"Sabres’ Farm System Slams Mid‑Pack: A Development Disaster in the Making?"

There are no shortage of reasons the Buffalo Sabres are riding an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought, and player development has been among the biggest problems over the past decade. Prospects in their farm system frequently fall short of pre-draft expectations.

Bleacher Report's Hannah Stuart released the outlet's latest prospect pool rankings on Friday, with the Sabres checking in at No. 18 of the league's 32 teams. Stuart criticized the system's lack of depth and the organization's inability to develop young players into key NHL pieces.

"If it wasn't for Radim Mrtka and Konsta Helenius the Buffalo Sabres would plummet in the rankings—a common theme throughout the latter half of these rankings," Stuart wrote. "Things haven't been handled well roster-wise by the Sabres in recent times, and prospects are included in that list. They're just not a good development environment."

Mrtka, a right-shot defenseman, is one of the latest additions to Buffalo's prospect pool. The Czech blueliner was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft. He's coming off a strong season with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, scoring 35 points in 43 games.

"Mrtka was an incredibly smart pick, but he needs a long runway with good development," Stuart wrote. "I am not convinced that the Sabres can give that to him. I hope I'm wrong."

The Sabres have enjoyed success in the draft's first round. Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Jack Quinn and Zach Benson have all become full-time members of Buffalo's roster in short order. Of course, that task is made much easier by drafting inside the top 10, and frequently the top five, each year.

General manager Kevyn Adams and his scouting department have struggled mightily outside the opening round, though. Not counting the recent 2025 class, Adams and Co. have selected 29 players outside the draft's top 50 since 2020. Only one has reached the NHL (Tyson Kozak).

Even with an understanding that NHL development paths aren't linear and prospects taken in the later rounds have a low hit rate, that's not good enough.

The Sabres have also witnessed several players reach the NHL only to see their development eventually stall out. It's a group that includes Quinn, Peyton Krebs and Dylan Cozens (since traded to the Ottawa Senators), and even Power hasn't taken the expected leap to stardom over the past few years.

So, Stuart's criticism of the franchise's development environment is understandable. An organization doesn't miss the playoffs 14 season in a row by accident, especially in a league where nearly half the teams make the postseason every year.

Now, after a relatively quiet offseason, the Sabres will once again be banking on a wave of internal development if their playoff drought is going to end. Benson must elevate his game to a top-line level, Quinn needs to bounce back and Jiri Kulich is under pressure to increase his scoring numbers in his second full NHL season.

It's an approach that hasn't worked in the past, so Buffalo sports fans have every reason to remain skeptical. But for as long as Adams remains hesitant to make blockbuster moves to bring in elite talent, the hope for internal growth is the only thing the franchise can sell.

If the Sabres fall short again in 2025-26, it may be time for widespread organizational changes.