The Buffalo Sabres went a little bit away from the consensus Big Board when they selected Daxon Rudolph with the fourth overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft last month, but the 18-year-old defenseman has a lot of fans within the scouting community.
Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff ranked Rudolph as the Sabres' second-best prospect on Thursday, placing him behind only fast-rising forward Konsta Helenius.
"Rudolph was maybe a surprise pick at No. 4, but scouts love how dominant he is with the puck," Ellis wrote. "His hockey sense is so impressive. Rudolph doesn't try to do more than he's capable of, and he doesn't force plays for the sake of making them. Instead, he plays to his strengths, which are quite a few. He has a booming shot, makes great breakout passes and can knock guys down."
The 6-foot-2 Canadian blueliner is coming off a tremendous season with the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders, with whom he served as an assistant captain. He posted 78 points (28 goals and 50 assists) in 68 regular-season games before adding nine goals and 18 helpers in 19 playoff appearances.
Buffalo has a lot of defensive talent, both at the NHL level and within its group of prospects, but it's lacking that second puck-carrying threat behind captain Rasmus Dahlin following the trade of Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks. Owen Power, the No. 1 choice in the 2021 draft, hasn't taken that leap forward offensively yet.
Rudolph should eventually fill that void, though he'll likely need another year or two of development before he's ready to join the Sabres. He's committed to play college hockey for the University of Denver in 2026-27.
Helenius and Rudolph were followed by defenseman Radim Mrtka, center Ilia Morozov and winger Brodie Ziemer in Ellis' ranking of the franchise's best prospects.
"A lot to love" about Sabres prospect Radim Mrtka despite mundane post-draft season
Big things were expected from Mrtka during the 2025-26 campaign. The Sabres selected him with the ninth pick in the 2025 draft and he immediately made a strong impression with impressive showings throughout development camp and training camp.
It didn't really translate into a breakthrough year, though.
Mrtka recorded 34 points (one goal and 33 assists) in 43 games with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, one assist in eight outings with the AHL's Rochester Americans and he failed to record a point in five contests for Czechia at the 2026 World Juniors.
Yet, the limited production hasn't greatly diminished his long-term outlook.
"Still, there's a lot to love about the mobile, 6-foot-6 blueliner," Ellis wrote. "While Mrtka is strong physically, he uses his size more to win battles and fend off attackers than to knock someone over. Mrtka didn't score much this past season, but he does a good job of rushing the puck into the offensive zone. I like him as a top-four blueliner."
If anything, his modest numbers may have slowed his development timetable slightly. It doesn't seem like he's a serious candidate to join the Sabres to open the 2026-27 season, which was an option on the table if he would have completely overwhelmed the WHL competition.
Mrtka, whose name has popped up in trade rumors from time to time, will likely open the year with the Amerks and Buffalo would probably prefer if he spends the entire season in Rochester, which is why the front office added a veteran like Dennis Gilbert to provide a little extra defensive depth.
The 19-year-old Czech defender could become an option for the Sabres as the calendar flips to 2027, similar to how Helenius received a regular-season cup of coffee with the Blue and Gold. Helenius then returned to Buffalo for the playoffs and was one of the team's most dangerous forwards after jumping into the lineup during a second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens.
More likely, Mrtka is going to take on a high-volume role with the Amerks this year and then compete for a spot with the Sabres next year, when Gilbert and Conor Timmins will be unrestricted free agents, creating some space on the club's NHL depth chart.
He may receive competition from Rudolph, however, especially if the 2026 first-rounder puts together a standout freshman campaign with Denver at the NCAA level.
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