The Buffalo Sabres have been one of the youngest teams since 2022, as the team started a new rebuild once they traded Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021. With an average age of 25.71 years old heading into the upcoming season (only trailing the Montreal Canadiens, who have an average age of 25.33), there’s a plethora of young talent on the NHL roster. They currently have eight players under the age of 25. However, my criteria for this list are that the player cannot turn 25 years old before Sept. 15; otherwise, that player is not eligible.
5. Jiri Kulich
Jiri Kulich is a 21-year-old center who is entering his second season in the NHL. After recording 15 goals and nine assists, good enough for 24 points in 62 games played, he’ll be looking to improve upon those numbers. The only reason he is not higher is strictly because he has so much development to complete, and he’s only played one season. He has the potential to rank higher on this list, even just a year from now. He already has one of the better shots on the team and can make plays with the puck. He’s projected to be the Sabres’ first-line center, which is a big ask for a 21-year-old on a team that would like to make the playoffs this season.
4. Jack Quinn
Jack Quinn has had his ups and downs throughout his three-year career so far. He’s dealt with some injury trouble, mainly in 2023-24, where he only played 27 games due to separate lower-body injuries. The 23-year-old has shown flashes of his potential. Last season, he set career highs in goals (15), assists (24), and points (39). This all happened while he had just five points in his first 24 games to start the 2024-25 season.
Something else to note with Quinn is that he has a career shooting percentage of 12.5% which is a good number, if you ask me. Looking at his career numbers, he recorded 37 points in 75 games during his first full season, the 2022-23 season. However, that summer, he ruptured his Achilles and missed the first two months of the season. Once he returned, he only played 27 games before suffering another lower-body injury that ended his season. In those 27 games, he recorded nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points, and had a career high 16.1% shooting percentage. The 82-game pace is 27 goals, 30 assists, and 57 points. He can get back to that if he can regain the confidence he once had as a player.
3. Zach Benson
Zach Benson is only 20 years old and is already going into his third season in the NHL with 146 career games played. Last season was very comparable to his rookie season in terms of his offensive production. Having recorded 30 points in 2023-24 and 28 points in 2024-25, the difference in his game from his first to second season was his defense. Even though he was still above average defensively in 2023-24, his defensive performance improved drastically last season. His defensive game is comparable to that of Alex Tuch’s, who is the Sabres’ best two-way forward.
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According to Evolving Hockey, among all skaters last season, Benson ranked in the 98th percentile in defense. The media and fans always talk about offense and point scoring, but outside of the well-known defensive forwards like Aleksander Barkov, players like Benson don’t get talked about enough. Benson has the potential to be a 50-plus point scorer this season, as well as playing defense at a high level.
2. Bowen Byram
Bowen Byram just re-signed with the Sabres for the next two seasons at $6.25 million average annual value. Entering his age-24 season, he has yet to hit his ceiling and is only going to get better. He recorded a career high in assists (31) and points (38) while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career. Throughout his career, he has progressively increased his production on the offensive stat sheet each season. However, on the defensive end, he has struggled from time to time, but that should change this season as he is slotted to play with one of the best defensemen in the league in Rasmus Dahlin.
Byram’s ceiling for the 2025-26 season is the 50-point mark. He can move the puck just as good as anyone on the Sabres’ blue line, he can make plays in the offensive zone, and I expect him to step up in the defensive zone this season. There’s a reason he’s number two on this list.
1. Owen Power
Owen Power is entering his fourth season in the NHL and has consistently gotten better each season. Last season, specifically, he recorded career highs in goals (seven), assists (33), and points (40). Now with a long-term partner in Michael Kesselring, whom they acquired from the Utah Mammoth over the offseason, I expect Power to take an even bigger step and truly become a star this season.
Not only has his confidence with the puck gotten bigger, but his ability to defend his own zone has also improved. According to Evolving Hockey, Power ranked in the 78th percentile in defense last season, which was a massive jump compared to being ranked in the 34th percentile in the 2023-24 season. The sky is the limit for Power, which is why he is placed first on this list.
These five players’ development is crucial if the Sabres want to make the playoffs this season. All of them can make an impact, and any of them can end up being number one on this list a year from now. Do you agree or disagree with this list? Let me hear your top five Sabres players under 25 years old in the comment section below.
