Sabres Top 40 Prospects - Buffalo Hopes To Get Golden Gophers Leading Scorer Under Contract

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the 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, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.  

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 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 82 NHL games. 

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5. Brodie Ziemer – Right Wing (Minnesota - NCAA)

Ziemer was the Sabres third-round pick at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas after scoring 70 points (27 goals, 43 assists) in 61 games as part of the US National Development Program’s Under-18 squad, and after posting a dozen points and serving as team captain of Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Under-18s.

The Minnesota native was a standout for Team USA at the 2025 World Junior in Ottawa last January in their gold medal-winning effort, and he put up good numbers (12 goals, 11 assists in 38 games) as a freshman at the University of Minnesota. Ziemer is a high-motor player with good two-way skills and possesses leadership abilities.

Those abilities led to him being named captain of Team USA for the 2026 WJC, where he scored six points in five games. The 20-year-old winger led the Golden Gophers in scoring in his sophomore campaign, posting 36 points (23 goals, 13 assists) in 36 games. 

After his third Development Camp in July, Ziemer indicated that he hopes to work on his skating during his junior season, and it is expected that the Sabres will try to get him to turn pro and sign his entry-level deal after his junior season. 

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