The Buffalo Sabres have high expectations for Daxon Rudolph once he reaches the NHL and hope he can be a major piece for their blueline. While he may still be a few seasons away from that, he is making an immediate impact at the University of Denver.
The fourth overall pick by the Sabres in the 2026 NHL Draft made his NCAA debut on Friday night with Denver. He not only scored the first goal of the season for them but also added an assist as Denver would cruise to a 6-2 victory over Alaska Anchorage.
Welcome to @NCAAIceHockey, Daxon Rudolph!#GoPios pic.twitter.com/gqfs15jmvk
— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) October 3, 2026
The goal by Rudolph is exactly what the Sabres love to see from their defenseman as he was trailing the play but able to jump into the offensive zone. Once he saw a shot, he wasted no time getting it on net and the play resulted in the first goal of the game.
It was one of the reasons they drafted him in the Top 5 because he has shown this offensive ability pretty much everywhere he has played. Last season in the WHL, he had 78 points (28 goals, 50 assists), after registering 41 points in 64 games as a rookie in the WHL.
Buffalo Sabres are going to have some tough decisions over the next few seasons on their blueline
The Buffalo Sabres have seemingly locked up the future of their blueline with new deals for Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier, two players they acquired this offseason. With these new contracts, they now have five defensemen under contract for at least the next three seasons.
In addition to these five, the Sabres also have Radim Mrtka, who was a Top 10 draft pick last year, in the AHL and could be ready to jump to the NHL as soon as next season.
It is a good problem to have for any team to have too much talent, but it is a challenge nonetheless. One possible solution is moving some of their defensemen in trades to improve their NHL roster, and in those scenarios, Mrtka is the most likely.
While it was a great start for Rudolph, it is only one game and the Sabres won't move Mrtka based on performance from one game. However, it is something that Kekalainen is probably going to have in the back of his mind if Rudolph continues to play at this level.
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