The Buffalo Sabres entered training camp with minimal uncertainty about their Opening Night roster, even with Jason Zucker sidelined by a short-term injury. Instead, players on the fringe are trying to climb the depth chart to increase their odds of an in-season NHL recall.
It's a contingent that includes several Sabres prospects who are set to open the campaign with the AHL's Rochester Americans. While their play with the Amerks will be the key factor in what comes next, a standout performance or two during the preseason certainly wouldn't hurt their cause.
Let's a take a closer look at a trio of young players worth watching during the exhibition slate.
Jake Richard (Forward)
After it initially looked like Richard would return to UConn for his senior season, the 22-year-old winger and the Sabres reversed course with a two-year entry-level contract. There are a lot of unknowns after his production dropped last year with the Huskies, though.
The 2022 sixth-round pick looked like an emerging draft steal when he scored 43 points (15 goals and 28 assists) across 34 games in 2024-25. Those numbers dipped last season with just 27 points in 38 contests.
WHAT A BLAST FROM JAKE RICHARD
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) February 28, 2026
Richard ties the game at 1 on the power play pic.twitter.com/LORct2MZs1
Richard needs to become a more constant presence in the most dangerous areas of the ice if he's going to generate offense consistent at the pro level. How his modest skating ability will play against bigger, faster opponents is also a concern.
While there's no doubt he still has a bit of developmental runway left, being able to flash a little bit of his offensive skill set in the preseason would help revitalize his stock.
Radim Mrtka (Defenseman)
Mrtka didn't make the type of offensive progress Buffalo wanted in his first season after being selected No. 9 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. He recorded just one goal in 48 appearances (regular season and playoffs) for the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.
Although the 6-foot-6 blueliner was never viewed as a future high-end point producer, you'd still expect more from a player of his size and draft pedigree against junior opponents. It's tempered expectations about how quickly he'll be ready to don a Sabres jersey.
Simply for comparison purposes, Buffalo's first-round pick in the 2026 draft, fellow defenseman Daxon Rudolph, scored 28 goals in 68 WHL games last season. They're different style prospects, but it illustrates why lighting the lamp just once at the same level is such a concern.
Mrtka could still push for an NHL opportunity this season if he can make a consistent impact defensively and physically but, at some point, his offense will need to make meaningful strides. The preseason should bring further clarity to where his game currently stands.
Ryan Johnson (Defenseman)
Johnson is nearing a point where his distinction will change from prospect to organizational depth after turning 25 over the summer. He's simply never reached the level the Sabres expected after taking him in the opening round of the 2019 draft.
The University of Minnesota product has always been a decent puck-mover but it's never led to a sustained uptick in offensive production. He's also not a physically imposing player and hasn't emerged as a shutdown defender in the AHL.
It's left Johnson without a standout element to his game, and led him to get leapfrogged by Zach Metsa for the No. 7 defenseman last season. Buffalo also added veteran Dennis Gilbert for a little more trustworthy depth ahead of the new campaign.
As a result, Johnson is in a bit of no man's land and could really use a breakthrough campaign in 2026-2027 if he wants to reignite belief in his long-term NHL upside. He'll try to make strides in the preseason to build momentum toward the start of his fourth year with the Amerks.
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