The Buffalo Sabres spent a busy week reshaping their roster, starting with the 2026 NHL Entry Draft and continuing into a pair of notable trades that changed the look of the team’s future on defense and up front.
At the draft, the Sabres stayed at No. 4 and used the pick on right-handed defenseman Daxon Rudolph from the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League. Gavin McKenna went first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, with Ivar Stenberg taken second by the San Jose Sharks.
Rudolph brings a big season with him to Buffalo’s system after putting up 78 points, including 28 goals and 50 assists, in 68 games. The plan now is for him to spend one year at the University of Denver before making the jump to the NHL in 2027-28.
Buffalo also added four more players over the weekend. With the 20th pick in the first round, the Sabres selected forward Ilia Morozov from Miami University. Later, they added Olivers Murnieks at No. 120 from Saint John of the QMJHL, Doman Szongoth at No. 156, a forward from Kookoo in Finland U20, and Dylan Dumont at No. 188, another forward from Drummondville of the QMJHL.
Then came the first major roster shakeup of the week. The Sabres and Alex Tuch had been trying to work out a contract extension, but they couldn’t get there, so Buffalo traded his rights to the Washington Capitals on Friday.
In return, the Sabres received a 2027 third-round draft pick and David Kampf’s contract rights. Washington wasted no time, signing Tuch to an eight-year deal worth $10.5 million per season.
Tuch was one of Buffalo’s most productive players this year, finishing with 66 points, split between 33 goals and 33 assists, in 79 games. He also added seven points, including four goals and three assists, in 13 playoff games.
Buffalo wasn’t finished. After moving Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth-overall pick last week, the Sabres kept working the phones and landed defenseman Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks. The cost was the 45th-overall pick and defense prospect Anton Wahlberg.
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Zellweger will get a shot to compete for a second-pairing role alongside Owen Power. Even with a reduced role in Anaheim, Zellweger still posted a career-high 22 points in 72 games this season, and he now enters a Sabres blue line that suddenly looks a lot deeper.
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Sabres May Finally Have A Real Answer On Long-Waited Prospect
Buffalos prospect pipeline could finally get a meaningful boost in the near future, and Prokhor Poltapov is the name worth circling. Sabres assistant GM Jerry Fortin said the 23-year-old winger could be in Buffalo next season once his KHL commitment ends, with his timeline tied to CSKA Moscows playoff run. Poltapov, taken 33rd overall, has followed up with back-to-back 40-point seasons and has the kind of game the organization views as close to plug-and-play.
For a Sabres team that has spent plenty of time waiting on young talent to arrive, the appeal is obvious: a player with some pro polish, a defined role and a chance to strengthen the roster without a long runway. The only real question now is when his season in Russia actually ends, because that will determine whether Buffalo gets a longer look in the spring or has to wait a little longer for a prospect who may be much closer to NHL-ready than most. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Draft Decision Just Changed Everything For One Young Defenseman
Buffalos draft room sent a clear message by taking Daxon Rudolph with the fourth overall pick, sticking to the same best-player-available approach that has shaped the organizations recent thinking. It also added another name to a defense pipeline that was already getting crowded, with the Sabres continuing to invest heavily on the blue line while trying to balance long-term upside with a roster that still needs help in the present.
Radim Mrtka, the ninth overall pick from last year and one of the teams top young defense prospects, suddenly looks like he is part of a larger conversation. Jarmo Kekalainen has made it plain that Buffalo will draft that way and, if necessary, use surplus defensemen as trade currency, which puts Mrtka in an uneasy spot as the Sabres weigh development against the desire to improve the team in more immediate ways. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Lock Up Beck Malenstyn And Shift Free Agency Plans
Beck Malenstyns first season in Buffalo gave the Sabres exactly the kind of depth they were looking for, and they rewarded it with a six-year contract carrying a $3 million average annual value. Since joining the team in 2024, Malenstyn carved out a steady role on the fourth line and penalty kill, the sort of bottom-six presence that can matter a lot over the course of a long season.
The deal also changes the shape of Buffalos summer business in a meaningful way. With just under $10.8 million in cap space, the Sabres still have two restricted free agents left to sort out, and Malenstyns new contract gives the front office a clearer picture of how much flexibility remains as those negotiations move ahead. [Read more 🡒]