The Buffalo Sabres prospect pool has received some negative reviews in recent months but you wouldn't be able to tell based on the strong representation expected as part of the Team USA roster for the upcoming 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
The Athletic projected three Sabres prospects will don the red, white and blue for the World Juniors in Minnesota:
- Forward Brodie Ziemer (University of Minnesota)
- Defenseman Adam Kleber (University of Minnesota-Duluth)
- Defenseman Luke Osburn (University of Wisconsin)
The annual tournament will take place in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area beginning Dec. 26 and running through Jan. 5. The United States is the popular event's two-time defending champion.
Strong play from highly touted prospects could emerge as a silver lining to the Buffalo Sabres' frustrating season
Brodie Ziemer
The Sabres were hoping to see Ziemer takes a step forward offensively in his second college season with the Golden Gophers, and so far the 5-foot-11 forward has done exactly that.
Ziemer recorded 23 points (12 goals and 11 assists) across 38 appearances for Minnesota last season, which equated to 0.6 points per game. He's tallied six goals and five helpers in 14 contests (.79 PPG) during the early stages of the current campaign,
If he makes the final roster, it'll mark the second straight year the Minnesota native will represent Team USA at the World Juniors. He posted seven points in seven games during last year's tournament to help lead the U.S. to the gold medal.
Ziemer currently projects as a team-first, middle-six forward with terrific leadership qualities, but his stock could skyrocket if he can showcases a little more offense.
Adam Kleber
Buffalo is still waiting to see whether Kleber can add a little more transition play-driving aspects to his game, which would help his modest offensive numbers (eight points in 47 collegiate games), but he's a high-IQ defender who's not afraid to clear out the front of the net.
It's something that's been sorely lacking for the Sabres in recent years, which is why they also spent their 2025 first-round pick on defenseman Radim Mrtka. The front office has made a concerted effort to become tougher to play against in the defensive zone.
Like Ziemer, Kleber is also an expected returnee to the Team USA junior squad. He was a plus-five across six outings in last year's tournament.
Luke Osburn
Few players in the Sabres' prospect group have made more progress over the past 12 months than Osburn, who's backed up his breakout season with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms by scoring six points (two goals and four assists) in his first 10 college games.
Prospects like Osburn are fun to watch because their skating is so effortless it makes everything they do look simple and direct. The fact he's continued that trend against tougher NCAA competition is a great sign his development is on the right track.
Now it's time to see how his play holds up in a pressure-packed environment like the World Juniors. He's already started to garner a lot of attention among Buffalo fans, but a standout tournament would bring more notoriety on a league-wide level.