McKeen's Ranks Sabres Prospect Pool 14th, Projects Mrtka for Rochester

McKeen's Hockey ranked the Buffalo Sabres' prospect pool 14th in its 2026-27 organizational rankings and projected defenseman Radim Mrtka to begin the season with the AHL's Rochester Americans.

McKeen's ranked Mrtka 36th among individual prospects and described him as a two-way defenseman who joins the rush and contributes offensively in the WHL. The publication noted that he played eight AHL games last season, split between the start and end of the campaign, and was more conservative than he had been in junior. It added that Buffalo could return him to the WHL if he struggles early. Buffalo's official prospect coverage also lists Rochester as Mrtka's 2026-27 team.

McKeen's also wrote that Mrtka was nearly included in a trade for St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko.

Forward Konsta Helenius, ranked 18th by McKeen's, is projected to move in the opposite direction after recording 63 points in 63 games for Rochester and four points in nine games for Buffalo last season. McKeen's views him as ready to compete for a full-time NHL role and still projects him as a top-six center.

The ranking follows an offseason in which Buffalo traded prospect Anton Wahlberg to Anaheim for defenseman Olen Zellweger. The Sabres also selected defenseman Daxon Rudolph fourth overall and forward Ilia Morozov 20th in the 2026 NHL Draft. Rudolph is headed to the University of Denver, while Morozov will return to Miami University for his sophomore season.