Buffalo drafted Ethan Miedema in the fourth round in 2023. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres relinquish rights to draft pick Ethan Miedema, two others

The Buffalo Sabres have relinquished the rights to three draft picks, including winger Ethan Miedema, a fourth-round selection in 2023.

In addition to Miedema, the Sabres did not sign forwards Viljami Marjala and William von Barnekow to contracts before Sunday’s deadline.

They selected Marjala, a Finn, in the fifth round in 2021, and von Barnekow, a Swede, in the sixth round that year.... Read the full article

Jerry Forton ran his first NHL Draft as Buffalo’s director of amateur scouting. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu

Why did Sabres suddenly focus on Russians during NHL Draft?

BUFFALO – You had to go back five years and 34 picks to find the last time the Sabres drafted a Russian.

Before they selected winger Prokhor Poltapov 33rd overall Saturday, they hadn’t drafted a Russian since winger Vasily Glotov in the seventh round in 2016.

Poltapov’s selection was harbinger. The Sabres used three straight picks on Russians and took four overall Saturday.

Later in the second round, the Sabres drafted winger Aleksandr Kisakov with ... Read the full article

The Sabres have nine picks today. ©2021, NHL

2021 Sabres NHL Draft tracker: Buffalo selects Prokhor Poltapov

BUFFALO – The Sabres drafted Russian winger Prokhor Poltapov with the first pick of the second round, 33rd overall, this morning at the NHL Draft.

The 5-foot-11, 174-pound Poltapov, 18, recorded 25 goals and 52 points in 61 games last season with Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, a junior team in the MHL. Poltapov also registered two goals and seven points in seven contests for Team Russia at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship.

He also played one ... Read the full article