad who could move up and take a spot in the NHL lineup, it very well could be Rosen. The young Swede has a quick release, and he’s an intelligent passer as well. With fluidity on his feet also a major strength, Rosen has the tools to be an impactful dual-threat attacker at the next level.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Prokhor Poltapov, Melvin Novotny, Viktor Neuchev
C: Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, Anton Wahlberg, Matous Kucharcik
RW: Isak Rosen, Brodie Ziemer, Ashton Schultz
LD: Luke Osburn, Nikita Novikov, Noah Laberge, Norwin Panocha
RD: Radim Mrtka, Maxim Strbak, Adam Kleber, David Bedkowski, Vsevolod Komarov, Gavin McCarthy
G: Topias Leinonen, Scott Ratzlaff, Ryerson Leenders, Yevgeni Prokhorov
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of the Hockey News print edition.
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