In early June, just days after the Buffalo Sabres relinquished the rights to Viljami Marjala, a high-scoring forward they drafted in the fifth round in 2021, the Edmonton Oilers snapped up the prospect, signing him to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Marjala, fresh off a breakout season in which he registered 44 assists and 52 points in 54 games for TPS Turku, will likely begin the upcoming campaign with Edmonton’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Perhaps Marjala, the 151st overall pick, will crack the NHL someday. The Finn, 22, has already established himself as a high-end scorer in Liiga, one of Europe’s top pro leagues. He’s certainly an intriguing talent.
But so far, most of the draft picks the Sabres have traded or walked away from in recent years haven’t made them regret the move.
Updates on some of them and where they’ll be playing in 2025-26 are below.
– Forward Josh Bloom, a third-round pick in 2021, 95th overall, could be ticketed for the Vancouver Canucks’ ECHL affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings.
Bloom, 22, spent most of last season in Kalamazoo, compiling 20 goals and 39 points in 43 games.
The Sabres traded him to Vancouver in 2022 in exchange for defenseman Riley Stillman. He’s entering the final season of the entry-level contract he signed with the Sabres.
– Winger Filip Cederqvist, a fifth-round pick in 2019, 143rd overall, will be returning to Frolunda HC, a Swedish Hockey League team, according to EliteProspects.com.
Cederqvist, 25, scored 14 goals and 28 points for Frolunda last season. He played 74 games for the Rochester Americans over two years before the Sabres traded him to the Montreal Canadiens in 2023-24.
– Forward Aaron Huglen, a fourth-round pick in 2019, 102nd overall, signed a two-year AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Pittsburgh’s affiliate, in April.
Huglen, 24, scored five goals and 19 points in 38 games with the University of Minnesota last season.
– Winger Aleksandr Kisakov, a second-round pick in 2021, 53rd overall, will be playing for Dynamo Moskva, a team in the Kontinental Hockey League, according to EliteProspects.com.
Kisakov, 22, played 93 games for Rochester over the last three seasons.
– Defenseman Oskari Laaksonen, a third-round pick in 2017, 89th overall, will be playing for EHC Biel-Bienne, a team in the Swiss National League, according to EliteProspects.com.
Laaksonen, 26, won the Swedish Hockey League championship last season, compiling five goals and 18 points in 24 games for Lulea HF. He played 109 games for Rochester over three years before the Sabres traded him to the Dallas Stars in 2022-23.
– Defenseman Mats Lindgren, a fourth-round pick in 2022, 106th overall, signed a one-year AHL contract with Bakersfield on Aug. 13.
Lindgren, 21, spent most of last season with the Wheeling Nailers, Pittsburgh’s ECHL affiliate, compiling seven goals and 21 points in 56 contests.
– Forward Ethan Miedema, a fourth-round pick in 2023, 109th overall, will be playing for the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm.
Miedema, 20, scored 23 goals and 57 points in 66 games for the Kingston Frontenacs last season.
– Forward Matej Pekar, a fourth-round pick in 2018, 94th overall, will be playing for EHC Freiburg in 2025-26, a team in DEL2, according to EliteProspects.com.
Pekar, 25, compiled four goals and six points in 43 games with HC Litvinov, a team in his native Czechia.
– Winger Stiven Sardarian, a third-round pick in 2021, 88th overall, will be playing college hockey again for Michigan Tech.
Sardarian, 22, scored 11 goals and 35 points in 35 outings last season.
– Winger Linus Weissbach, a seventh-round pick in 2017, 192nd overall, will be returning to Frolunda, according to EliteProspects.com.
Weissbach, 27, scored 12 goals and 32 points in 47 games last season. He played 191 games for Rochester over three seasons.