As Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen continues to survey the NHL trade and free-agent market in search of immediate upgrades, the organization's prospects were putting on a show at the Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo this week.
The team's Development Camp wrapped up Thursday morning with the annual 3-on-3 scrimmage, which marked the conclusion of the four-day event, which includes training sessions, practices and off-ice instruction.
More than anything else, the gathering showed how far the Sabres' farm system has come over the past 24 months, dating back to Kevyn Adams' tenure leading the front office. There were a lot of future NHL players on the ice, creating a highly competitive atmosphere.
A few Blue and Gold prospects stood out above the rest.
Jake Richard (Forward)
Richard was one of the players under the microscope coming into camp. The 6-foot-1 winger was originally slated to play another season at the University of Connecticut but reversed course in May after the Sabres offered him a two-year entry-level contract (rather than three years).
UConn's head coach, Mike Cavanaugh, urges his players to remain with the Huskies unless their pro team is offering them a clear path toward the NHL.
"My thing to them all the time is, 'If the NHL team says they're gonna put you in a game, then I'll drive you to the airport,'" Cavanaugh told Daniel Connolly of UConn Hockey Hub in April. "They're basically saying, 'We are very serious about you as a prospect.' If they're asking you to sign an ATO (amateur tryout) and go to the minors, that's a tryout. If you want to do that, you have my support 100 percent, but just understand what you're doing, what you're signing on for."
Richard is 21, so starting the contract clock is more important compared to an early-round selection who may sign their ELC when they're 18.
It did put pressure on the 2022 sixth-round pick's shoulders to show he's close to the NHL-ready label, and he delivered. The Florida native scored four goals during the 3-on-3 scrimmage and his on-ice work, especially when it came to transition offense, was impressive all week.
Richard will likely spend a vast majority of the 2026-27 campaign with the AHL's Rochester Americans, but his goal should be to emerge as an option for the Sabres when 2027 training camp arrives. His offensive production with the Amerks will show whether that's possible.
Adam Kleber (Defenseman)
Kleber doesn't generate a ton of hype because he's an old-school defensive defenseman, which means his production at the University of Minnesota Duluth has been modest at best (17 points in 73 college hockey games). His performance at Development Camp told a different story.
The 2024 second-rounder is an effortless skater who shuts down plays with ease thanks to his long reach and defensive awareness not often witnessed in 20-year-old blueliners. Early in camp, he noted his desire to continue evolving his attacking game with the Bulldogs.
"Just felt like I've got a lot left to prove in college hockey and it'd be best for my development," Kleber told reporters. "Work on growing my offensive game there more. We've got a lot of guys coming back, so us as a team, we believe it's gonna be a good year, so that's really exciting."
The 6-foot-6 defender flashed a little bit of offensive skill in the scrimmage with a few breakaway goals, and his skating ability definitely makes it feel like there's some untapped point production.
Adam Kleber with his SECOND breakaway goal of the day pic.twitter.com/c3XQveHKuf
— y - Crossing Swords ⚔️ (@CrossSwordsPod) July 2, 2026
Buffalo will likely make a strong push to sign Kleber after UMD's 2026-27 season wraps up. The team retains his rights until June 2028, but front offices usually don't like waiting until after a player's senior year because then the option of becoming a free agent is available.
Kleber may never transform into a true top-pairing defenseman, but his often flawless defensive work gives him a strong chance to take a spot in the Sabres' bottom four in the future.
Gavin McCarthy (Defenseman)
McCarthy made steady progress across three years at Boston University, and he served as the program's captain for the 2025-26 season. His consistent two-way development allowed him to make the jump to the AHL with the Amerks for the latter stages of this past campaign.
The Clarence native, who spent time in the Sabres Junior Sabres system before starring with the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks, clearly processes the game a lot faster than many of his fellow Buffalo prospects, which you'd expect from a proven college player.
McCarthy turned it on during the second half of Thursday's scrimmage, scoring four goals and really illustrating his ability to quickly identify the right play. That hockey IQ will probably allow him to have a long, successful career.
The 2023 third-rounder will be part of a rebuilt Rochester blue line next season alongside the likes of fellow prized prospects Radim Mrtka and Maxim Strbak. It's a much-needed talent infusion after the Amerks limped to the finish line late in the campaign.
It may take a couple years for McCarthy to fully acclimate himself to the rigors of the pro game, but he's another defenseman who looks like a potentially dependable bottom-four option for Buffalo.
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