Concerns are starting to mount around Radim Mrtka, and for the Buffalo Sabres, that creates an interesting problem as much as it does an alarming one.
The No. 9 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft has the kind of frame, skill and skating ability that made him such a tempting selection, but the offense just hasn’t come with it yet. Mrtka is scoreless in eight games with the Rochester Americans this season, and that leaves him with only one point in 16 Amerks games overall when his two stints with the AHL club last year are included.
The production line hasn’t looked much better everywhere else. In 2025-26 with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, the 19-year-old from Czechia put up just one goal in 48 games, playoffs included, even with his size edge at that level. He did, however, finish with 36 assists.
That kind of gap stands out even more when stacked against another Buffalo blue-line prospect. Daxon Rudolph, a 2026 first-round pick for the Sabres, collected 105 points - 37 goals and 68 assists - in 87 games for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders last season. Rudolph and Mrtka are different kinds of defensemen, with the University of Denver standout bringing more offensive flair, but the difference in output is still enormous for two top-10 picks at the same position.
None of this closes the door on Mrtka becoming an NHL player. It just narrows the margin for error and lowers the ceiling. Buffalo knew a longer runway was possible when it drafted him, because his production has never quite lined up with his physical tools and skating package.
The good news for the Sabres is that they do not need to rush him. Their NHL blue line already features Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power and Olen Zellweger, and the organization is also hopeful Rudolph can make the jump to the pro game next season. That gives Buffalo room to be patient with Mrtka and keep feeding him major minutes in the AHL while waiting to see if the offense catches up.
Still, patience only goes so far. If Mrtka is going to become one of Buffalo’s real building blocks, the two-way production has to start matching the draft slot sooner or later.
There’s also another layer here: Mrtka could eventually become a trade chip.
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen has already been chasing a major move. He had a deal lined up for St.
Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko at last season’s trade deadline, but Parayko used his no-trade clause to block it. Kekalainen also pursued Blues center Robert Thomas and recently weighed a blockbuster for Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who instead ended up with the New Jersey Devils.
The Sabres’ biggest needs remain a first-line center and a goaltender, and if Buffalo lands a win-now upgrade at one of those spots, Mrtka could be part of the cost. The logic is simple: the team is deep on defense.
Dahlin, Samuelsson, Power, Zellweger and Louis Crevier are all signed for at least three more seasons, and Rudolph will be under team control for a long stretch once he reaches the pro level. Add in prospects like Maxim Strbak, Gavin McCarthy, Adam Kleber and Luke Osburn, and the back end is crowded with options.
That doesn’t mean the Sabres should give up on Mrtka now. The upside is still there, whether he becomes a top-four defenseman or settles in closer to a third-pair role. But the numbers are starting to turn this into a question of roster math, too.
If Mrtka can bring enough trade value to help Buffalo land a high-impact center, that possibility has to stay on the table. If not, the Sabres will keep him with the Amerks and hope the breakout arrives after all.
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For the Sabres, the deal was part of a broader attempt to reshape the roster and add another asset for the future, even if it meant moving on from a player who never really got a full runway. Kesselrings comments underline the human side of a transaction that matters in the standings and in the draft room, and it also serves as a reminder that some of Buffalos offseason calculations are already tied to players the organization has yet to see suit up in blue and gold. [Read more 🡒]