Before the Buffalo Sabres officially open training camp as a team, the future will be on display in the 2026 Prospect Showcase. This event will include two games against the Boston Bruins, with the first game on Sunday afternoon at 5 PM and the second on Monday at noon.
On Thursday, the Sabres announced the roster for the upcoming Prospect Showcase, and while it won't include all the top prospects within the organization, there are a few notable players that fans should watch for in these games.
Radim Mrtka
Among the players participating in the Prospect Showcase, Radim Mrtka is the only first-round pick selected by the Sabres. He was the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and is a hard player to miss when he is on the ice at 6'6".
Mrtka got a little experience last season as he was with the Sabres during the preseason and then played eight games in the AHL before returning to the WHL. He took a little bit of a step backward last season as he had 34 points and a +/- of -3, compared to 35 points and a +/- of +10 in 2024-25.
This coming season is expected to be with Rochester in the AHL and this will be a big test in his development as he works his way towards Buffalo on a full-time basis.
Jake Richard
Another player who regressed some last season and will want to get a fast start to this season, beginning at the Prospect Showcase, is forward Jake Richard. He was a sixth-round pick by the Sabres in 2022 and spent the past three seasons in the NCAA at UConn.
After he had 43 points (15 goals and 28 assists) in 2024-25, he saw his points drop by 16 to only 27 this past season while playing in four more games. He elected to forego his senior season in the NCAA and signed a two-year entry-level deal this summer.
With both Noah Ostlund and Konsta Helenius expected to begin the season in Buffalo, there is a chance for Richard to carve out a middle-six role in Rochester. A good showing in the Prospect Showcase can help him to begin to make his case.
Scott Ratzlaff
The Buffalo Sabres aren't the only team that has questions at goalie, as the Rochester Americans do as well but the questions are very different for the two teams. For the Sabres, it is whether or not they can get a trade done for Connor Hellebuyck, but for Rochester, it is who will replace Devon Levi. He was the primary starter last season but was traded this summer to the Edmonton Oilers.
Scott Ratzlaff is one player who should factor into that competition after splitting time between Rochester and the ECHL with the Jacksonville Icemen. The former fifth-round pick from the 2023 NHL Draft went 5-7-2 with a save percentage of .913 and goals against average of 3.10 with the Icemen and 4-6-2 with a save percentage of .878 and goals against average of 3.44 with Rochester.
Leading up to the 2026-27 season, Ratzlaff will be competing with Topias Leinonen and Matt Villalta but with neither at the Prospect Showcase, he has a great chance to impress the coaching staff going into the season.
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