Welcome back.

It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Players over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re kicking off the new year by looking at the Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres have had a top 15 pipeline for a few years now, and that won’t change this year.

But at a certain point, the team is going to need to start figuring out things on the NHL side and, you know, make the playoffs. Maybe that means shipping off some younger players to bring in immediate help, like they did with Matthew Savoie last summer. Or maybe one of these future pieces will ultimately live it up large and carry the team forward after all these years of misery.

There’s a lot to like about Buffalo’s pipeline. They’ve got great center depth, starting with Konsta Helenius. They’ve got plenty of defenders with NHL potential, too. I even like their goaltenders, with Devon Levi, Ryerson Leenders and Scott Ratzlaff leading the way. It’s a solid pipeline – but they’ve got to take a bigger step forward this year to make all that drafting work worth it.

Biggest Strength

You could go two ways here – either center depth, or size on the blueline. I’ll focus on the latter, especially after the Sabres drafted the 6-foot-6 Radim Mrtka this summer. Mrtka might be the only one with top-pairing potential (but I feel like he’ll be better suited in a second-pair role), but they’ve got plenty of bigger defenders who should make the team much tougher to play against. There isn’t room for all of them, obviously, but teams crave size on the back end, and Buffalo has plenty of bullets in the chamber between Mrtka, Nikita Novikov, Adam Kleber, and David Bedkowski, among others.

Biggest Weakness

The Sabres have plenty going on on the wings in the NHL, but not as much deeper down the pipeline. With as many centers as they have, there are a few who could transfer over to the sides if needed. The best pure winger is Isak Rosén, who has been incredibly productive as a U-23 player in the AHL the past two years. Beyond that, though, I don’t see any others making an NHL impact – and maybe that’s not the worst thing given the lack of opportunities with the big club.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Kevyn Adams
Assistant Dir. Amateur Scouting: Jason Nightingale
Dir. of Player Development: Adam Mair
AHL Affiliate: Rochester Americans
ECHL Affiliate: Jacksonville Icemen

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Devon Levi (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)*

1. Konsta Helenius, C, 19 (Rochester Americans, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 14th overall, first round in 2024

Helenius had a productive season in the top Finnish league two years ago and then put up a solid 35 points as an AHL rookie. He didn’t score at the World Juniors but was one of Finland’s best two-way players and setup guys. What sets Helenius apart from others in Buffalo’s system is his exceptional hockey IQ. He’s a creative player who rarely lets a play die in order to just make a pass. On the power play, he’s patient but calculated – and while he can’t slow things down on the man advantage now like he did against his age group, he’s learning to adjust. He should be able to make the jump to NHL duty in another year or two.

2. Radim Mrtka, RHD, 18 (Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted ninth overall, first round in 2025

The Sabres wanted a defender with their first pick, and they got the guy many considered to be the second-best in the class. He can shoot, pass and even pull off some high-skill moves. While Mrtka is strong physically, he uses his size more to win battles and fend off attackers than to knock someone over. His ability to get hit but remain in control is second-to-none among defenders in this class. Mrtka didn’t score much this past season, but he does a good job of rushing the puck into the offensive zone. He plays a high-risk, high-reward game where he’ll often go for the passes that could result in a higher-quality chance.

3. Noah Östlund, C, 21 (Rochester Americans, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 16th overall, first round in 2022

*Noah Ostlund (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Östlund made his NHL debut this past season, and while he didn’t register a point in eight games, you still noticed him. The smart, playmaking forward might not beat guys with pure skill, but he’ll outthink you in tight situations and will find his linemates on the rush. He had a solid first year in North America, scoring 19 goals and 36 points in 45 games. He struggled in the playoffs, but it was an overall solid first year in Rochester for the 21-year-old. Next year will be about finding more consistency and adding a bit more muscle to his game.

4. Devon Levi, G, 23 (Rochester Americans, AHL)

Acquired: Trade with Florida Panthers in 2021

Levi has been a star in the AHL the past two seasons, which included watching him put up seven shutouts in 2024-25. But his NHL tenure has been much more difficult, even by Buffalo standards. He just hasn’t found a way to crack onto the big team full-time yet, which led the Sabres to sign veteran Alex Lyon to a two-year contract this summer. So it feels like there’s a bit of a hurdle for Levi to get himself into the NHL outside of being occasional injury insurance. Despite Levi being on the smaller side, there’s still hope for him. He’s extremely athletic and battles so hard. Some would argue Levi has the most upside of any goaltender in the Sabres’ packed system – but is there a legit pathway to NHL success still?

