The Buffalo Sabres already have a blue line built around defensemen who can move the puck and influence the game in every zone. Now they’ve got another one coming.
Daxon Rudolph, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, has wasted no time making noise at the University of Denver. Through his first eight college games, the freshman defenseman has piled up nine points - three goals and six assists - for a Pioneers team that’s chasing a national title.
Sabres assistant general manager Jerry Forton said Tuesday that Buffalo’s belief in Rudolph really took off during the 2026 WHL Playoffs, when the Prince Albert Raiders blueliner put together a 19-game run with nine goals and 18 assists.
"He elevated his compete, he elevated his toughness, and then the hockey sense just stood out because his panic threshold is so high. That doesn't mean he's complicating the game.
We view him as an exceptional game manager. He just knows the right play to make at the right time.
I just think in the NHL, your best players are always going to want to be on the ice with those type of defensemen. They'll get them the puck in the right spot at the right time."
Jerry Forton on Daxon Rudolph
Rudolph’s stock surged after that breakout season in Prince Albert, where he finished with 78 points - 28 goals and 50 assists - in 68 regular-season games.
The jump from junior hockey to the college game can trip up even gifted players, but Rudolph has handled it well so far. The 6-foot-2 defenseman has been asked to play major minutes in big spots, and he’s making his presence felt at both ends of the rink. His team-leading 15 blocked shots show the defensive side, while his point production has carried over cleanly on offense.
There are still parts of his game to polish. His skating could use more burst, especially in those first couple of strides. Even so, the 18-year-old Canadian has had no trouble adjusting to the physical edge of NCAA hockey.
If he keeps trending this way through the rest of Denver’s season, Rudolph has a real shot to push for Buffalo next year.
That’s where the Sabres’ bigger picture starts to get interesting. Buffalo already has six defensemen under contract for next season: Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, Olen Zellweger, Louis Crevier and Zach Metsa. Conor Timmins, Matt Grzelcyk and Dennis Gilbert are set to become unrestricted free agents.
Given the depth already in place, it’s hard to see the Sabres making a strong effort to keep those UFAs around. The team also wants to preserve financial flexibility, both to extend young players and, ideally, to bring in a superstar - preferably a true No. 1 center.
And Rudolph isn’t the only young defenseman in the pipeline. Radim Mrtka, Gavin McCarthy and Maxim Strbak are all in the mix with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, and each could be angling for NHL opportunities soon.
That kind of internal pressure can create tough choices, and it’s possible Buffalo eventually uses one of those prospects in a major trade. Mrtka looks like the most likely candidate because of his value and the lack of a clear path ahead with the Blue and Gold.
For now, though, the Sabres can sketch out a defense that looks deeper and more flexible by the year. Zellweger could slot beside Power, giving Buffalo a pair that balances out the back end and eases some of the burden on Crevier, whose 6-foot-8, 236-pound frame makes him a fit for a more specialized, net-front role over time.
A Rudolph-Crevier pairing would be a tough ask while Rudolph is still learning the NHL game, so Power looks like the cleaner landing spot for the young right-shot defender. Samuelsson and Dahlin, meanwhile, seem like a pair Buffalo should keep together as long as they keep producing.
Farther down the road, Mrtka could eventually step into a third-pair role with Zellweger if he stays in the organization and Crevier can’t lock down a full-time job.
However it shakes out, Buffalo’s defense is in a strong place. The next step is finding one more offensive difference-maker and maybe an upgrade in goal.
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