SABRES 2025 PROSPECTS CHALLENGE ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Sep 10, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Buffalo Sabres, along with four other National Hockey League clubs have arrived at LECOM Harborcenter for the annual rookie showcase in Western New York, or rather, the Prospects Challenge as it’s come to be known.
Each September, up and coming talent for the blue and gold have an opportunity to showcase their skills against touted prospects from other organizations, while also maintaining the spirit of internal competition for ice time and roster spots. This year, 26 players will don a Sabres jersey for Prospects Challenge, though a heavy red, white, and blue presence can be felt, with 10 of the 22 skaters coming from last season’s Amerks squad.
Here's a full breakdown of the roster for the 2025 Buffalo Sabres Prospects Challenge:
Forwards (14):
#41 Tyler Kopff: Kopff enters his first Prospects Challenge with the Sabres after the organization signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract in April. Following that, the 22-year-old signed an Amateur Tryout with Rochester, playing in six games for the Amerks towards the tail end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Kopff spent a week with the Sabres at the end of June for Development Camp and scored multiple goals during the team’s blue and gold scrimmage.
“I wrote down a list of everything that I’m going to come back and be better at,” said Kopff when asked about his offseason at Development Camp. “I’m looking forward to making an impression whenever I get the opportunity.
#45 Riley Fiddler-Schultz: After a spending the bulk of his 2023-24 season in ECHL-Jacksonville (Rochester’s affiliate), Fiddler-Schultz had a standout rookie season in the AHL, corralling 13 goals and 26 points through 51 games for the Amerks. His 13 goals ranked sixth overall on the team and third amongst rookies, trailing only Konsta Helenius (14) and Noah Östlund (19).
Fiddler-Schultz’ efforts were rewarded as the undrafted 23-year-old was signed to two-year, entry-level contract by Buffalo at the start of free agency. The Edmonton, Alberta native is a second-generation talent, with his uncle, Vernon Fiddler, having played 16 seasons professionally, including 877 NHL games across four teams (Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas, New Jersey).
#51 Matous Kucharcik: Kucharcik enters his first Prospects Challenge and is one of eight 2025 Sabres’ draft picks, with the Czechian forward being plucked in the fourth round (103rd overall).
While the previous pair of forwards spent last season in Rochester, Kucharcik is expected to play in North America for the first time in his career, doing so at the junior level with the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL). In international play for Czechia’s all U18 team, the 18-year-old scored two goals and nine points in 27 games. His father, Tomas, played 19 seasons professionally overseas and spent a brief part of his rookie season in the AHL with St John’s during the 1993-93 season.
Kucharcik enters Prospects Challenge unsigned.
#54 Olivier Nadeau: Nadeau enters his third Prospects Challenge and is entering the final year of an entry-level contract he signed with the Sabres in 2022. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder has spent the bulk of his first two pro seasons with Jacksonville, including last year where he composed a dazzling 50-point season (28+22), leading the Icemen in goals.
Nadeau appeared in four games for the Amerks last year, recording two assists in the process. A year earlier, the Lac-Etchemin, Quebec native scored one goal through five games with Rochester.
After being drafted by Buffalo in 2021, Nadeau went on to capture a QMJHL championship with Shawnigan serving as an alternate captain.
#58 Ashton Schultz: Taken in the sixth round of this summer’s NHL Draft, Schultz enters his first Prospects Challenge with Buffalo less than a month before celebrating his 19th birthday. The Victoria, Minnesota native is one of only four American-born players on this roster and is coming off his first full season in the USHL, playing all but one of his 58 games with the Chicago Steel. There, Schultz posted 39 points, the majority of which coming by way of helpers (25 assists).
Schultz is expected to return to Chicago following Prospects Challenge, and in 2023 the playmaking forward committed to University of North Dakota, where he’s expected to play starting the 2026-27 season.
#59 Matteo Costantini: Costantini was drafted by the Sabres in 2020, but his ties to the Queen City predate that. The St. Catherines, Ontario native played his final season of youth hockey at the AAA level with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16U program, then transitioned to junior hockey with the Jr. Sabres in the OJHL, where he led the team in scoring with 68 points (36+32) over 50 games in the 2019-20 season.
