The 19-year-old blueliner Mrtka played for Czechia at the World Junior, in the WHL and for Rochester last season
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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4. Radim Mrtka - D (Seattle - WHL, Rochester - AHL)
The Buffalo Sabres once again had a top 10 pick at the 2025 NHL Draft, and after lengthy speculation that they might trade the pick for immediate help with former GM Kevyn Adams entering a do or die season, the Sabres kept the ninth overall pick and selected Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Radim Mrtka.
Mrtka offers an intriguing physical package at 6’6”, 218 lb. with excellent skating ability. After getting limited playing time in various levels in Czechia last season and playing for his country in the Under-18s, the big right hander came to North America to play in the WHL and posted 35 points (3 goals, 32 assists) in 43 games with the Thunderbirds, where he was teammates with current Sabres prospect Scott Ratzlaff.
"Mrtka (offers a) very unique package to be able to move the way he does at 6'6", (is) almost more agile with the puck, if that's possible," Sabres Asst GM Jerry Forton said before the draft in June 2025. "A smart player at both ends. I was over in Czechia early in the year when he wasn't getting a lot of playing time in the men's league over there to see what he was willing to do to move to North America. He comes from a background where he has very little in the way of resources for hockey or anything outside hockey. He uprooted, high character kid, a huge ceiling."
The 19-year-old played five games for Czechia at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships, and played a four-game stint with AHL Rochester after Sabres training camp before being sent back to the WHL. His production was virtually the same last season with the Thunderbirds (1 goal, 33 assists) in 43 games, and after their year was over, Mrtka finished the season with the Amerks and played all three playoff games against the Toronto Marlies.
It is expected that Mrtka will play full time with Rochester, and based on how the Sabres blueline fares and how the youngster plays in the AHL, a call up to the NHL is not out of the question.
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