Ashton Schultz, the Buffalo Sabres' sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, put together a terrific showing at the recent Junior A World Challenge, an annual scouting tournament.
Brock Otten of McKeen's Hockey selected Schultz as one of the event's standout performers, and praised the 5-foot-11 center for his play on Team USA's top line alongside Detroit Red Wings prospect Brent Solomon and 2026 NHL Draft eligible Evan Jardine.
"Schultz was the high-energy guy of that line, working to track down pucks, establish possession in the offensive zone, and create by getting pucks or himself to the net," Otten wrote. "He also brought an element of physicality and anchored the team's penalty killing unit. It's not likely that the University of North Dakota commit is a high upside pro, but he's got enough going for him to be an NHL'er in some capacity."
It was the continuation of a strong start to the 2025-26 season for the 19-year-old Minnesota native, who's compiled 14 points (eight goals and six assists) in 17 USHL games for the Chicago Steel.
Prospect Ashton Schultz improving his odds of eventually making an NHL impact for the Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres' selection of Schultz received a mostly muted reaction in June. He'd only delivered modest offensive production in his first full USHL season with Chicago, and his defensive game was very much a work in progress.
In turn, the initial outlook made him feel like an extreme long shot to eventually don a Blue and Gold sweater.
To Schultz's credit, he's made a sizable jump in all-around performance in his second campaign with the Steel. He's made far fewer mistakes in the D-zone and his transition game has improved, which is putting him in better positions to make his presence felt offensively.
Fellow Sabres prospect Brodie Ziemer, who previously played alongside Schultz on a Pee Wee team in Minnesota, praised the forward's compete level.
"He's super chill. He's laid back, but he's really funny," Ziemer told Heather Engel of NHL.com in August. "He likes to work hard. He's a good skater and he sees the ice well."
That compete level has always been Schultz's calling card. He doesn't have an elite skill set, and he'll probably never become a high-end scorer at the professional level, but he consistently outworks opponents and typically makes smart plays with the puck.
Those traits make him a potential bottom-six lineup contributor for Buffalo in the future, though he's still a handful of years from entering the NHL conversation.
Schultz will head to the University of North Dakota next season, and his play with the Fighting Hawks in 2026-27 will paint a much clearer picture about his development trajectory.
He'll likely spent at least two seasons at UND and then he may enter the conversation for a potential jump to the AHL's Rochester Americans. Even the most optimistic progression would likely include at least one full campaign with the Amerks.
Schultz may ultimately top out as a fringe NHL/AHL player who's more of a reliable injury replacement for the Sabres than a full-time member of the roster. There's still value to those players, as Tyson Kozak has showcased for the Blue and Gold this season.
That said, his long-term outlook has improved a lot over the past six months and it's still possible the center eventually carves out a more important role in Buffalo.