Buffalo Sabres forward prospect Brodie Ziemer is coming off a standout season at the University of Minnesota, and now it sounds like he'll spend at least one more year with the Golden Gophers.
Randy Johnson and Joel Rippel of the Minnesota Star Tribune reported an update on Ziemer's status for next season on Tuesday night.
"The Gophers also received an indication that leading scorer Brodie Ziemer plans to return for his junior season in 2026-27," Johnson and Rippel wrote.
The 20-year-old Minnesota native recorded 36 points (23 goals and 13 assists) in 36 games during his sophomore campaign with the Gophers. It marked a substantial uptick in offensive production after posting 23 points in 38 contests as a freshman.
Ziemer also served as the captain of Team USA for the 2026 World Juniors. The winger scored a goal and dished out five assists across five appearances in the high-profile tournament.
There was ample conversation in recent weeks about whether the 2024 third-round draft pick would make the jump to the Rochester Americans, the Sabres' AHL affiliate, for the remainder of the current campaign, but it appears that won't be the case.
Buffalo has until Aug. 15, 2028 to sign Ziemer to an entry-level contract.
Brodie Ziemer remains key piece of Buffalo Sabres' prospect pool despite staying in NCAA for another season
Ziemer has all the makings of a future middle-six winger for the Sabres. He's a bulldog in the offensive zone, willing to do all the dirty work along the boards and in front of the net, and his strong showings around the crease makes him a likely power-play contributor, as well.
Former Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko, who mutually parted ways with the school after the 2025-26 season ended, described the hardworking forward as "Mr. Consistent." He believes there's a chance the winger can still take his game up another notch or two, though.
"The good thing for us is he's just scratching the surface," Motzko told Noah Monroe of Sabres.com in January. "He is young, and he's got a whole other level talent-wise that he's going to hit as he matures. He's got some of the important things down, and he plays the game every coach and every teammate wants."
A belief Ziemer can still find another gear at the college ranks is probably why the 5-foot-11 forward and the Sabres probably agreed for him to spend another year with the Gophers.
He flashed a little bit of that untapped potential down the stretch, scoring 12 points in Minnesota final 10 games of the season.
Along with his improving offensive game, Ziemer could benefit from another year of development in the D-zone. His issues at that end of the ice have nothing to do with compete level, but rather learning to close down space quicker and improving his defensive stick.
Could he have successfully made the jump to pro hockey now? Probably, but it would have been a challenge and ample playing time with the Amerks wouldn't have been guaranteed as the team tries to lock down a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Instead, Ziemer can get some rest after a busy season between college hockey and the World Juniors assignment. Then he can get a full summer to prepare for another year with the Gophers where he'll take on a high-minute role and leadership responsibilities.
If his development continues at its recent trajectory, he should be in a perfect position to join the Amerks during the latter stages of the 2026-27 campaign.
From there, Ziemer will probably need a full season in Rochester before potentially joining the Sabres lineup discussion ahead of the 2028-29 season.