Following a season with USHL-Sioux City, Costantini has spent each of the last two seasons at Western Michigan University and wore a letter this past year. Additionally, he helped the Broncos capture their first-ever NCAA National Championship in program history in 2025.
While Costantini is not one of the 10 Amerks from last year on this roster, the 23-year-old is expected to make the jump to pro and arrive in Rochester next month after inking a multi-year AHL contract.
#63 Isak Rosén: The Amerks’ leading scorer from a season ago should garner much of the spotlight this week in Buffalo. Rosén is a two-time AHL All-Star, two-time 20-goal scorer with the Amerks, and has amassed 142 points (62+80) over his 194 games in an Amerks jersey.
Rosén joins the group of prospects at LECOM Harborcenter, but is hoping to find himself playing across the straight next month. A year ago, the Stockholm, Sweden native was one half of a dynamic duo that featured himself and Jiri Kulich. The two were obvious standouts throughout Prospects Challenge, and Kulich found himself occupying a full-time roster spot with the Sabres for much of last season.
Rosén is one of four first-round draft picks on this roster, as he was taken 14th overall in 2021. In the final year of his current contract, the Amerks’ superstar will look to make his star shine bright in Buffalo and hope to stay there beyond the next several days.
#79 Viktor Neuchev: While Neuchev isn’t a new face to the organization, it may feel that way given the third-year pro hasn’t seen game action since February 19th. The Chelyabinsk, Russia native was sidelined with a season-ending injury that required surgery, limiting him to 39 games with Rochester this past season.
Neuchev, despite the shortened season, showed signs of growth and development from his rookie year, coming within six points of his freshman campaign and doing so in 18 fewer games.
“I want to become stronger,” said Neuchev entering last year’s Development Camp with the Sabres. “I want to be an iron player for out team and do everything to help the team be successful.”
The 21-year-old was selected in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft and is in the final year of a three-year, entry-level contract with Buffalo.
#81 Red Savage: Like Constantini, Savage is expected to find himself on the Amerks roster this upcoming season as he also signed a two-year AHL Contract. The Michigan State product inked a two-year AHL contract with Rochester last month after posting 11 points (5+6) for the Spartans as team captain. Savage split his four-year collegiate tenure at Michigan State and Miami University.
Savage’s ties to the Amerks run through their former coach, as he played for Seth Appert at the U.S. National Development program. In 2022 and 2023, Savage represented Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championships.
#83 Melvin Novotny: Selected in the final round of this year’s draft, Novotny will appear in his first Prospects Challenge before beginning his journey in North America with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks later this month. The Swedish winger is committed to the University of Massachusetts for the 2026-27 season.
While playing for Leksands in the J20 Nationell league in his native country, Novotny operated at nearly a point-per-game pace, distributing 38 points (12+26) across 41 contests.
#85 Ryan Rucinski: Rucinski was the final pick of the Sabres 2025 draft class and will be joining fellow draftee Kucharcik in Youngstown for the 2025-26 USHL season. It will be Rucinski’s third season with the Phantoms. After a 14-point rookie season, the Buckeye State resident had a resounding sophomore campaign with 19 goals and 42 points through 49 games.
The highlight of Rucinski’s season came outside the USHL and on the global stage, capturing a Gold Medal at the World Junior Championships for Team USA. Rucinski is a second-generation talent and cousins with Dylan Duke, a rival forward for the Amerks from Syracuse.
#86 Noah Östlund: The Sabres 16th overall pick in 2022 had a less-than-ideal start to last season. Before October ended, Östlund found himself nursing an upper-body injury that kept the Swedish talent sidelined until December. Once getting back to health, the 21-year-old flashed signs worthy of an NHL call-up.
Östlund finished the season leading all Amerks rookies in scoring with 36 points (19+17) over 45 games, on top of finishing +20 for the season, ranking 10th across all AHL forwards. His efforts were recognized towards the end of the year when Buffalo called-up the rookie sensation for eight games in April.
Östlund will be one of several Amerks to watch and see if he finds his way back to Blue Cross Arena next month, or if he’ll be able to extend his stay in Buffalo.
#92 Anton Wahlberg: A second-round pick from 2023, Wahlberg entered his first full professional season in North America after briefly appearing with the Amerks a year earlier for a nine-game stint. Wahlberg was one of eight Amerks forwards to exceed 60 games this past season, accumulating 30 points (11+19).
