Radim Mrtka – D, Seattle (WHL)
The 6-foot-6 Mrtka is widely considered the second- or third-best defenseman in this draft class. Asked about blueliners he models his game after, Mrtka mentioned a pair of similarly tall NHL standouts in Victor Hedman (6-foot-7) and Moritz Seider (6-foot-3).
“I think their two-way game is probably one of the best in the NHL, so I’d like to be like them,” Mrtka said.
At his size, Mrtka already has the foundation of an effective defender. Everett forward Carter Bear, another projected first-round pick, said Saturday that Mrtka was the toughest draft-eligible defenseman he faced this season in the Western Hockey League. Still, Mrtka aims to become a more physical on-ice presence, something he was forced to shy away from earlier in his hockey life.
“When I was young, I was always big, so when I hit somebody, I made it to the penalty box,” he said. “So, I kind of played without body to [stay] on the ice. Right now, when everybody’s getting bigger and stronger, I can play more physical.”
Mrtka spoke highly of Sabres goaltending prospect Scott Ratzlaff, his teammate in Seattle during 2024-25 season, calling him “one of the best goalies in the league.”
Kashawn Aitcheson – D, Barrie (OHL)
Like Mrtka, Aitcheson is expected to be one of the first defensemen drafted later this month and met with the Sabres during Combine week.
“Just challenging me, seeing what I can do to better myself as a player and a person,” Aitcheson said of his sit-down with Buffalo management.
Unlike Mrtka, however, Aitcheson has made physicality his calling card. His propensity for landing powerful body checks – along with his 26-goal, 59-point output for Barrie this past season – highlights his draft profile. The 6-foot-1, 198-pound blueliner was asked how it feels to deliver one of his signature hits.
“You see a guy with his head down, and you want to make a big play on him,” Aitcheson said. “It’s obviously more of an energy boost for your team; give your team some juice, get them fired up.”
Whichever NHL club ultimately selects Aitcheson, he’s confident he’ll bring plenty to the table.
“I think I play with a lot of grit, a lot of heart,” he said. “Do whatever it takes, stick up for anyone. That two-way, sound game that shuts down the other teams’ top lines but also contributes when the opportunity’s there.”
Victor Eklund – LW, Djurgardens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan)
The Swedish forward, consistently projected in the neighborhood of the ninth pick, shared that he’s close with Sabres prospect Noah Ostlund. They’ve never been teammates, but Ostlund – two-and-a-half years older – used to play for Eklund’s team, Djurgardens, and they recently golfed together.
Additionally, Eklund’s brother William, a 22-year-old winger for the San Jose Sharks, has a relationship with Rasmus Dahlin. Between Ostlund and Dahlin, Victor Eklund says, he’s heard encouraging things about the Buffalo organization.
“They say it’s really great here,” Eklund said.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound winger is intent on getting bigger and stronger. In the meantime, he was asked what allows him to stand out from other players his size.
“It really doesn’t matter, your size,” Eklund said. “It’s just how you think and what confidence you come into battles with. I’m playing against people who weigh 30 pounds more than me, but I always get into the puck battles knowing that I’m gonna win this puck.”
Matthew Schaefer – D, Erie (OHL)
Schaefer, widely projected to be selected by the New York Islanders with the No. 1 pick, made the most of his visit to Buffalo. He spent Monday visiting WNY Compassion Connection, a grief center in Lancaster.
The 17-year-old lost his billet mother, Emily Matson, to suicide in 2023. His biological mother, Jennifer, passed away two months later following a two-year battle with cancer.
“I want to help people,” Schaefer said. “A lot of people are going through this. People don’t realize how important grief centers are. … My grad ceremony was that night, but I would go to this grief center 10 times out of 10 over my grad ceremony because it means a lot for me to be able to help people.
“There’s young kids who are going through tough times. A lot of people have to keep it in. I want to try to put their minds at ease in any way. Hopefully they can come out and talk a bit more and get their feelings off their chest.”
Roger McQueen – F, Brandon (WHL)
After a back injury limited him to just 17 games with the Wheat Kings in 2024-25, McQueen was a full participant in Combine testing. He detailed the injury and expressed confidence that it won’t be an issue again.
