Buffalo Sabres rank No. 13 in NHL Pipeline Rankings for 2025
Most of Buffalo's true premium young players are already on the NHL roster, but more good prospects are on the way.
www.nytimes.com
Buffalo has been picking high in the draft for a while, and while the Sabres have some young, talented players, the results in the NHL haven’t been there yet. They have some more good players on the way, with a lot of high-end skill specifically up front, although the true premium players they are relying on to take them to the next level are already on the Sabres.
2024 ranking: 11
2025 NHL Draft grade: B-
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6567963/2025/08/25/nhl-pipeline-rankings-2025-prospects/
Player Ranking
1. Owen Power, DNov. 22, 2002 | 6-foot-6 | 225 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 1 in 2021
Tier: Top of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Power played a lot of minutes and put up similar numbers to the prior season for Buffalo, but didn’t take the step forward in his development some would have hoped for. Power is a very intelligent defenseman. He sees the ice and has the skills of a 5-10 defenseman while being 6-6. He can hit seams at a high rate and has the hands, patience and vision to run a power play and create off the blue line. I wouldn’t call Power overly dynamic, though, and he doesn’t have a special offensive trait. Power is quite mobile for a big man, which allows him to make a lot of stops and retrievals. He’s not that physical, though, which prevents his defensive play from reaching top-tier status. There’s a lot to like about Power, and it’s easy to foresee him as a long-time top-pair defender, but he may not stand out enough at either end to become the true star some envisioned when he was the No. 1 pick.
2. Radim Mrtka, D
June 9, 2007 | 6-foot-6 | 218 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 9 in 2025
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Analysis: Mrtka’s season started off with limited minutes in Czechia’s top league, so he made the midseason move to the WHL, where he often ended up playing half the game for Seattle. Mrtka has the look of an NHL defenseman, as there aren’t many 6-foot-6 defenders who can skate and handle the puck well. On his best shifts, Mrtka makes a major impact with how he can make stops and get up into the attack. He has some offense, with good hands and offensive instincts, but I wouldn’t call him a projected power-play type in the NHL, as I don’t see a player who thinks the game at a super high level. Mrtka uses his size well enough to make stops. You’d like him to be a bit meaner at times, but he gives a strong effort and will break up a lot of plays due to his natural athleticism. He projects as a second-pair defenseman.
3. Zach Benson, C
May 12, 2005 | 5-foot-10 | 170 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 13 in 2023
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: High-end
Analysis: Benson was a solid player for Buffalo, playing regular minutes and repeating his numbers from his 18-year-old season. He has a lot of positive traits in his game. He’s full of skill and offensive creativity, and makes a lot of high-end plays with the puck through defenders and to teammates. What drives his game, though, is his work ethic. He’s a tireless competitor, which has allowed him to have so much success despite average natural athleticism. Benson goes to the net to score, wins way more battles than you’d expect versus men and projects as a two-way NHL winger who has already killed penalties as a teenager. Benson’s size and lack of explosive speed are the knocks on him, though. It’s why despite all his talent and compete, some scouts still wonder about his long-term upside, and he projects more as a middle-six winger.
4. Jiri Kulich, C
April 14, 2004 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 28 in 2022
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: High-end
Analysis: Kulich played with the Sabres nearly all season, scoring 15 goals in 62 games. Other than his shot and goal-scoring ability, he lacks elite traits, but he does a lot well. He’s a strong skater with good hands and vision who can make plays in transition. Kulich is a consistent, hardworking forward. He won’t run guys over, but he wins a lot of battles and gives a strong effort. Kulich’s shot is a consistent threat. He can pick corners from a long way out with his wrist shot and one-timer. He projects as a third-line center or second-line winger.
5. Konsta Helenius, C
May 11, 2006 | 5-foot-11 | 185 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 14 in 2024
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Helenius was an important player for Rochester as an 18-year-old. He’s a highly skilled playmaker who can make a lot of difficult passes consistently. He shows the vision to run a pro power play effectively. He skates well and creates a lot of offense with pace for himself and others. He has all the offensive tools to score at the highest levels; the debate will be whether his game will translate. Helenius isn’t the biggest center, plays on the outside too much and can give inconsistent efforts. When he’s dialed in, he can tilt the ice, though. He projects as a middle-six forward who I could see ending up on the wing. If he rounds out his game, he could be a third-line center.
6. Noah Östlund, C
March 11, 2004 | 5-foot-11 | 174 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 16 in 2022
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Östlund was a big-minute player for Rochester and one of the better overall rookies in the AHL this season. He is very talented with great hands and speed, and the ability to make a lot of plays with pace. He’s an excellent passer who sees the ice at a high level. Östlund is more of a pass-first type of center, but he has quite a good shot and can score from range, which, combined with his IQ, lets him run a power play very well. He’s not that big or physical, but he gives a solid effort. Östlund is a good all-around player, but whether he’s truly dynamic enough at his size is a minor question in his game for the NHL level. He has the tools to be a potential third-line center or second-line winger, though.
7. Anton Wahlberg, C
July 4, 2005 | 6-foot-3 | 194 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 39 in 2023
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Wahlberg was a valuable player for Rochester as a teenager in the AHL and for Sweden’s U20 team. He can move very well for his size and has legit offensive skills. The way he can pull pucks past opposing defensemen while moving at a fast pace looks like an NHL forward. He plays a direct style, and with his frame and speed, he can get to the net very well. I don’t think he’s overly physical, but he creates offense in the high-traffic areas. Wahlberg’s pure playmaking isn’t the best, and he projects as a secondary scorer at the NHL level, but with his great athleticism plus his touch with the puck, he could be a middle-six winger.
8. Adam Kleber, D
March 24, 2006 | 6-foot-6 | 214 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 42 in 2024
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Analysis: Kleber was an important player for Minnesota-Duluth and was part of the USA World Juniors team. Kleber is an athletic defenseman who projects to be a strong pro defender. He’s 6-6, skates well for a big man and competes hard enough. He’s not overly physical, but Kleber gives an honest effort, and coaches tend to trust him. He has the traits to make NHL stops, but his puck play will be a question. He has OK hands and isn’t a great puck-mover, but the hope is he can make enough of a first pass. I think he has a chance to clear that bar and become a legit NHL defenseman.
9. Maxim Strbak, D
April 13, 2005 | 6-foot-2 | 203 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 45 in 2023
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Analysis: Strbak was an important player for a top Michigan State team. He is a good skater with size who’s a tremendous competitor. He’s very physical and gives it his all every game to help his team win. He has some talent as a puck-mover and has shown it more with Slovakia than his club teams, but he’s not a natural offensive player by any means. He should make a lot of stops as a pro and make a good enough outlet pass to be a third-pair defenseman.
10. Topias Leinonen, G
Jan. 25, 2004 | 6-foot-5 | 234 pounds | Catches left
Drafted: No. 41 in 2022
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Analysis: Leinonen had a great bounce-back season, regaining full health and helping his Allsvenskan team win games. Leinonen has a clear NHL toolkit. He’s huge and moves decent for a guy his size. I wouldn’t call his lower half quick-twitch, but he can make saves at an NHL pace. He sees the game well and makes good reads. Leinonen’s consistency and tendency to allow soft goals have been his biggest issues, but at least this season, he showed some progress in that area. He looks like a potential backup goalie in the NHL, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he became a legit tandem type.
Has a chance to play*
Brodie Ziemer is a hyper-competitive forward, but he’s not that big and his talent or pure skill level won’t blow you away. Isak Rosén has a great shot and has produced versus men in the AHL, but his frame plus average compete level leaves questions on whether he can translate his skill to the NHL.David Bedkowski, D
Dec. 7, 2006 | 6-foot-5 | 214 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 71 in 2025
Vsevolod Komarov, D
Jan. 11, 2004 | 6-foot-2 | 183 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 134 in 2022
Matous Kucharcik, C
Feb. 3, 2007 | 6-foot-4 | 181 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 103 in 2025
Gavin McCarthy, D
June 2, 2005 | 6-foot-2 | 185 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 86 in 2023
Samuel Meloche, G
July 22, 2007 | 6-foot-2 | 196 pounds | Catches left | Drafted: No. 116 in 2025
Viktor Neuchev, LW
Oct. 25, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 171 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 74 in 2022
Nikita Novikov, D
July 25, 2003 | 6-foot-3 | 196 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 188 in 2021
Luke Osburn, D
Sept. 9, 2006 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 108 in 2024
Prokhor Poltapov, RW
Feb. 1, 2003 | 6-feet | 176 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 33 in 2021
Isak Rosén, C
March 15, 2003 | 6-feet | 174 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 14 in 2021
Brodie Ziemer, RW
Feb. 22, 2006 | 5-foot-11 | 196 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 71 in 2024
* Listed in alphabetical order
Player eligibility: All skaters who are 22 years old or younger as of Sept. 15, 2025, regardless of how many NHL games they’ve played, are eligible. Player heights and weights are taken from the NHL.
Tool grades: Tool grades are based on a scale with six separate levels, with an eye toward how this attribute would grade in the NHL (poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end and elite). “Average” on this scale means the tool projects as NHL average, which is meant as a positive, not a criticism. Skating, puck skills, hockey sense and compete for every projected NHL player are graded. Shot grades are only included if a shot is notably good or poor.
Tier definitions: Tiers are meant to show roughly where in an average NHL lineup a player projects to slot in