“It felt like there were a lot of ups and downs,” said Wahlberg at his year end media availability in May. “It was kind of like a roller coaster. I was excited coming here, but I didn’t have the start to the season I wanted. I was struggling to find my game until around Christmas when I went to World Juniors. I came back playing well from that and kept that going for a bit, but eventually got back to more ups and downs. I want to aim for more consistency. It feels like the most important thing I’ve got to get better at.”
While representing Team Sweden, Wahlberg posted four goals and eight points, leading his country to the Semifinal round.
#94 Konsta Helenius: Helenius was the talk of Rochester to begin last season after the Sabres selected him in the first round of last Summer’s draft. After taking some time to adjust to the smaller ice in North America, the Finnish teenager rounded out his rookie season with 35 points (14+21) in 65 games. 15 of those points came February 21st onward. On April 5th in Belleville, Helenius scored his first career hat trick. The highly touted prospect continued his momentum into the playoffs, where he scored a trio of goals and assist for six points in eight games.
“He was arguably our best player in that series against Laval,” said Amerks head coach Micheal Leone.
Helenius will aim for a roster spot with Buffalo as he’ll likely compete with fellow Amerks Rosén and Östlund for the opportunity.
Defensemen (8):
#5 Luke Dragusica: As the second youngest defenseman at Prospects Challenge, Dragusica comes in on a camp invite following an injury-plagued season that led to just eight games with the Brampton Steelheads in the OHL last year. The Stoney Creek, Ontario native had eight assists the year prior for Mississauga, along with 55 penalty minutes; a number he matched a year earlier while playing AAA hockey for the Toronto Marlboros.
#37 Noah Laberge: Laberge took a step forward in his offensive game this past season with Acadie-Bathurst in the QMJHL. After four goals the season prior, Laberge tripled that total while posting a career high-35 points, helping him garner attention from the Sabres, who drafted Quebec native in the fifth round earlier this year.
“The harder I defend, the quicker I can go on offense,” said Laberge after being drafted. “I would like to be a part of the young core that is in Buffalo.”
Laberge is set to remain in major junior this upcoming season, though he will take his talents to Newfoundland with Titan relocating after 27 seasons in Acadie-Bathurst.
#43 Simon-Pier Brunet: Despite remaining unsigned, Brunet is back for his second year of Prospects Challenge action after being selected by the Sabres in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft. After capturing the QMJHL title with Drummondville in 2024, Brunet returned to the Voltigeurs last season, wearing a letter and posted career highs in goals (8), assists (24) and points (32) in his third major junior season.
The 19-year-old celebrates a birthday next month, but will do so in Victoriaville as Brunet will skate for the QMJHL’s Tigres next season. Earlier this month, the team named Brunet captain for the 2025-26 season. It’s the final year of his junior eligibility, with the blue liner declaring for the NCAA route as Brunet is committed to Merrimack College for the 2026-27 campaign.
#57 Radim Mrtka: All eyes are on the Sabres ninth overall pick from this year’s draft as 6-foot-6 Radim Mrtka will get his first game action in a Sabres jersey during Prospects Challenge. Mrtka is the third top 10 draft pick the Sabres have made over the last five years and is coming off a 35-point season (3+32) with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds.
It was the Czechia-born defenseman’s first season playing in North America. The 18-year-old is expected to rejoin Seattle this upcoming season, though he will look to make a case for himself to earn some additional time in training camp with the Sabres over the next several days.
“I learned a lot of things,” said Mrtka following Development Camp in July. “It’s gonna be great to try and do the things we were shown. I want to work on everything and be the best I can.”
#74 Nikita Novikov: Over the last two seasons, no defenseman has had a better plus/minus rating for the Amerks than Nikita Novikov. Entering his third season and final year of his entry-level contract, Novikov is +48 through 133 AHL games. His +28 from 2024-25 was fourth best amongst all AHL skaters and first in the North Division.
The Amerks are undefeated when Novikov has found the back of the net, going 9-0-0-0 over his two-year tenure in the red, white, and blue.
“I think everybody wants defenders at the next level,” said Leone. “You want to see a defender with size that is good at boxing out in front of the net and I thought he took huge strides.”
