Stream tonight's game on Sabres.com beginning at 7 p.m.
The Buffalo Sabres return to the ice on Saturday to face the Columbus Blue Jackets in their second game of the Prospects Challenge at LECOM Harborcenter.
The Sabres prospects dropped their first game of the event on Friday, a 4-2 loss to New Jersey. It was a promising start, however, for 2025 first-round pick Radim Mrtka, who scored a goal and delivered multiple big hits while impressing Rochester coach Michael Leone with his skating.
“You could argue he was the best player out there,” Leone said.
Read more about Mrtka’s game in our recap from Friday.
Puck drop for tonight’s game is slated for 7 p.m., and tickets are available here.
Saturday is also Sabres Fan Fest, with on-stage programming, appearances from the NHL roster and more set to take place at KeyBank Center throughout the day leading up to the game against the Blue Jackets.
Here’s what you need to know before tonight’s game.
All Sabres Prospect Challenge games are streaming here on Sabres.com.
Despite the return of key veterans such as Isak Rosen, Noah Ostlund and Konsta Helenius, it was the younger talents that impressed Leone most on Friday.
Leone’s fourth line was comprised of the three youngest forwards listed on the Sabres’ Prospect Challenge roster – Ryan Rucinski, Melvin Novotny and Matous Kucharcik, who are all bound for the USHL in 2025-26.
“Our young line that we played, the USHL line, I thought they were our best line to be honest with you,” Leone said. “Kucharcik and Melvin, I thought they were great… if you were to just watch the game, you would think that all three of those guys are in pro hockey.”
Kucharcik found the scoresheet after making a strong individual play. The 2025 fourth-round selection retrieved the puck below the circle and cycled to the point before rifling a seeing-eye shot past the Devils netminder and equaling the score at 2-2 in the second period. It was Kucharcik’s poise with the puck and good decision-making under pressure that impressed Leone.
Leone got strong blueline production from 2025 draft picks Mrtka and Noah Laberge but said he felt the aforementioned returning players “have a lot more to give.” Leone’s group is looking to bounce back from the 4-2 defeat by playing with a shot-first mentality and being more assertive on the power play after going 0-for-4.
“I thought there were times when we were looking for the next play instead of just getting it to the net and scoring a goal in front of the net,” Leone said.
The Blue Jackets have revamped their prospect pool with three first-round picks in the last two NHL Drafts, taking Cayden Lindstrom fourth overall in 2024, defenseman Jackson Smith and goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov in 2025.
With Lindstrom and Smith at Michigan State and Penn State respectively, and Andreyanov in Russia, the Blue Jackets’ roster for this event is led by 2024 second-round defenseman Charlie Elick and goaltender Evan Gardner.
Jordan Dumais, a third-round draft choice in 2022, played just 21 games a season ago with Cleveland in the AHL but the former QMJHL points leader posted an assist in the Blue Jackets’ opening game of the Prospect Challenge and has considerable offensive skill.
Undrafted signee forward Jack Williams and 2023 seventh-round pick Oiva Keskinen – a former teammate with Konsta Helenius on Finland’s 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship team – each scored in the Blue Jackets’ 8-2 loss to New Jersey on Thursday.
Rounding out a strong forward group is 2023 fourth-round selection Luca Pinelli and 2025 fifth rounder Owen Griffin. In total, the 23-man roster includes eight players drafted by the Blue Jackets.
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