Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff announced defenseman Bowen Byram is day-to-day with an injury suffered in Saturday's preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings. He joins Mattias Samuelsson (week-to-week) as blueliners with an uncertain status ahead of the regular season.
The question is whether the Sabres will rely on obvious in-house replacement options (Jacob Bryson, Ryan Johnson and Zac Jones) to fill the defensive void or is the door now open for 2025 first-round draft pick Radim Mrtka to receive a nine-game tryout with the big club?
Mrtka was highly impressive throughout the recent 2025 Prospects Challenge and he's parlayed that into a strong performance in training camp and the preseason. His development has appeared further along than most projected when the Sabres selected him No. 9 overall in June.
Does that mean he's prepared to handle a full-time role for the entire 2025-26 season? Probably not. Giving him a small taste of NHL action doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility, however, especially if Byram isn't back in time for the Oct. 9 opener against the New York Rangers.
What should the Buffalo Sabres do with Radim Mrtka amid injury issues on defense?
It was telling how the Sabres lined up defensively without Byram and Samuelsson on Monday. Their defense group looked like this:
Rasmus Dahlin — Michael Kesselring
Owen Power — Radim Mrtka
Ryan Johnson — Conor Timmins
The pairings suggest Johnson has the inside track over Bryson and Jones, who was waived with the intent to send him to the AHL's Rochester Americans, to replace Samuelsson in the Opening Night lineup. Samuelsson is no stranger to injuries, so all three players will probably see time in Buffalo this year.
Beyond that, placing Mrtka on the second pair puts him in position to potentially play some important minutes in the last two preseason games while Byram recovers.
The 18-year-old Czech Republic native is coming off a standout effort in Saturday's exhibition win over the Wings. It was highlighted by a first-period goal, his first of the preseason.
Although Mrtka has been out-muscled at times, which isn't surprising for a 218-pound teenager, he hasn't shied away from contact and has stepped up to deliver some rock-solid hits. He hasn't looked completely overwhelmed, which is a promising sign this early in his development.
The 6-foot-6 defender put together a terrific first junior season with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds. He compiled 35 points (three goals and 32 assists) in 43 games, and he added three more assists across six postseason contests.
Here's the reality: Mrtka will likely spend a vast majority of the 2025-26 campaign the Thunderbirds, too. Another year with the WHL followed by potentially some AHL games with the Amerks late in the season would set the stage for him to seriously compete for a Sabres roster spot next year.
Yet, his ability to hold his own against NHL competition so far combined with the injury question marks at least brings the nine-game tryout (the maximum allowable before he'd either have to stay in pro hockey or return to juniors) into the conversation.
Even just a few games with the Sabres could set the tone for his entire campaign, giving him a clear picture of where his game must grow to succeed in Buffalo over the long haul.
Will it happen? It's doubtful. The Sabres will likely opt for the conservative approach of sending him back to the Thunderbirds in the near future, probably after the preseason ends, and let Johnson and Bryson handle the vacant third-pair spot to open the season.
It's hard to blame them, of course. The organization has been burned quite a bit throughout its 14-year playoff drought by promoting prospects too soon and leaning too heavily on them. Sometimes the safer development route is the right one.
That said, it's something to keep an eye on over the next week. If Mrtka shines in the final exhibition contests or another injury arises, perhaps the Sabres' plans could change.