The Buffalo Sabres are considered to have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL, not only because of their selecting high in recent drafts but also due to their eye for talent and their organizational choices of either leaving players to develop in their home countries or bringing them to North America. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals and have played less than 40 NHL games.
10. – SCOTT RATZLAFF - G (SEATTLE - WHL)
Ratzlaff was the Sabres fifth-round pick at the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville. The young netminder was a tandem goalie in his second season with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, posting an impressive 25-8-1 record, 2.15 GAA, and .918 save percentage, and played for Canada in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in his draft year.
The 19-year-old became the primary starter for a rebuilding Thunderbirds squad last season and put up more pedestrian numbers (21-26-2, 3.33 GAA, .905 save percentage) and was the third goalie for Team Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championships in Sweden, but did not see action. Ratzlaff attended Canada’s summer camp for the 2025 World Junior but was cut during their selection camp in December.
This season, Ratzlaff has a 14-15-2 record, 3.50 GAA, and .897 save % in 32 games for struggling T-Birds.
According to the Elite Prospects Draft Guide, Ratzlaff “can catch shooters by surprise with quickness and a unique approach off the rush. He is very aggressive in terms of the depth that he takes…..If the puck gets too close, he pounces and makes a move.”
The Sabres have until this June to sign Ratzlaff to an entry-level contract, which seems likely since the club will likely have both Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on the NHL roster in 2025, and 2022 second-rounder Topias Leinonen on a longer development track playing in Europe.
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