The Buffalo Sabres are considered to have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL, not only because of their selecting high in recent drafts but also due to their eye for talent and their organizational choices of either leaving players to develop in their home countries or bringing them to North America. All are 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 40 NHL games.
12. – ADAM KLEBER – D (MINNESOTA-DULUTH – NCAA)
Kleber was the Sabres’ second-round pick at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. The Chaska, MN native played his amateur hockey in Minnesota and two years in the USHL with Lincoln before being selected 42nd overall. Buffalo traded down from 11th to 14th overall, obtaining a pick from the San Jose Sharks.
The 18-year-old is large (6’6”, 214 lb.), right-handed, and defensive-minded, something that will be a good fit down the road with a Sabres blueline that is predominantly left-handed and offensive-minded. The young blueliner possesses above-average skating ability, and good awareness and habits in his own zone, skills that project him to be an effective penalty killer down the line.
In his freshman season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Kleber has two points (1 goal, 1 assist) in 21 games, but he won gold with Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships.
The Hockey Prospect Black Book says Kleber is “trying to do a little too much, while also playing way deep (usually) and he ends up screening his goalie a lot, He still has a ways to go in terms of the structure of his game and his mental processing.”
Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo
