The Buffalo Sabres have given themselves some real flexibility, and that’s the story behind their latest ranking from around the NHL prospect world.
On Thursday, Nick Iacoban of Watch The Stats placed Buffalo’s farm system 10th in the league, a nod to a group that already looks deep enough to absorb some pain if the front office ever decides to make a bigger move.
"Buffalo's prospect pool is great," Iacoban wrote. "Their U24 core is even better with guys like [Zach] Benson, [Owen] Power, [Olen] Zellweger, [Noah] Ostlund, and [Jiri] Kulich added in. The Sabres had a very successful 2025-26 season, and it seems like it was just the start of an era full of great Sabres hockey."
That depth shows up immediately when you start naming the organization’s top young talent. Daxon Rudolph and Ilia Morozov, both first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, jumped ahead of Radim Mrtka, the No. 9 overall selection in the 2025 draft.
At the top of the list sits Konsta Helenius, and it’s not much of a debate. The 20-year-old forward tore through the AHL with the Rochester Americans last season, finishing with 63 points - 21 goals and 42 assists - in 63 games. He also got a look with Buffalo during its second-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens and scored twice in four postseason games.
Helenius will have a chance to win a full-time NHL job in training camp, and the Sabres believe he has the ingredients to settle into a top-six role for a long time.
There’s another name in the system that already has the look of a possible steal: Olivers Murnieks. Buffalo landed the Latvian center in the fourth round of this year’s draft, and he’s quickly building some buzz.
Taken together with a young NHL roster, that prospect base gives Buffalo a foundation it can work with for the long haul.
If the Sabres do decide to move one of those blue-chip youngsters in the next year, though, Mrtka looks like the most likely candidate.
The 6-foot-6 defenseman still brings plenty to like. His size, skating and physical edge give him real upside. But his offensive game didn’t take a major step forward in his first season after the draft, and Buffalo’s blue line is crowded.
Owen Power, Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson are already secured long term, while the club is also banking on 2026 offseason additions Zellweger and Louis Crevier. That leaves very little room, and the Sabres are hoping Rudolph can be ready to claim a spot sooner rather than later, possibly as early as 2027-28.
That congestion could make Mrtka the odd man out unless Zellweger or Crevier stumble this season. It also means he carries real trade value if Jarmo Kekalainen wants to use a prospect to chase a true No. 1 center.
Mrtka knows the talk is out there. In July, the 19-year-old Czechia standout addressed the speculation directly.
"I would say that's hockey business," Mrtka told reporters. "Either gonna be fine with it, or I don't know what else. It's just what it is in hockey, and I'm just fine with it."
That doesn’t mean Buffalo has already decided anything. One strong year in Rochester could change the picture quickly, especially if Mrtka makes a noticeable leap in 2026-27.
That’s the advantage of stockpiling talent: the Sabres can either trade from strength to fill another need, or hold onto a high-ceiling player and wait for the breakthrough. Since taking over the front office in December, Kekalainen has made it clear he isn’t looking for shortcuts. He wants Buffalo built in a way that keeps its championship window open as long as possible.
Within the next year, the Sabres should have a better idea of whether Mrtka is part of that future or the piece they use to get there.
In Other News...
How The Sabres Playoff Drought Hurt Three Top Prospects
Buffalos long playoff drought has done more than frustrate the fan base, it has shaped the development path for some of the organizations most promising young players. Casey Mittelstadt, Devon Levi and Nikita Zadorov all reached the NHL early, at a time when the Sabres were trying to find answers while still rebuilding, and each was asked to grow up fast in an environment that offered little margin for error. The result, in different ways, was a tougher learning curve than the team probably intended.
Mittelstadt struggled to establish himself, Levi was pushed into a major role before he had fully settled in, and Zadorovs early Buffalo experience never really matched the promise that followed his arrival. Their careers became reminders that opportunity and readiness are not always the same thing, especially for a team trying to break a skid that has lasted far too long. For the Sabres, the lingering question is whether a little more patience and a little more time in the AHL might have changed the trajectory for all three. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Face Another Draft Problem As Forward Depth Gets Tested
Buffalos draft record outside the first round has already become a sore spot under Kevyn Adams, and the problem is starting to look bigger as the team tries to restock its forward pipeline. Only one player taken in rounds 2 through 7 has reached the NHL, a thin return for a club that has needed inexpensive depth and internal options to keep pace as the roster has changed around it.
The latest concern is Stiven Sardarian, whose path has reached a delicate point after finishing his senior season at Michigan Tech. Buffalo still holds his rights for now, but with forward depth already under pressure from recent departures and roster turnover, the Sabres are watching a situation that could leave another pick without ever becoming part of the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Zach Benson Is Becoming The Spark Behind Buffalos Playoff Push
As the Sabres try to build on a rare trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and push for back-to-back appearances, the conversation around their growth has started to include more than just goals and points. On Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tage Thompson pointed to Zach Benson as one of the players helping set the tone, saying the young forwards personality and energy have had a real effect on the teams confidence and the atmosphere inside the room.
Bensons impact has been felt well beyond the ice, where Buffalo has leaned on him as part of a broader uptick in performance and belief. For a team trying to turn one breakthrough into something more lasting, those smaller details matter, and Benson has quickly become one of the more important figures in that effort. [Read more 🡒]