The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. 92 readers ranked Buffalo Sabres players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2026. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player.
Ilia Morozov
Drafted: 2026 First Round, #20 overall
Size: 6’3″, 205 lbs
Position: Center (shoots left)
Born: 8/3/2008 (Age: 18) Moscow, Russia
2025-2026 stats: GP36 G8 A12 PTS20, Miami Ohio (NCAA)
2025 T25U25 Ranking: N/A
The Buffalo Sabres went back to drafting Russians, and look to have snagged a hardworking gem in the most recent draft.
Morozov played his draft year as a 17-year-old true freshman for Miami University (Ohio), making him the youngest player in NCAA men’s Division I hockey, as he scored eight goals with twelve assists in 36 games. However what caught the eye was defensive workrate, with the forward using his reach to cut off passing lanes and shutting down cycles. His hold-up play with the puck on his stick is borderline elite, with the youngster shielding the puck along the boards well despite heavy pressure. The Moscow native has good straight-line speed and a high motor despite his upright stiff stride. While he moves well enough to transition effectively, his upright, rigid posture requires ongoing mechanical refinement to unlock better lateral agility.
Scouting reports on the forward commend him for playing like a third defenseman on the ice. He angles rushes out of the zone smoothly, matches up against older collegiate lines with composure, and excels on the penalty kill. He boasts a relentless motor and high hockey IQ, consistently executing small details, such as blocking shots, winning key faceoffs, and out-battling opponents on board retrievals. During his freshman season, he earned nearly 20 minutes of ice time per night (second on his team), playing in all critical manpower situations (even strength, power play, and shorthanded).
Morozov’s shot is one of his strengths, both from distance and close in. He does appear to have a knack for beating goalies thanks to his hard and accurate shot. His one-timer is also lethal playing the bumper position or coming off the wall on the powerplay.
The knock on Morozov is that he is limited by his offensive ability and is not renowned as a creative playmaker, which then projects him as a middle six center. His 20 points in 36 games was solid for a 17-year-old, but he rarely functions as a dynamic offensive driver, projecting more as a complementary piece rather than a primary playmaker.
For the upcoming 2026–27 NHL season, Morozov projects to become more of a key contributor for the Redhawks. We’ll be expecting expect his production to take a leap, with him becoming a more dependable chance creator and establishing a heavy presence at the top of the crease. The timeline for him remains playing at least one-two more years of college hockey before the Sabres have to make the decision about signing him to an entry-level deal.
2026 Buffalo Sabres Top 25 Under 25
#25 Simon-Pier Brunet
#24 Topias Leinonen
#23 Gavin McCarthy
#22 Luke Osburn
#21 Maxim Strbak
#20 David Bedkowksi
#19 Brodie Ziemer
#18 Vsevolod Komarov
#17 Ashton Schultz
#16 Riley Fiddler-Schultz
#15 Prokhor Poltapov
#14 Ryan Johnson