“I’ve been pain-free about a month and a couple weeks, now,” McQueen said. “Once that fracture healed in February, it felt pretty good in that sense. And then just got a muscle strain with that; having the fracture for so long, the muscle kind of overcompensated for that. So, I would say late April was when it was completely good.
“… Talking to a couple of the doctors I worked with this year, they don’t see anything [going] forward.”
The 6-foot-5 McQueen, asked which NHL players he tries to emulate, led with a name quite familiar to Sabres fans.
“Obviously, being here in Buffalo, Tage Thompson is a guy that, offensively, is just unbelievable and can create anything with his size and pace of play,” McQueen said, also mentioning Ryan Getzlaf and Brady Tkachuk.
Lynden Lakovic – F, Moose Jaw (WHL)
The 6-foot-4 Lakovic, too, likens his game to Tage Thompson’s.
“I think we’ve got similar frames with very similar skillsets,” Lakovic said, elaborating on Thompson’s ability to get open for pucks and use his size to protect the puck from defenders.
Brady Martin – C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Known for his blend of scoring and physicality, Martin gave a list of NHL comparables including Sam Bennett, Tom Wilson, Matthew Knies and Zach Hyman.
Martin’s makeup may mimic theirs, but his path to professional hockey mimics few in recent memory. The likely top-10 pick was raised and still lives on a family farm in Elmira, Ontario, home to 60,000 chickens, 4,000 pigs and 250 cows. While the business often takes precedence over hockey, it hasn’t impeded his rise to success in the sport.
“I just work on the farm,” Martin said. “I obviously train a bit, but I haven’t gotten too into hockey training. I’m more just ‘farm strong,’ is what they call it. That’s how I grew up and put on a lot of strength and muscle.
“I grew up and always had responsibilities and was disciplined, so I think that helps coming through hockey, too.”
Jackson Smith – D, Tri-City (WHL)
Smith spoke highly of his first meeting of the week, which came with Kevyn Adams, Jarmo Kekalainen and the Sabres. The conversation centered around Penn State University, where Smith is committed to play this fall in an arena built by Sabres owner Terry Pegula – a Nittany Lion, himself.
The 6-foot-3 Smith, who compares his game to that of Miro Heiskanen and Shea Theodore, summarized what he’ll bring to his NHL organization.
“Big defenseman who skates really well, has a lot of offensive upside but can also play on the D side of the puck,” he said. “Can run a power play, can play PK as well. So, just an all-around defenseman with offensive potential.”
Jake O’Brien – C, Brantford (OHL)
O’Brien’s calling card is his skill as a passer. He’s accumulated 117 assists and 162 points across the last two seasons in Brantford, where he’s coached by former Sabres defenseman Jay McKee.
“I think it’s something you’re born with and you develop over time,” O’Brien said of his passing. “As a kid, always moving the puck around instead of trying to skate it through everyone. I think that’s where I got it from, and just developing it over time.
“I feel like I slow the game down a bit, and I’m very good at finding little seams.”
Porter Martone – RW, Brampton (OHL)
It’s been an eventful year for the 6-foot-3 power forward. In addition to recording 98 points in 57 games for the Steelheads, Martone represented Canada at the World Junior Championship and the World Championship. At the latter, he shared a locker room with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Ryan O’Reilly.
“It was pretty special getting to play with a bunch of NHL players at the World Championship,” Martone said. “Not every 18-year-old kid gets to say they can do that. You get to be around Sidney Crosby for a month straight; you can’t put a price tag on that. I got to learn so much.
“I think I got a little bit of a one-up; I was around NHL players for a month. So, going into training camp, I definitely know what to expect.”
Logan Hensler – D, Wisconsin (NCAA)
The defenseman discussed his freshman-year experience at Wisconsin, a program that’s recently produced NHL talent including Cole Caufield, Dylan Holloway and K’Andre Miller.
“Fans at Wisconsin are unreal – granted, we didn’t have the greatest record this year, but they still showed out for us,” Hensler said. “Great atmosphere. And then just the maturity piece. A lot of older guys on our team – learned a lot from them. Just how to carry yourself as a person, on and off the ice. So, it’s a big learning piece for me.”
