With the draft quickly approaching, the Sabres had to make some decisions about which prospects they wanted to keep and which ones they wanted to let go. They had until June 1st at 5 PM to renew all expiring contracts, and in the process let three prospects go.
I will also rank next to each prospect whether or not it was a good or bad release.
Ethan Miedema
Miedema was a fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft for the Sabres, who has been playing in the OHL for four years now. He has spent time with the Windsor Spitfires and the Kingston Frontenacs.
Since his first season in the OHL in 21-22, Miedema has improved every aspect of his game and has increased his point total every season. Including 57 points in 66 games this season with a plus-minus of +13.
This could be a choice the Sabres will regret, as Miedema is still just 20 years old. Miedema would be set to play in the ECHL or AHL next year, and could be an impact guy for Rochester in just a few years. For that reason, this was a bad release.
Viljami Marjala
Marjala was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft and has been playing pro hockey over in Finland, in the Liiga division. Marjala has spent time with TPS and will be joining Karpat for the 2025-2026 season.
Marjala has been a beast in Liiga as he was the Rookie of the Year in the 23-24 season, posting 40 points in 60 games. He then put up 52 points in 54 games this year, while also playing for the Finnish national team at the IIHF World Championships.
This one was a confusing one for the Sabres as they have a 22-year-old center, with almost three years of professional hockey experience, who they didn’t want to bring over to the AHL or ECHL, as this was not a mutual parting of ways.
I think this was also a bad decision by the Sabres, as this is another player who could blossom and benefit from playing in the Sabres system.
William Von Barnekow
Barnekow was a sixth-round pick by the Sabres also in the 2021 NHL draft, who has been playing with the Malmö Redhawks of the Swedish Hockey League over the course of his career.
He joined Malmö’s top team for the 22-23 season, but hasn’t been able to find his footing since. In 137 total games, Barnekow has only produced 22 points, and was non-existent in both of their playoff runs.
Barnekow hasn’t brought much to the table in his time in the Swedish league, and the Sabres made a good choice letting him go. The 22-year-old has failed to make any progress in his three seasons, and still has nothing to show for it. He will need more development before heading to the U.S. and any of their development leagues.