Rudolph was selected by the Sabres with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft
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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2. Daxon Rudolph - D (Prince Albert - WHL)
The Sabres were expecting to select in the bottom third of the first round after their first playoff appearance in 15 years, but after being informed that defenseman Bowen Byram would not sign an extension, Kekalainen sprung into action, dealing the Cup winner to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth overall pick in the 2026 Draft, a second rounder (used to acquire Olen Zellweger from Anaheim) and blueliner Louis Crevier.
With a number of well regarded defensive prospects available at #4, the Sabres did not take select the higher projected Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, or Carson Carels, and selected Prince Albert Raiders blueliner Daxon Rudolph. The 18-year-old righty was the first overall pick in the 2023 WHL Draft, and after scoring 41 points in 2024-25 as a rookie, Rudolph posted an impressive 78 points (28 goals, 50 assists) in 68 WHL games in his second season.
Elite Prospects describes Rudolph as “both a high-end shooter and playmaker, who has the offensive tools to shred the opposition. He’s a scoring threat from range and uses his feel for scoring windows to jump off the point into the perfect spot to catch and fire.”
The youngster chose to shift to the NCAA and will play this season at the University of Denver under three-time NCAA champion David Carle, but indicated at Sabres Development Camp in July that he hopes to make the jump to the NHL after one or perhaps two years, Rudolph was also was invited by Team Canada to the World Junior Summer Showcase, and is likely to be on their roster for the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championships in Alberta this December.
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