#75 Isaac Belliveau: The Sabres acquired Belliveau in a trade with Pittsburgh during the NHL Draft in June. The 22-year-old split last season between the Penguins’ AHL and ECHL affiliates and has seven points (1+6) in 24 career AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Belliveau was drafted by Pittsburgh in the fifth round in 2021. Prior to turning pro, he had skated in 222 QMJHL games between Rimouski and Gatineau.
#76 Vsevolod Komarov: Komarov led all Amerks rookies in games played last season (69), along with leading the team overall in penalty minutes (85).
After getting drafted by the Sabres in 2022, Komarov went on to be a major junior standout. In 2023, he captured the Memorial Cup with the Quebec Remparts. A season later, he posted 69 points (14+55) to lead all QMJHL defensemen on his way to being crowned the league’s Defenseman of the Year and Playoff MVP.
“I thought he made huge strides toward the end of the year,” said Leone following day one of practice at Prospects Challenge. “Coming from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to the AHL is a huge jump. He has a really competitive spirit to him. He’s physical and everything that you would want in a defenseman his size. Being really detailed away from the puck is going to be big for him.”
#93 David Bedkowski: After trading their second-round pick, Bedkowski fell to the Sabres in round three this year at 71st overall. The Toronto, Ontario native is one of only three players coming out of the OHL last season that are on Buffalo’s Prospects Challenge roster.
The 18-year-old finished third with Owen Sound in penalty minutes (73) as part of his seven-point season (3+4). Bedkowski is slated to return to the Attack this fall.
“I think both markets (Buffalo and Owen Sound) are kind of similar,” said Bedkowski after being drafted. “They’re both blue collar cities that are smaller markets in their respective leagues, but both fan bases are ravenous. It’s exciting.”
Goaltenders (4):
#32 Scott Ratzlaff: Earlier in the Summer, Sabres Goaltending and Development Coach Seamus Kotyk confirmed that both goaltender Scott Ratzlaff and Topias Leinonen would find themselves playing professionally this season. In looking at the depth chart, it’s possible one ends up in Rochester, while the other plays in Jacksonville.
For Ratzlaff, the 20-year-old wrapped up a 160-game career with WHL-Seattle, playing behind Mrtka. Hailing from the village of Irma, Alberta; a location with a population less than 500, Ratzlaff became the third player in Irma history to be drafted by an NHL team when Buffalo nabbed him in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
“I’ve been able to hang out and be around the pros over the last two years,” said Ratzlaff during an interview back at Development Camp. “You learn a lot about what you can and can’t do and more about the position. The mindset is urgent. As soon as you get drafted it feels like the clock starts ticking down. This is the time.”
#35 Ryerson Leenders: For a second year in a row, Leenders will appear in the Prospects Challenge. After being drafted by Buffalo last year, the Nanticoke, Ontario native returned to the OHL for a third season, but first with the Brantford Bulldogs after spending the previous two with Mississauga.
Leenders pitched a 31-14-3 record with a 3.11 goals-against average, coupled with a .910 save percentage. He is expected to return to the Bulldogs for the 2025-26 OHL season.
#40 Samuel Meloche: The Sabres continued to strengthen their depth in the crease during this past year’s NHL Draft by adding a pair of goaltenders with Meloche coming in at 116th overall in the fourth round.
The 18-year-old went 30-14-6 through 51 games with Rouyn-Noranda in the QMJHL this past season. His 2.90 goals-against average ranked 15th in the league, with his five shutouts tying him for first overall.
Meloche will return to play for the Huskies this upcoming season and is committed to Northeastern University (the same school Devon Levi played for) for the 2026-27 season.
#50 Topias Leinonen: In June, Leinonen attended his fourth Development Camp with the Sabres. He’s been a part of just as many Prospects Challenge tournaments, though this is expected to be his last with Finnish goaltender vying for a spot on the Amerks roster come October.
Leinonen made the transition away from his home country to play in Sweden last season. The result was a 13-10 record in the HockeyAllsvenskan league, with his 2.31 goals-against average ranking sixth across the board.
“I feel ready,” said Leinonen. I’ve had a pretty good summer. The body feels good. I worked with my coaches back home and we put together a pretty good plan for this past summer, so I think I’m ready.”