Buffalo Sabres prospect Ilia Morozov was the youngest player in college hockey last season but the 6-foot-3 center, who just turned 18 on Monday, wasn't playing at a perennial NCAA powerhouse. He was lacing up his skates for Miami (Ohio).
Morozov recorded 20 points (eight goals and 12 assists) in 36 appearances for the RedHawks as a freshman, which helped him get selected by the Sabres in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff appeared on Monday's episode of Sabres Live with Brian Duff and Martin Biron, and part of the conversation centered around his bullish outlook about the young forward's upside ahead of his sophomore season.
"Watching him go out there at 17 years old with Miami, I think that's also really interesting that's the program he went with because you see a lot of these other top prospects in the system, you see University of Minnesota, Denver, Michigan, things like that," Ellis said. "But when you look at Miami, that's not really known as a top place, but I think that allowed him to go play a ton of minutes. Go and playing 18-to-20 minutes a night. And, while you may look at the numbers and nothing too crazy, those are still great numbers relative to the rest of the team and relative to players his own age."
The NHL prospect analyst, like many of his colleagues, isn't sure about Morozov's true offensive peak, but he's still confident in his long-term ability to make a significant impact.
"This is a guy that I don't think is going to take a long time to get to the NHL because he's so mature away from the puck," Ellis told Duff and Biron. "So smart. He really gets pucks where they need to be consistently. He's not afraid of going through traffic. So, I think as he continues to harness all of that power and he continues to get better offensively, this is a guy who's gonna be an impact player. You know, not everybody's gonna be a top-six player in the NHL. But you need guys who can maybe be a really, really good third-line player, a really good power forward and that's the type of thing we're seeing with Morozov."
He added: "Overall, Buffalo had one of the best drafts."
The Sabres selected Morozov with the No. 20 overall pick, their second choice in the opening round of this year's draft. They grabbed defenseman Daxon Rudolph at No. 4. The class also included three more forwards: Olivers Murnieks, Doman Szongoth and Dylan Dumont.
Buffalo's front office, led by general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, drew some criticism for not using either of its first-rounders in a trade for a proven NHL veteran but the rave reviews about both Rudolph and Morozov suggest the decision should pay off in the long run.
Now the question is how quickly that duo can make it to hockey's top league.
Could Ilia Morozov make an NHL jump to the Buffalo Sabres in 2027?
While Rudolph has already stated his goal of joining the Sabres after one season with the University of Denver, the projections for Morozov's arrival have less of a consensus. Ellis' comments are the most optimistic so far about a potentially swift journey to Western New York.
A lot will depend on the center's offensive growth with the RedHawks in 2026-27.
The Russia native needs to become a more dependable chance creator for his linemates, and he needs to make his presence felt at the top of the crease offensively. Most of the goals for the rest of his career are probably going to come on those hardworking plays in front of the net.
If Morozov can move a little closer toward a point per game as a sophomore, there may be a path for him to make the move to pro hockey after Miami's season ends.
A realistic timetable under that scenario could include a year with the AHL's Rochester Americans (2027-28) along with perhaps his first cup of NHL coffee followed by competing of a spot on the Sabres roster ahead of the 2028-29 campaign.
In a perfect world, perhaps Morozov takes over as Buffalo's No. 4 center for a year to gain NHL experience before replacing Ryan McLeod, a 2029 unrestricted free agent, on the third line the following season.
Plenty of things would have to fall into place for that to play out, though.
It's probably more likely that Morozov plays two more seasons at Miami and at least one year with the Amerks (maybe even two) before he's truly ready to make the NHL move.
His massive frame and team-first approach does improve his chances of accelerating that path, however, especially if his play in the offensive zone takes a significant step forward in the near future.
Regardless of the exact timeline, there's a lot of reason to believe Morozov is destined for a long career in Buffalo as a middle-six center. Even if he eventually tops out as a third-line pivot, his all-around contributions will ensure he's a valuable piece of the puzzle for the Blue and Gold.
Those type of players will be important as the Sabres attempt to emerge as an annual Stanley Cup contender.
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