<p>One of the largest athletes in this year’s draft has found a new fit. The<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/buffalo-sabres/line-combinations"> Buffalo Sabres</a> selected defenseman Radim Mrtka, 17, with the ninth overall pick Friday night at The Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.</p>



<p>Mrtka stands head and shoulders above many of the prospects heading into this year’s draft, figuratively and literally. The 6-foot-6 manchild was listed as the <a href="https://www.nhl.com/draft/prospects">fifth-best North American skater</a> in this year’s class and the second-best defender behind Matthew Schaefer. <em>Daily Faceoff</em> draft expert Steven Ellis has Mrtka as the No. 13 prospect and the fourth-best blueliner behind Matthew Schaefer, Jackson Smith and Kashawn Aitcheson.</p>



<p>The Havlickuv Brod, Czechia native, is coming off an impressive season that saw him split time between HC Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga and the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds. </p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="133"></div>



<p>After playing 10 games for Třinec’s top club and its junior team, he appeared in 43 games for the Thunderbirds, scoring three goals and 32 assists for 35 points. He also registered three assists in six postseason games, though Seattle was eliminated in the first round of the WHL Playoffs by the Everett Silvertips.</p>



<p>Along with his club career, which has seen him come up through the Třinec ranks, Mrtka has seen quite a bit of time on the international stage. Along with playing for Czechia at the 2023 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, he has played in each of the last two IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championships, posting four points in five games during the 2025 edition of the tournament. He was also on the Czech squad that lost to Canada in the gold medal game at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="142"></div>



<p>With his size, weighing close to 220 pounds, Mrtka has a lot to work with on the back end. Ellis believes the teenager is <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/top-10-big-guy-prospects-2025-nhl-draft-mcqueen-mrtka-ravensbergen">one of the best “big guy” prospects</a> of this draft class.</p>



<p>“He was a big-time producer with the Thunderbirds and would probably finish with 50 points in a full season,” Ellis wrote. “Tack on the fact he’s 6-foot-6, a right-hand shot, and quite mobile, and there’s a lot to love. That’s the thing about Mrtka – you won’t find many blueliners his size who can accelerate like he can, and the Czech defender doesn’t seem too fazed rushing the puck at speed, either.”</p>



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