Sabres Prospect Update - 2024 Draftees

The Buffalo Sabres 2024 Draft class could be the one that salvages the reputation of GM Kevyn Adams after his firing last December, as they appear to have selected four promising prospects with their top four picks. First rounder Konsta Helenius showed some impressive growth in his second pro season in North America. The 20-year-old scored nearly a point-per-game with AHL Rochester, stepped into the club’s playoff lineup, performed at a high level for Finland at the IIHF World Championships in Switzerland, and made the Sabres out of training camp.

Here are updates on the others selected at the top of the Sabres 2024 draft class:

Adam Kleber – D – 42nd overall

The 20-year-old scored five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in 33 games as a freshman with Minnesota-Duluth in 2024-25, and has had a slight uptick in his offensive numbers as a sophomore last season with the Bulldogs (3 goals, 9 assists in 40 games). Kleber has size (6’6”, 225 lb.), is an excellent skater and a solid two-way defender, but is not expected to be an offensive driver in the pros.  In his junior season, he has five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in 12 games. 

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Brodie Ziemer – RW – 71st overall

Ziemer could be the most promising of the Sabres forward prospects not in the NHL. A product of the US National Development Program, the 20-year-old made his mark at the World Juniors in 2025, scoring seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in seven games for the victorious US squad and put up impressive numbers as a freshman at the University of Minnesota with 12 goals in 38 games. 

Ziemer once again was amongst Team USA’s leading scorers at the WJC squad (6 points in 5 games), but nearly doubled his goal total for the Golden Gophers with 36 points (23 goals, 13 assists) in 36 games. The Sabres were unable to get Ziemer signed to an entry-level deal, and he has returned to Minnesota for his junior season, where he has started slow, with five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in 10 games. 

Luke Osburn – D – 108th overall

The 6’1”, 189 lb. blueliner made Team USA’s squad for the World Junior Championships last December and had an impressive freshman year at the University of Wisconsin, with 21 points (6 goals,15 assists) in 33 games. Osburn has gotten off to a hot start in his sophomore season with the Badgers with nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) in eight games. 

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