The Buffalo Sabres’ prospect system has earned a reputation as one of the NHL’s deepest, and a big part of that comes from years of drafting high while missing the playoffs. That pipeline has started to produce real results, too: 2023 first-round pick Zach Benson made an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top selection Konsta Helenius has been viewed as one of the AHL’s top prospects over the last two seasons.
As training camp approaches in mid-September, the focus turns to the club’s top 40 prospects - players 25 or younger whose rights are held by the Sabres or who are on AHL or NHL deals, and who have played fewer than 82 NHL games.
One name in that group is Noah Laaouan, a 25-year-old defenseman who spent last season with Rochester. The Sabres haven’t leaned heavily on undrafted college or CHL players, largely because their system is already packed with drafted talent, but they have found some useful pieces that way, including Zach Metsa, who spent a significant portion of last season in the NHL after arriving in Rochester on an AHL deal in 2023.
Laaouan followed a similar path into the organization. He went undrafted after five seasons in the QMJHL with Cape Breton and Charlottetown, then signed a minor-league deal with Arizona in 2022.
That season, he spent most of his time in the ECHL. In 2023, after playing most of the year with Trois-Rivieres, he finished by splitting time between the Jacksonville Icemen and the Amerks.
His production jumped in 2024-25 with Jacksonville, where he put up 44 points, including 8 goals and 36 assists, in 67 games. Last season, he played only for Rochester and finished with nine points, scoring 2 goals and adding 7 assists in 40 games. With Rochester expected to dress an inexperienced blue line next season, the Halifax, NS native could be in line for a bigger role.
In Other News...
Sabres Stay In The Middle Of A Goalie Debate Fans Feel Strongly About
As the 2026-27 season starts to come into view, the trade market is already beginning to stir, and the Sabres are in the middle of one of the more familiar debates in their own building. Buffalo has long been linked to the idea of upgrading in goal, and the latest chatter keeps them attached to a name that would instantly change the conversation in net. Even with other fronts across the league drawing attention, from Detroit's potential reshuffle to Montreal's search for a forward, the Sabres' interest in a high-end goalie remains a storyline worth tracking.
Connor Hellebuyck is still the big swing Buffalo is thought to be watching, a reminder of how much the position can shape the team's outlook if the right opportunity ever opens. The Sabres also missed out on Patrick Kane, another sign that these kinds of headline-chasing moves do not always break their way. For a fan base that has spent years debating whether the answer is already in place or still out there somewhere, the next stretch of trade talk could keep the goalie question front and center. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Fans Have A New Center Prospect Worth Tracking
Ashton Schultz gives the Sabres another name to file away in their center pipeline, and he arrives with a profile that should appeal to fans who like their prospects to do a little of everything. The 19-year-old split time between two USHL clubs and drew notice in scouting reports for his playmaking touch and defensive responsibility, traits that tend to travel well as young forwards move up the ladder.
For Buffalo, the appeal is less about immediate impact and more about what Schultz could become with another season of development in a strong college environment. He is heading to North Dakota this fall, and that makes him part of the longer-view conversation the Sabres are trying to build around their system, where patience often matters as much as raw upside. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Linked To Veteran Scoring Help With One Catch
The Sabres are still scanning the market for ways to patch up the offense after losing production with the departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, and the search has led them to a familiar type of target: a proven veteran winger who could help right away. One name in the mix is a player coming off a quieter scoring season because of injury, but who still fits the profile of a short-term boost for a team that does not want to waste time waiting for internal answers.
Anaheim is also a factor in the equation, since the Ducks are looking to clear salary and could be open to moving veteran money if the return makes sense. For Buffalo, the intrigue is not just about whether the player can still score, but whether the contract structure makes him attainable without forcing the Sabres to overpay in assets or cap space. [Read more 🡒]