Coming out of the NHL Scouting Combine last weekend, the Buffalo Sabres got the lowdown on a number of prospects that could be their with the ninth selection at the 2025 Draft in Los Angeles later this month, but barring a trade up they will have to rely on the player they want slipping through the cracks.  

The NY Islanders are likely to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the top overall pick, but there is no accurate read on how the remaining seven picks will break. That seems to be reflected in various mock drafts that have emerged since the combine. After Schaefer, names like Michael Misa, Caleb Desnoyers, and rising star Anton Frondell are likely to go in the top five, but at that point, any of a number of players could be there for the Sabres at #9.  

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Porter Martone of the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads is considered by many draft analysts as the best winger in the 2025 NHL Draft, but with the top end of the first round dominated by centers, he has been projected going as high as third to the Chicago Blackhawks or   slipping into the lower half of the top-10 and perhaps even lower than the Sabres ninth overall pick. 

According to the Hockey News Draft Preview, Martone is considered a power forward with high-end skill. He had 74 penalty minutes last season and uses his 6’3”, 208 lb. frame effectively, using his size and hands to create scoring chances in close.   The 18-year-old led the Steelheads in scoring with 98 points (37 goals, 61 assists) in 57 games last season and has a connection to the Sabres, whose father was a fourth round pick of Buffalo in 1996. 

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