Konsta Helenius will be a household name by the end of the 2026-27 NHL season. As legendary WWE manager Paul Heyman would say: That's not a prediction, it's a spoiler.
Helenius carved up AHL defenses last season, tallying 63 points (21 goals and 42 assists) in 63 games for the Rochester Americans despite a lackluster supporting cast. The 20-year-old Buffalo Sabres prospect followed that up with standout performances for the Blue and Gold in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Team Finland in the IIHF World Championship.
It helped the 2024 first-round pick secure the top spot in new rankings of Buffalo's prospect pool from Gabriel Foley of Recruit Scouting:
The #Sabrehood continue to have one of the most well-structured and stylistically-aligned pools in the NHL
— Foley (@NHLFoley) September 12, 2026
A team who takes scouting and development seriously. Quite a few prospects to like, quite a few who could play well above these grades. https://t.co/5iwRZ34mwt pic.twitter.com/MSlU2iNJXU
Helenius is arriving to Sabres training camp with an eye on earning a full-time NHL role this season, and he deserves one. An overcrowded forward group combined with the fact he's waivers exempt could complicate the situation, but he should spend a vast majority of the campaign in Buffalo.
The right-shot center, who can also play on the wing, never looked overmatched in his high-pressure shifts for the Sabres in the postseason or with Finland at the World Championships. In fact, he put together an impressive stretch of fearless hockey on those marquee stages.
Buffalo has been searching for a true No. 1 center for years (pretty much since the departure of Jack Eichel). If there's anybody currently in the organization capable of filling that crucial void, it's Helenius, who took a major leap offensively during his second season with the Amerks.
That's not to say there won't be some growing pains along the way, especially if he's eventually thrust into the prominent first-line spotlight. His steady progress in all three zones since the Sabres drafted him suggests he'll eventually rise to any challenge, though.
Initially, he'll probably slot in somewhere in Buffalo's middle six. The decision by head coach Lindy Ruff about whether to play offensive cornerstone Tage Thompson at center or on the wing will have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the lineup.
Helenius, regardless of his exact role to open the campaign, is a strong bet to find himself in the Calder Trophy conversation as the NHL's Rookie of the Year by season's end.
Daxon Rudolph vs. Radim Mrtka may become an intriguing Sabres debate
Few, if any, questions about the Sabres have been asked more frequently in recent years than who'll emerge as the long-term partner for Owen Power on the second defensive pair?
Bowen Byram, who filled the spot for most of last season, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks over the summer in order to fill his longstanding goal of becoming a No. 1 defenseman. Michael Kesselring, who didn't live up to expectations in Buffalo, was dealt to the San Jose Sharks.
So, once again, the question remains unanswered. The most likely solution will be either Daxon Rudolph, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, or Radim Mrtka.
Rudolph is coming off a monster year with the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders, scoring 78 points (28 goals and 50 assists) in 68 appearances to solidify himself as a top-10 prospect in the class. The Sabres made him the first defenseman off the board.
He's heading to the University of Denver for the 2026-27 season, and a strong year with the Pioneers could allow him to make a quick jump to the NHL in 2027-28. He'll need to showcase some meaningful defensive improvements against college competition to make that reality, though.
Meanwhile, Mrtka had a relatively mundane post-draft season, tallying a single goal across 48 games (regular season and playoffs) for the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds. It was disappointing production for a 6-foot-6 blueliner playing against junior opponents.
Although that's caused the buzz around the 19-year-old Czechia native to fade a bit, he still possesses plenty of upside thanks to a terrific combination of size, skating and puck-moving ability. It'll be interesting to see if he can turn a corner offensively with the Amerks this season.
Ultimately, while the current trajectories favor Rudolph, Foley's rankings — Rudolph at No. 3 and Mrtka at No. 4 in the Buffalo system — show it's still a close battle for the top defenseman in the Sabres prospect pool.
Others like Luke Osburn and Adam Kleber don't have the same type of game-changing upside, but they're still making their case to become part of the team's future blue-line plans, too.
So, a lot can still change over the next few years in that race to earn the spot alongside Power for the foreseeable future. But whomever has the better development year between Rudolph and Mrtka may have the inside track when next season's training camp arrives.
For now, it'll likely be a rotation of Olen Zellweger, Louis Crevier and Conor Timmins while Buffalo waits for those prospects to prove their NHL readiness.
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