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, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. 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. Other Sabres Stories Projecting Sabres Trade Cost - Lawson Crouse [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/projecting-sabres-trade-cost---lawson-crouse] Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/six-former-sabres-who-signed-elsewhere] #10 - Scott Ratzlaff - Goaltender (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, .918 save percentage and played for Canada in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in his draft year. The Irma, Alberta native 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 and will likely be in the mix to see game action this December. After putting up a 25-8-1 record with a loaded Seattle Thunderbirds squad two years ago, the 20-year-old numbers were more pedestrian last season (21-26-2, 3.33 GAA, .905 save percentage) for the rebuilding WHL club, but after impressing at training camp, the Sabres signed Ratzlaff to a three-year, entry-level contract. In his final season in junior, Ratzlaff finished 23-19-4, with a 3.16 GAA and .910 save%. The 20-year-old is slated to share duties with Devon Levi next season in Rochester, and could get more of a workload depending on whether the Sabres choose to carry three goalies on their roster. Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo [https://twitter.com/MikeInBuffalo]
