Radim Mrtka, the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, continues to turn heads as the defenseman establishes himself as the crown jewel of the Buffalo Sabres' prospect pool.
Logan Horn of The Hockey Writers recently released his midseason ranking of the league's Top 100 prospects, and Mrtka checked in at No. 8 on the list.
"He is a very natural puck carrier and mover in the offensive zone, walking the blueline better than you'd expect for an 18-year-old of his size," Horn wrote. "Mrtka made the move to North America last season to join the Seattle Thunderbirds, and has been an absolute two-way workhorse for them from the moment he arrived."
He added: "Mrtka's defensive potential is sky high given his massive size and strong skating, but his offensive game inspires some confidence as well."
The 6-foot-6 defender has recorded 16 points (one goal and 15 assists) in 14 WHL appearances for the Thunderbirds this season. He also represented Team Czechia in the recent 2026 World Juniors tournament, which saw the Czechs capture a silver medal.
Meanwhile, two other Sabres prospects cracked Horn's ranking: forward Konsta Helenius at No. 36 and defenseman Adam Kleber at No. 95.
Radim Mrtka is aiming to quickly join an already strong Buffalo Sabres defense group in 2026-27
Few members of the 2025 NHL draft class, if any, have proven evaluators more wrong over the past seven months than Mrtka.
The teenage blueliner was viewed as a long-term developmental project who may have been a reach by the Sabres inside the draft's top 10.
Instead, Mrtka dominated Buffalo's development camp thanks to his 6-foot-6 frame, physical edge and rapidly evolving offensive game. He parlayed that into a strong performance in the club's training camp practices, which saw him receive ample opportunities because of injuries.
He didn't even look out of place in his first game action at the pro level.
Mrtka tallied a goal and an assist across four preseason appearances for the Sabres. Buffalo then gave him a chance to play for the AHL's Rochester Americans to open the regular season. He tallied one helper in four games before being sent back to junior hockey in Seattle.
Exactly how good the right-shot defenseman will eventually become is still up for debate, but the idea he was probably a handful of years from reaching the NHL looks wholly inaccurate at this stage.
It feels like the Czech standout will finish the Thunderbirds' campaign — they're last in the WHL's Western Conference despite the defender's individual success — and then join the Amerks for the latter stages of the AHL season, including a potential playoff run.
That should put Mrtka in contention to compete for a roster spot with the Sabres to open the 2026-27 season, though one full year in the AHL before making the NHL jump isn't out of the question.
If the highly touted prospect does make the Blue and Gold's initial lineup next year, it could give Buffalo one of the most impressive defensive corps in the league:
- Bowen Byram – Rasmus Dahlin
- Owen Power – Michael Kesselring
- Mattias Samuelsson – Radim Mrtka
Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen would also have the option to shop one of his defensemen on the trade market, likely Power or Byram, in search of a high-scoring forward.
All told, Mrtka's rapid emergence as one of the NHL's best prospects really opens a variety of different doors, especially if the front office feels he's ready to help the big club next season.
That's great news for a Buffalo organization that may finally be turning a corner in its long-term rebuilding efforts that have dragged on for over a decade.