The 2025 NHL Draft was the last one conducted by former Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams, who was dismissed in December and replaced by Jarmo Kekalainen.
Adams built a reputation of putting together well-rounded draft classes across his nearly six years leading the Sabres' front office, tending to divvy resources between all three positions (forwards, defensemen and goalies). Last year, however, he only owned two top-100 selections and spent them both on blueliners, Radim Mrtka and David Bedkowski.
Neither Mrtka nor Bedkowski took the offensive step forward Buffalo was hoping for during the 2025-26 season, which clouds the outlook on what will become of the nine-player class, but a couple potential late-round steals may end up saving the day for the Blue and Gold.
Let's take a look at where all of the prospects stand 13 months after being drafted.
Radim Mrtka (Round 1; Pick 9)
Mrtka looked terrific during last year's prospect development camp and parlayed that into a strong training camp with the Sabres, which earned him a brief run with the AHL's Rochester Americans before being sent back to the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.
The 19-year-old Czechia native didn't play poorly for the Thunderbirds, tallying a modest 34 points (one goal and 33 assists) in 43 appearances, but he didn't display the level of dominance you'd expect from a 6-foot-6 defenseman playing junior hockey in his post-draft year.
All of the promising baseline traits are still there, including impressive skating speed and agility for a player with his frame, but he's still trying to put all of the pieces together to become a game-changer. Some analysts called him a top-10 reach last year, and those criticisms may prove valid.
Mrtka may end up needing multiple years with the Amerks and, given Buffalo's current (and future) depth on the blue line (including 2026 No. 4 overall pick Daxon Rudolph), it wouldn't be a surprise if the 2025 first-rounder is ultimately traded before reaching the NHL on a full-time basis.
David Bedkowski (Round 3; Pick 71)
Bedkowski plays with an extreme physical edge, which is something both Adams and Kekalainen showcased an interest in for third-pair defenders, but there are legitimate questions about whether the rest of his game will ultimately reach an NHL level.
The 6-foot-6 Canadian (yes, the Sabres love size on the blue line) recorded 29 points (five goals and 24 assists) in 68 OHL games last season, which he split between the Owen Sound Attack and Ottawa 67's. He also racked up an eye-popping 118 penalty minutes.
Bedkowski has yet to sign his entry-level contract with Buffalo, which means he could be heading for another OHL campaign with the 67's. It'd set up a potential make-or-break season in terms of his place within the organization since he must be signed before June 1, 2027.
Matous Jan Kucharcik (Round 4: Pick 103)
Kucharcik has been unable to sustain the scoring potential he flashed at the U17 level with HC Slavia Praha in his native Czechia. He compiled just 16 points (nine goals and seven assists) in 35 outings with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms last season in his first taste of North American hockey.
The 19-year-old forward is now set to join Miami (Ohio) for the 2026-27 college season, where he'll be a teammate of one of Buffalo's 2026 first-round picks, center Ilia Morozov. His 6-foot-4 frame does give him a chance to acclimate well to the NCAA ranks.
He'll need to show some serious offensive growth over the next few seasons with the RedHawks to boost his chances of eventually reaching Buffalo, though.
Samuel Meloche (Round 4; Pick 116)
Meloche is coming off an up-and-down year with Rouyn-Noranda in the QMJHL. The goalie posted a lackluster .897 save percentage across 50 regular-season appearances, but he bounced back with three shutouts in 17 playoff contests to help lead the Huskies to the semifinals.
The Quebec native has moved to the QMJHL's Saint John Sea Dogs ahead of the 2026-27 season, and he's committed to play college hockey at Northeastern beginning in 2027-28. He's still a handful of years away from potentially entering the Sabres conversation.
Noah Laberge (Round 5; Pick 135)
Laberge continued his steady upward trajectory last season, racking up 56 points (seven goals and 49 assists) in 62 games for the QMJHL's Newfoundland Regiment. He'd recorded 24 points in 2023-24 and 35 in 2024-25 while playing in the same league.
He's a fluid skater who makes a significant impact in transition, and he has all the tools to become a future power-play quarterback, especially since he's become far more confident in his shot over the past couple years.
Now the focus will shift toward his defensive development as he also heads to Northeastern to play college hockey starting the fall.
Ashton Schultz (Round 6; Pick 167)
Schultz, a University of North Dakota commit, has occasionally put together stretches where he looks like a prospect on the rise. One example came during this year's USHL Playoffs, where he tallied six points (four goals and two helpers) in six games for the Sioux City Musketeers.
Whether he can become more consistent, especially in terms of playing two-way hockey, is the question that must be answered to start moving up the ranks. It'll be interesting to see what type of role he can carve out in his first season with the Fighting Hawks.
Melvin Novotny (Round 7; Pick 195)
Novotny showcased among the most year-over-year improvement of anybody in the Sabres' system. He took his offensive game to another level en route to scoring 57 points (22 goals and 35 assists) in 48 games for the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks. He proceeded to add five goals and 10 apples in 16 postseason contests.
Although a post-draft surge isn't necessarily rare for a late-round pick, the underlying nature of his cerebral play-driving on the wing suggests there may be sustainability to his uptick in performance. We'll find out for sure during his first collegiate campaign at UMass.
Yevgeni Prokhorov (Round 7; Pick 199)
Prokhorov was downright dominant for Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk in Russia's MHL, the country's top development league, last season. He compiled a 1.96 goals against average and .925 SV% in the regular season and a 1.92 GAA and .938 SV% in the playoffs.
Although the 19-year-old Belarusian goaltender is expected to remain in the MHL to open the new campaign, Buffalo will hope he's able to earn a promotion to the KHL's Dinamo Minsk in the near future. Playing in Russia's top league would paint a clearer picture about his development.
Goalie timelines are always a bit slower, but the early returns on Prokhorov are highly promising, particularly if he can add another inch or two to his 6-foot-3 frame without losing any mobility.
Ryan Rucinski (Round 7; Pick 219)
Rucinski is another Sabres prospect who enjoyed a USHL breakthrough in 2025-26. He recorded 62 points (27 goals and 35 assists) in 59 appearances as captain of the Youngstown Phantoms and, while a bit undersized (5'10''), he's not afraid of physicality (88 penalty minutes).
The 19-year-old forward, an Ohio native, is set to join Ohio State for the upcoming season. If he's able to continue racking up points against bigger, stronger, more experienced opponents with the Buckeyes, it'll suggest there's some real late-round gem potential here.
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