Buffalo Sabres Prospect Pool Fuels Next Contention Phase

The Sabres traded Bowen Byram to acquire the fourth overall pick and selected Daxon Rudolph, adding a right-shot offensive defenseman to their already strong left-shot corps.

Draft Additions Shift Defensive Balance

Buffalo selected Daxon Rudolph fourth overall after acquiring the pick from Chicago. The 2026 draft class also added Ilia Morozov at 20th overall and three later forwards, giving the organization five new prospects.

Rudolph posted 21 points in 33 NCAA games at Wisconsin before turning pro. His arrival creates a right-shot pairing option alongside Radim Mrtka, who returned to the WHL after a brief AHL trial and recorded 0.82 points per game there.

The organization now lists six right-shot defenders under age 23: Mrtka, Rudolph, Maxim Strbak, Adam Kleber, David Bedkowski and Vsevolod Komarov. That depth exceeds any other positional group in the pool.

Helenius And Poltapov Drive Forward Pipeline

Konsta Helenius recorded four points in nine NHL games during the 2025-26 season. He is projected to open 2026-27 in a top-six role, contrasting with the limited minutes he received in the prior playoffs.

Prokhor Poltapov, 23, remains under contract in Russia through the end of the 2026-27 season and is expected to arrive at age 24 as a middle-six left winger. His 0.71 points-per-game rate in the KHL last season exceeds the typical translation for European imports.

Brodie Ziemer posted 23 goals and 36 points in 36 NCAA games at Minnesota. The combination of Helenius, Poltapov and Ziemer supplies three distinct scoring profiles that address Buffalo’s historical wing shortage.

Depth Chart Projects Immediate NHL Contributions

The prospect depth chart lists four U23 forwards already on the NHL roster or projected for full-time duty: Helenius, Noah Ostlund, Zach Benson and Jiri Kulich. Their combined 2025-26 NHL production reached 47 points in 148 games.

On defense, Luke Osburn recorded 21 points in 33 NCAA games while posting a plus-9 rating. Adam Kleber, a 6-foot-6 right-shot blueliner, averaged 0.48 points per game in the NCHC and is viewed as a shutdown candidate.

Goaltender Topias Leinonen remains the top prospect at the position, backed by Scott Ratzlaff and Yevgeni Prokhorov, giving the organization three netminders with AHL experience.

The Sabres’ right-shot defensive surplus now matches the left-shot strength that previously forced Dahlin and Power onto their off sides. Integration of Rudolph and Mrtka could eliminate that inefficiency within two seasons.