Draft notebook | Sabres swap second rounder for immediate blue-line boost

On Friday, in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres got their guy. The first several picks played out as Sabres brass expected, so with the ninth-overall pick, Buffalo selected right-shot defenseman Radim Mrtka.

Mrtka doesn’t figure to join the NHL lineup for at least a couple years, but Buffalo began Saturday – the second and final day of the draft – with a trade to provide immediate help on the blue line.

The team acquired defensemen Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Saturday’s 39th-overall pick and defenseman Connor Clifton.

• Read: Sabres acquire Timmins and Belliveau

The 6-foot-3, 213-pound, right-shot Timmins, 26 years old and a veteran of 159 NHL games, split this past season between Toronto (51 games) and Pittsburgh (17). During his 5-on-5 ice time, his teams held advantages in goals (56.5%), expected goals (52.2%), shot attempts (51.6%) and scoring chances (51.9%), per Natural Stat Trick.

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams projects Timmins’ floor to be as a third-pair blueliner with significant room for growth. After the March 7 trade to Pittsburgh, he saw a heightened role with 18:43 of ice time per game and posted even stronger on-ice possession metrics; Timmins enjoyed an offensive boost, too, tallying seven points in 17 games.

“This is a guy that we've had for a while as someone on our radar; if there was a way to get him, we just thought he'd be a great addition to our group,” Adams said following the conclusion of the draft. “… Just think he's a solid two-way player that is big, right shot, and I think it just really solidifies our D corps moving forward.”

Timmins learned of the trade from his childhood home in St. Catharines, Ontario, where his parents’ backyard has a view of KeyBank Center.

“He grew up a Sabres fan,” Adams said. “Another guy that truly wants to be in Buffalo, and he couldn't even express his excitement to me, just with the opportunity to come. So that certainly checks out, and we really like his game.”

The Sabres hold high opinions of Clifton, but he was entering the last year of his contract and brings a different style of play to the back end. Timmins, an unrestricted free agent this summer, is potentially open for a longer-term deal.

“Where we felt Timmins made our team better is maybe just a little bit cleaner in terms of just the way he plays – the puck touches and the way he plays the game,” Adams said. “We just felt for the role that we were looking for in that spot on our D corps, Timmins was a better fit.”

Entering the offseason, right-shot defensemen were a clear organizational need for Buffalo. In just the last few days, Adams and Co. have begun addressing it with Timmins, Mrtka and trade acquisition Michael Kesselring, each of whom brings considerable size to the back end, too. Plenty of work lies ahead, but the front office has taken important strides to making the Sabres a more well-rounded, defensively sound team.

Here’s more from Day 2 of the draft.

Big-hitting Bedkowski to Buffalo

With their third-round pick (71st overall), the Sabres selected another right-shot defenseman, David Bedkowski of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. The 6-foot-4 prospect has earned high praises for – and takes immense pride in – his physical game, having established himself as a feared hitter in the junior league.

“A big open-ice hit, it can change the course of a game, shift the momentum,” Bedkowski said. “Even those small hits, too, that might not make the highlight reels, that’s gonna wear down on players. When I’m on the ice, opposing forwards know.”

According to assistant general manager Jerry Forton, Bedkowski caught the Sabres’ attention this past year with his physicality and maturity, and he was “by far the best player left on our board when we made that pick.”

The Toronto native’s strong personality was clear in his post-pick media availability. Here are some highlights from the conversation with Bedkowski, who was present at the draft in Los Angeles.

On his reaction to being drafted: “Looking at myself with these colors, the blue and gold, it’s truly an out-of-body experience for me. I’m super excited to be going to Buffalo.”

On what he’ll bring to the organization: “I am what my playstyle is. I’m a heart-and-soul guy, loyal to the soil. Just compete is the name of the game for me. Sacrificing, blocking shots, whatever it is, whatever it takes.”

On his game being made for Buffalo: “There’s a lot of rich history within the city; I believe it was steel or wheat industries there. A blue-collar city, and I’m sure the fans will appreciate my game.”

On visiting L.A. for the first time: “There’s a game called Grand Theft Auto V. The map’s based on L.A., so it’s like, have I been here before? I’m seeing all these landmarks and it’s just the same as the video game. So, that was an amazing experience, for sure.”

Greg Manzi makes the pick

Syracuse's Greg Manzi, 17, sustained an injury in 2024 while playing for the Junior Sabres that left him paralyzed. He’s established a friendship with Alex Tuch, and the Sabres winger invited Manzi to visit One Bills Drive during the draft and announce one of Buffalo’s picks.

A video of Manzi’s story played at the Peacock Theater in L.A. before he announced the Sabres’ selecting Bedkowski.

“I want to make sure I say how great it was to have Greg Manzi and his family here, and I want to thank the NHL for allowing us to have that opportunity,” Adams said to begin his press conference. “Obviously, Greg's going through a tough time right now. I just thought it was a pretty special time.”

Added Bedkowski: “Couldn’t have scripted it any better, really, with Greg and hearing his story. And for him to announce the pick, it was awesome.”

Ruff in the room

Adams was asked about the value of having bench boss Lindy Ruff, who’s coached nearly 2,000 NHL games, in the draft room this weekend.

“He doesn’t know the players like our scouts do, but what he does well is paints the picture to our guys as to exactly what is going on in the NHL right now and the type of players that he sees having success,” Adams said. “So, when our scouts are debating or challenging each other on this guy versus this guy, sometimes Lindy has a perspective that I think is really important. … I also think that Lindy has so much respect from Jerry and his staff that the things he says go a long way.

“He’s an important voice in the room and he’s counted on in a lot of different ways, and more than just coaching.”

Draft recap

All told, the Sabres made nine picks in the draft: four forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders. Learn more about each of the organization’s newest prospects here.

Now, the busiest chunk of the offseason continues with Development Camp – Sunday through Thursday – and free agency, which opens at 12 p.m. on Tuesday.