The 20-year-old blueliner played in consecutive World Junior Championships for Team USA, winning gold in 2025.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 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 82 NHL games.
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12. Adam Kleber – Defense (Minnesota-Duluth – NCAA)
Kleber was the Sabres second-round pick at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. The Chaska, MN native played his amateur hockey in Minnesota and two years in the USHL with Lincoln before being selected 42nd overall with a pick obtained from the San Jose Sharks when Buffalo traded down from 11th to 14th overall.
The 6’6”, 214 lb. right-handed blueloiner is defensive-minded, something that will be a good fit down the road with a Sabres blueline that is predominantly left-handed and offensive-minded. The 20-year-old possesses above-average skating ability and good awareness and habits in his own zone, skills that project him to be an effective penalty killer down the line, but at the Sabres Development camp earlier this summer, he showed some offensive ability as well.
In his freshman year at Minnesota-Duluth, Kleber had just five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in 33 games, but was part of Team USA’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2025 World Junior Championships, and again played for Team USA last December. His offensive totals slightly picked up as a sophomore, and after his junior season, it is likely that the Sabres will try to get him signed to an entry-level deal.
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