Jackson Smith thought he was prepared for the weeklong job interview and training exam that is the NHL scouting combine.
Yet, what surprised Smith the most about the catalog of meetings, medical testing and physical exertion was the sheer organization of the entire operation. The combine began June 1 and concluded with fitness testing Saturday at LECOM Harborcenter.
Planning, Smith said, was down to the minute. Regimen can be life in the NHL at times, and Smith found he thrived when he had to pivot on a tight schedule.
“It’s just how everything is run here,” said Smith, a defenseman from Tri-City of the Western Hockey League. “The meals and everything, it’s incredible how well they run this thing and how organized they are. It makes it really easy on us. They give us the sheets and the times, and it just makes it a whole lot easier.”
Yet, what surprised Smith the most about the catalog of meetings, medical testing and physical exertion was the sheer organization of the entire operation. The combine began June 1 and concluded with fitness testing Saturday at LECOM Harborcenter.
Planning, Smith said, was down to the minute. Regimen can be life in the NHL at times, and Smith found he thrived when he had to pivot on a tight schedule.
“It’s just how everything is run here,” said Smith, a defenseman from Tri-City of the Western Hockey League. “The meals and everything, it’s incredible how well they run this thing and how organized they are. It makes it really easy on us. They give us the sheets and the times, and it just makes it a whole lot easier.”
Kashawn Aitcheson
Mock draft projection: The Hockey News.
The rundown: Aitcheson is as tough as he is effervescent, and is as willing to stand up for himself or a teammate as he is to carry on a conversation with someone. The 6-foot-1½ defenseman from Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League tied with teammate Riley Patterson, a center, for the Colts’ scoring lead this season. Aitcheson scored 26 goals with 33 assists in 64 games, including nine power-play goals. He accrued 88 minutes in penalties.
What he could bring to the Sabres: “I would bring, definitely, compete. Heart. A lot of grit, a lot of heart. I kind of do whatever it takes, you know, stick up for anyone. I have that two-way, sound game that shuts down the other team’s top lines, but contributes when the opportunity’s there.”
Did he meet with the Sabres? Yes. Here’s how it went: “Just challenging me, seeing what I can do, to better myself as a player and as a person, and I had to show them.”
Anton Frondell
Mock draft projection: NHL.com (at No. 9 with defenseman Radim Mrtka of the WHL).
The rundown: Frondell, a 6-1 center, spent 2024-25 with Djurgarden IF of the SHL in Sweden. He scored five goals with two assists in 10 games for Djurgarden's junior team, then scored 11 goals with 14 assists in 29 games for its top-tier team. As Victor Eklund, his teammate, put it: “Anton is a tank on ice. He has a shot like a missile.” Frondell also showed his hand-eye coordination in an unconventional way at the combine: He juggled, according to fellow prospect Viktor Klingsell.
What he could bring to the Sabres: “Probably my compete level. It doesn’t matter if it’s a game or practice. I always compete and I always think winning is really important for me, and I work hard.”
Did he meet with the Sabres? Did not say.
Radim Mrtka
Mock draft projection: NHL.com (at No. 9 with Swedish center Anton Frondell of Djurgarden); TSN.com.
The rundown: Mrtka, a 6-5¾ defenseman from Czechia, scored three goals with 32 assists in 43 games for Seattle of the Western Hockey League after playing the first 10 games of the season with HC Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga. Mrtka describes himself as a two-way defenseman who will do everything in his power in a game, but wants to improve his skating and become a more offensive-minded player.
What he could bring to the Sabres: “I would bring everything that I can. I’d bring my two-way game.”
Did he meet with the Sabres? Yes, but he didn’t go into specifics about his sit-down. “It was good. They were funny guys. I enjoyed it.”
Jake O’Brien
NHL draft prospect Jake O’Brien performs a horizontal jump during during the NHL scouting combine Saturday at LECOM Harborcenter.
Mock draft projection: The Athletic.
The rundown: There's no question that O’Brien, a 6-1¾ center from Brantford of the OHL, can score. He followed up a 64-point season in 2023-24 with 98 points this year, including 66 assists. O’Brien is a playmaker with 117 assists over the last two seasons, and he has hefty aspirations for the NHL. He said repeatedly Saturday that he wants to win the Stanley Cup.
What he could bring to the Sabres: “A lot of hard work. I’ll be a really good player in the future, just with my hockey sense and my hockey IQ. I hope to bring a playoff berth for them, and I hope, maybe, to win a Stanley Cup one day, if I get drafted by them.”
Did he meet with the Sabres? Did not say.
Jackson Smith
Mock draft projection: SB Nation.
The rundown: Smith is a 6-3¼ defenseman from Tri-City of the WHL who scored 11 goals with 43 assists − including four power-play goals and 13 power-play assists − in 68 games. The Calgary native played for former Sabres forward Stu Barnes, and Smith is ranked 13th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final 2025 NHL draft rankings.
What he could bring to the Sabres: “A big defenseman who skates really well, who has a lot of offensive upside, but can also play on the ‘D’ side of the puck, can run a power play and can play PK (penalty kill), as well,” Smith said. “Kind of an all-around defensive with offensive potential.”
Did he meet with the Sabres? Yes, and said “four or five” Sabres front-office members were in the room with him, including general manager Kevyn Adams and senior advisor Jarmo Kekalainen.
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