Rudolph and Morozov highlight 5-player draft class.
Jerry Forton and his amateur scouting staff prepare for every NHL Draft the same, regardless of where the Buffalo Sabres are selecting.
Their area scouts spend years accumulating viewings and due diligence on every player in a given draft. They weigh opinions of scouts and analytics, then spend countless hours debating and scrutinizing their list from top to bottom – ready for any possible scenario.
So, when the Sabres suddenly found themselves with the No. 4 pick in the draft following a trade with Chicago last week, they were well prepared.
“It’s exciting,” Forton, the Sabres’ assistant general manager, said. “You know those type of players have the ability to make a big impact on your organization.”
The Sabres ultimately made five selections as part of their Class of 2026, selecting right-handed defenseman Daxon Rudolph with the fourth pick and then adding four forwards to the pipeline.
Here’s a rundown of all five players, including thoughts from Forton.
Jerry Forotn – June 27, 2026
Get to know Dax’s game!
Buffalo started the draft by adding a high-scoring, right-handed defenseman to their pipeline. Rudolph ranked third among WHL defensemen with 78 points last season and will begin his collegiate career next season at the University of Denver.
Along with his size and physicality, general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen said the Sabres came away impressed with Rudolph’s hockey sense.
Read more about Rudolph’s journey to becoming the No. 4 pick here.
AGM Jerry Forton’s thoughts: “When you looked at all of our individual lists, everyone on our staff had Rudolph in the top three or four on their list. Analytics department had him in the top four. … We’ve spent a lot of time with him for the past couple years. … (Sabres scout) Lukas Sutter and the Sutter family are pretty synonymous with the Red Deer area. Lukas lives in Calgary, so we knew the kid’s character inside and out. We think very highly of him as a person. The hockey sense combo with the compete and character made an impression on us.”
Welcome to the Sabrehood, Ilia!
The Sabres had Morozov higher than 20th on their list – so much so that they considered trading up into the teens to select him.
The draft ended up falling in their favor. Morozov is a hardworking, two-way centerman who was one of the youngest players in college hockey last season. He scored 20 points in 36 games with Miami University – solid scoring output for a 17-year-old in college – but his work ethic bleeds into all aspects of his journey. He moved from Russia to North America at age 14 to pursue his NHL dream, is a gym rat who ranked among the best fitness testers at the combine and is an A student in college despite having to overcome a language barrier.
Speaking to Sabres Live ahead of the draft, TSN’s Craig Button compared to Morozov to Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal.
Morozov on playing college hockey at age 17: “I didn’t really feel that I was younger. My team, they treated me like a guy who’s the same age, with the same respect and everything. That was pretty challenging to play against the guys four, five years older than I am, but I like challenges, and I think I was ready for that.”
Forton’s thoughts: “There was a group of players that I told Jarmo we felt strongly about, and almost a drop-off for us – I was concerned what would happen in that next group of players, in terms of our passion for the players. And Morozov was the last one that was available for us in that upper tier of players. Obviously value the size, the natural center qualities, the two-way game. … The coaching staff at Miami, his USHL coaches, all pretty good contacts of ours, so we thought the world of the player and the person, again. So, it was exciting for us that he was still there.”
Murnieks played this past season with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, collecting 20 points (7+13) in 31 games. He also represented his native Latvia at both the IIHF World Junior Championship (4 points) and the World Championship. The 6-foot-1 center is committed to Boston College and expected to start there this fall.
After being drafted, Murnieks discussed:
Murnieks on his game: “I would say I’m a two-way player that is very reliable, and the coach can put me in any situation he wants me to, if we need to score a goal or we need to shut down the opposing players. Also can score some goals.”
Murnieks on his experience at the 2026 IIHF World Championship: “It was amazing. Such great experience. … I can take a lot from that tournament because I saw everything from behind the scenes – how the pro players do it, how they prepare for games, how they eat, how they do everything. So, can take some notes from that. The Latvians also helped me a lot and [taught] me a couple things, so I have to thank them.”
Forton’s thoughts: “A center, a natural, two-way game. Another guy that’s got to work on his skating a little bit. Led Latvian players in ice time at the Under-18s. He’s coming back from his concussion this year. Just got back from the Men’s World Championships, played a few games with the men over there. Coming off of an impressive Under-18s for Latvia and the World Junior Championships. I’m sure he got some credibility with the men’s national team in that regard. And like so many Latvians, he’s committed to playing a team game. But we’re excited to see what he does. It was a big step for the Boston College staff – who we put a lot of faith in, we’re very close with – to bring him in this fall.”
Szongoth was the 40th-ranked international skate on NHL Central Scouting’s rankings. The Budapest native is the fourth Hungarian-born player to be drafted and the first since Janos Vas in 2002.
The 6-foot-0 centerman spent last season playing for KooKoo in Finland’s top junior league. His 28 points (10+18) in 44 games ranked eighth among players in the league age 17 or younger.
Szongoth comes from a hockey family. His father, Kristof, played professionally in Hungary for 20 years and currently serves as head coach for the Hungary National Team Development Program.
Forton: “Very competitive player. Another guy that’s got a good two-way game. We think he needs to work on his skating a little bit. … There’s some intangibles there that we really like. Gets to the inside of the game, gets around the net, and he still takes care of his own end. Again, natural center qualities.”
The Quebec native led Drummondville with 28 goals this past season and added 16 assists. Dumont, 6-foot-0 and a right shot, is expected to remain with the Voltigeurs for 2026-27.
Forton: “Very much a player that gets to the inside of the game. Almost a mini-power-forward approach to his style of playing. Was a kid that, two years (ago), was 135, 140 pounds. Up to 170-plus pounds right now. Apparently, even in the last three months, maybe put on another 10, 12 pounds. We’ll see when he gets to camp here, could be touching maybe 180 pounds right now. Very young for the draft, an August birthday, so we’re betting on some more physical development upside there. And then the ability just to get inside, already at his size, is only going to get better as he gets a little bit bigger, stronger.”
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