Sabres take towering blue-liner Radim Mrtka 9th overall

The Buffalo Sabres drafted defenseman Radim Mrtka with the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday.

Mrtka's stock rose dramatically after joining the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds in 2024-25 and leading the team's blue-liners in points. He also had a good showing at the U18s where he produced four points in five games for the Czech team.

There aren't many 6-foot-6 right-shot defensemen, which alone makes Mrtka a tantalizing prospect. He also moves pretty well for a big man and has enough skill to be a quality puck-mover at the pro level. He's attracted comparisons to Moritz Seider, Noah Dobson, and Tyler Myers, among others.

What they're saying

"With the Thunderbirds, he was phenomenal, playing to nearly a point per game on a low-scoring team, logging an average of 27 minutes and often 30, and going over the boards first on both the power play and penalty kill," said The Athletic's Scott Wheeler, who ranked Mrtka as his No. 7 prospect overall. "There has been debate in this draft class as to who the second-best D is, but for me, it's Mrtka. He's one of the most intriguing prospects in this class."

"(Mrtka) possesses great hockey sense and competitiveness," NHL.com's Mike G. Morreale said. "The 17-year-old is considered a two-way defenseman whose upside is too good to pass up."