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The 2025 NHL Draft is now far in the rear-view mirror, and the Buffalo Sabres ended up making nine selections overall. They would make just one in the first round, picking ninth overall. That would be their only top 50 selection, and just one of two picks in the first three rounds. As general manager Kevyn Adams is looking towards the future in 2025-26, it is time to look at the Sabres' 2025 NHL Draft grade.
The Sabres have had plenty of success early in drafts in recent years. Going back to 2017, they would draft Casey Mittelstadt eighth overall. The next year, Rasmus Dahlin would be the first overall pick, and they would also add Mattias Samuelsson in the second round. In 2019, it was Dylan Cozens joining the roster. Adams would take over as general manager for the 2020 Draft, bringing in Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka. Adams has also drafted Jiri Kulich and Zach Benson, both of whom have seen time at the NHL level.
While they have had a history of drafting well early on, their late-round picks have not had the same success. Since 2015, when the Sabres took Jack Eichel in the first round, only three players drafted in the fourth round or later have played over 50 games at the NHL level. The most successful would be Brandon Hagel, who is no longer with the franchise.
This year, seven of the nine players drafted by the Sabres were outside the first three rounds. Will the Sabres' late-round success change, or be more of the same?
Radim Mrtka was a solid choice
Radim Mrtka was projected as a top ten pick in the NHL Draft. The Czech-born defenseman spent time in the Czech Extraliga for parts of two seasons before joining the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL for the rest of 2024-25. His size, with his ability to handle and move the puck, is what makes him a top-quality prospect. He is a commanding presence at 6-foot-6 and 207 pounds. With someone of that size, the expectation is that he is a physical presence on the ice. While the defender is a physical presence, he also needs to learn to use his size better. Regardless, he is a top prospect because he also shows skill with the puck.
He had three goals and 32 assists in just 43 games with the Thunderbirds, while also adding three points in six games in the playoffs. The blue liner has solid mobility for someone of his size as well. He does need to improve his shot, but he could be the next in a long line of Sabres' blue liners to be an offensive threat on the ice as well. This was a solid low-risk pick of a player who should develop into a top-four defender at the NHL level.
The Sabres may have gotten a solid piece in the 3rd round
David Bedkowski would be the third-round pick of the Sabres, being selected with the 71st overall pick in the NHL Draft. This may have been a slightly odd selection. The team has Dahlin and Owen Power under contract for the next six years. They also have Samuelsson under contract for five more years, and they just re-signed Bowen Byram. They then used their first-round pick on a defenseman, and now selected another one here.
Still, they may have gotten some value with this selection. After a season with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, Bedkowski was traded to the Owen Sound Attack. In that time, he has proven to be a physical presence with some offensive upside. He is great at closing space on the break and has solid skating as well. The Canadian defenseman has huge upside, but his ability to handle the puck has been questioned. Overall, this may be another selection in the third round that does not pan out, but his ceiling could also make him a top-four defender in the NHL.
The rest of the draft and final Sabres draft grade
With the 103rd overall pick, in the fourth round, the Sabres selected Matous Kucharcik. The center from the Czech Republic is a strong two-way forward and has plenty of upside. He has shown flashes of being able to create players and score at a high end, as seen in 2023-24 with the Czechia U17 squad. He is set to play with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL this upcoming year. His major issue has been consistency. If he can become a consistent two-way forward, he will be a bottom-six center in the NHL.
With their second pick in the fourth round, Buffalo took goaltender Samuel Meloche out of the QMJHL. He has been solid at the junior level, including having a 2.90 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage in 2024-25. In the playoffs, he improved to a 2.06 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. He reads plays well and can move well, but this pick is confounding. The Sabres have Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen under contract, as well as Alex Lyon. They also have prospects in Devon Levi and Scott Retzlaff.
With pick 135 in the fifth round, the Sabres took another defender, taking Noah Laberge out of the QMJHL. He has spent his last two years playing for Acadie-Bathurst Titan, scoring 59 points over 128 games. He is another solid two-way defender, but his offensive skill is more refined than other prospects. Still, he will move out of position and has concerns about his skating ability. While a solid prospect, and for other teams may be a steal, this was not necessary for Buffalo.
In the sixth round, the Sabres finally added another forward with Ashton Schultz, a center. The American forward will be playing for the University of North Dakota next year. He competes hard, well above his smaller stature. There is a lot of positive with his defense and puck movement, but it will take plenty of time to develop.
The Sabres would draft three times in the seventh round. They first added a winger with Melvin Novotny. The Swede will be coming to the United States to play for the Muskegon Lumberjacks this upcoming season, before playing for the University of Massachusetts. Overall, he is solid on the draw and better on defense, but has shown he can go to the penalty box on the regular. This is a solid pick in the seventh round, but most likely Novotny will not see the NHL ice.
With the 199th pick, the Sabres took Yevgeni Prokhorov. The Russian goaltender is a solid player, with a good frame and a 2.19 goals-against average this past season. This would be a wonderful pick for many teams, especially in the seventh round, given the volatility of late-round draft picks. Still, the team took a goaltender in the fourth round, and already has multiple goaltending prospects. This may be the worst pick of their draft.
The final pick for the Sabres was at 219 with center Ryan Rucinski. He is a solid playmaker who works hard in front of the net despite his smaller size. He is a solid goal scorer, but also needs other players to put him in position to score. The American forward does not create his own shot, but given the opportunity to make a big play set up by a teammate, he normally converts.
Overall, the Sabres' draft left a lot to be desired. They had limited draft capital early in the draft and did not use it in positions of need. They drafted multiple players on defense and in the goal, when they needed to focus on the forward position. Still, they may have some solid prospects in their pipeline going forward.
Sabres' best pick: Radim Mrtka, First Round, 9th overall
Sabres' worst pick: Yevgeni Prokhorov, Seventh Round, 199th overall
Final Buffalo Sabres Draft Grade: C+
