The Buffalo Sabres opened up their 2025 Prospects Challenge on Friday with a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils prospects at LECOM HarborCenter, but for those who attended to get their first look at 2025 first-rounder Radim Mrtka, the big 18-year-old defenseman put on an impressive performance. The Czech blueliner scored the Sabres opening goal in the first period and throttled a Devils player to the ice with a hard check in the third period.
“He was great, I’ll have to watch the game back, but you could argue that he was the best player out there.” Amerks head coach Michael Leone said after the game. “He plays really hard. I probably didn’t realize how good he can move. His lateral movement at the blue line is really good. He just makes good decisions with the puck.”
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Topias Leinonen started and went all the way for Buffalo, allowing four New Jersey goals on 27 shots, including a pair in the third period to snap a 2-2 tie.
“I thought he was good. If you look at the the first (goal), it was a broken play in front of the net, really good play. Then you give up an odd man rush,’ Leone said. “The other one was a turnover and an odd man rush, but those are 50/50, the one-on-ones. But I thought he did a really good job. He looked quick and it’s I thought he gave us a chance.”
Center Noah Ostlund missed the end of the game after taking a shot to the knee area. Leone indicated that he was hit in the area where there was a gap in the padding and that he thought the 2022 first-rounder would be alright, but that he did not return out of an abundance of caution.
The Sabres take on the Columbus BLue Jackets prospects on Saturday at 7 pm. Scott Ratzlaff is expected to get the start in goal.
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