5. Isak Rosén, RW, 22 (Rochester Americans, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 14th overall, first round in 2021

Rosén might have had a quiet NHL stint, but he was electric in the AHL with 28 goals and 55 points. The skilled forward became a better play-driver this year, which was great to see given how creative he can be. In all my viewings, I’ve loved how he can outthink defenders and create his own opportunities. Rosén is also quite quick, too. I think with the right opportunity, Rosén could put up 15-20 goals in a middle-six role. At some point, I want to see Rosén given a real chance in the NHL to prove himself – but maybe it’s not in Buffalo.

6. Anton Wahlberg, C, 20 (Rochester Americans, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 39th overall, second round in 2023

*Anton Wahlberg (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Wahlberg put up 30 points in his first full season in Rochester while also finishing as one of Sweden’s best wingers at the World Juniors. At his age, 30 points is nothing to sneeze at in the AHL. At 6-foot-3 and 194 pounds, Wahlberg has a great frame, and he moves well enough to get where he needs to be. The more I watch him, the more I think he’ll be a bottom-six energy forward – and I love that for him. His size, footwork and pure power give him an excellent base to build around. Not everyone is going to be a skilled point producer, and you need guys like Wahlberg who can do the dirty work while making opponents miserable.

7. Brodie Ziemer, RW, 19 (Univ. of Minnesota, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 71st overall, third round in 2024

Ziemer is a personal favorite of mine. I loved him with the USNTDP – he felt extremely underrated. So it was great to see him have an excellent prospects challenge tournament last September before putting up a point-per-game at the World Juniors. Add in a 23-point run with the Golden Gophers and it was great seeing him be so productive. Ziemer works so hard, rarely loses a battle and plays a reliable, two-way game. His skating is still a work in progress, but everything else about his game suggests that he’ll be a versatile, skilled NHLer.

8. Nikita Novikov, LHD, 21 (Rochester Americans, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 188th overall, sixth round in 2021

Novikov’s appeal is obvious – he’s 6-foot-4, around 200 pounds and breaks up scoring lanes quite easily. He’s also quite physical and has a decent shot, too. Anyone who has watched Novikov in the AHL the past two years know Rochester is much better with him in the D zone than without him. I also really like how mobile he is for his big frame, although I’m not sure he’s a burner, speed-wise. Still, there’s a lot to like about Novikov, who looks capable of being a bottom-pairing NHL defender someday.

9. Adam Kleber, RHD, 19 (University of Minnesota-Duluth, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 42nd overall, second round in 2024

*Adam Kleber (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Kleber had more of a muted first season at UMD, production-wise, but it shouldn’t change his NHL trajectory. Known more for his defensive game than what he can do with the puck, he played more than 20 minutes a night all the way down the stretch and was as good as it gets in his own zone. At 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, he’s a punishing figure who I feel has gotten better with the puck over the past 18 months. Kleber should look to add more pace to his game, but I feel like his big frame, defensive awareness and the ability to handle the puck under pressure make him a good candidate to become a bottom-pairing NHLer, at least.

10. Vsevolod Komarov, RHD, 21 (Rochester Americans, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 134th overall, fifth round in 2022

Komarov turned pro last season after winning top defenseman honors in the QMJHL in 2023-24. It was a learning year for Komarov, who saw his ice time nearly double from 11 minutes to about 22 near the end of the season. The more he played, the more confident he seemed to be. He was a minute-muncher in the Q, and it feels like added responsibility serves Komarov well. He’s a two-way defender who should find a way to be more involved offensively next season. There’s no rush to push Komarov to the NHL, but some improvement with his footwork could do him wonders.

The rest: Viktor Neuchev, LW (21), Olivier Nadeau, RW (22), Matous Kucharcik, C (18), Ashton Schultz, RW (18), Mlevin Novotny, RW (18), Ryan Rucinski, LW (18), Vasily Zelenov, LW (19), Gustav Karlsson, C (21), Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson, RW (21), Jake Richard, RW (20), Linus Sjodin, C (22), Prokhor Poltapov, LW (22), Stiven Sardarian, RW (22), Matteo Costantini, C (22), David Bedkowski, RHD (18), Isaac Belliveau, LHD (22), Noah Laberge, LHD (18), Simon-Pier Brunet, RHD (19), Patrick Geary, LHD (21), Luke Osburn, LHD (18), Sean Keohane, LHD (20), Gavin McCarthy, RHD (20), Norwin Panocha, LHD (20), Maxim Strbak, RHD (20), Ryerson Leenders, G (19), Evgeni Prokhorov, G (18), Samuel Meloche, G (17), Scott Ratzlaff, G (20), Topias Leinonen, G (21)

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