The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the best 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.
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#36 – Ashton Schultz – Center (Chicago – USHL)
The Sabres continued their practice of selecting players with longer development windows, since they do not have to sign them within two years, as they do under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement with players selected out of the CHL. In the sixth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, Buffalo selected center Auston Schultz.
The Victoria, MN native is a product of the vaunted Minnesota high school system and played 11 games in the USHL in 2023-24 before playing a full season for the Chicago Steel, where he scored 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists) in 57 games. The 18-year-old is slated to play at the University of North Dakota this fall. The 5’11”, 181 lb. center is described by Elite Prospects as “an intelligent two-way center with impressive details. Skill comes and goes, but he could fill a bottom-six role with added intensity and playmaking.”
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