Buffalo Sabres prospect Radim Mrtka, the team's first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, will aim to continue his rapid development while playing for Czechia in the upcoming 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Minnesota.
Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff selected Mrtka, who's already represented the Czechs in various international competitions, as one of the top 15 prospects to watch at the popular World Juniors tournament, which gets underway Friday.
"Mrtka has been one of the top defensemen in U-20 national team action, regardless of country, and he'll see plenty of ice time in all situations," Ellis wrote.
The 6-foot-6 defenseman has spent a majority of the 2025-26 season with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, with whom he's tallied 16 points (one goal and 15 assists) in 14 games.
Radim Mrtka has exceeded expectations since development camp with the Buffalo Sabres
Mrtka wasn't viewed as an instant-impact prospect when the Sabres chose him with the No. 9 overall selection in June. In fact, it was suggested the blueliner likely had one of the longer developmental timelines among the class' best players.
He's looked a lot closer to an NHL-ready defender than expected so far, though.
Mrtka was a clear standout during Buffalo's development camp, which featured the organization's top young players, and he parlayed that into a terrific training camp with the big club.
There was even a moment, as the Sabres dealt with a rash of key injuries throughout the preseason, where it looked like he may receive a shot at making the NHL roster immediately.
Although that didn't happen, and it's probably for the best, the team decided to give him a taste of pro hockey with the AHL's Rochester Americans. The defenseman held his own across four appearances, tallying an assist and engaging well physically, before being sent back to juniors in Seattle.
He's been borderline dominant since rejoining the Thunderbirds. He continues to show impressive vision and passing ability in the offensive zone, and his play defensively has taken a significant step forward without losing the physical element.
Now, it'll be interesting to see how that progress translates against some of hockey's best U-20 players in annual World Juniors event.
Mrtka should take on an important role for the Czechia, playing big minutes while seeing the ice in all three phases (even strength, power play and penalty kill). He'll also be a top option in late-game situations for the Czechs, who won bronze in last year's tournament.
If the right-shot defender maintains his current trajectory, the Sabres have the makings of an elite NHL defense corps in the coming years.
Mrtka could join Rasmus Dahlin on the top pair followed by Owen Power with Michael Kesselring and Mattias Samuelsson with another currently developing prospect, perhaps Adam Kleber or Luke Osburn, who were selected for the Team USA roster for the tournament.
In the meantime, the Czech standout will look to help lead his country to another podium finish, and maybe even a gold medal, in the World Juniors as the calendar flips to 2026.