The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. It was a combination of staff writers and over 200 readers that ranked Buffalo Sabres players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2023. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player. Staff votes counted equally with reader votes.
Noah Ostlund
Drafted: 2022 – 1st Round (16th Overall)
Position: Center
Born: March 11th, 2004 – 19 Years Old
2022-2023 stats: HockeyAllsvenskan – 37 GP – 8-18-26, Playoffs – 12 GP – 2-3-5 (Djurgardens IF) / World Junior Classic – 7 GP – 1-3-4 (Sweden)
2022 T25U25 Ranking: 20
Noah Ostlund has jumped up 4 spots in our rankings since last year. The sometimes-overlooked middle child of the Sabres’ 2022 1st round prospects put together a solid season in Sweden’s 2nd best professional league. After seeing his team get relegated from the SHL, Ostlund was a consistent contributor to Djurgardens IF’s playoff run that ended in game 7 of the HockeyAllsvenskan finals.
Ostlund is a smooth skating, two-way playmaking center. The Swedish center is consistently praised by coaches and scouts for having a high work ethic and hockey IQ. He was able to showcase his talent this past season between his pro season and the World Junior Classic. Here are some of his highlights from this past year:
He was fortunate enough to spend some time around the Rochester Americans after his season in Sweden wrapped up. In his development camp press conference, Ostlund noted how close-knit the Amerks were and how physical the North American game can be. The experience can only be beneficial as he prepares for another pro season overseas. See his full comments from development camp here:
When asked what his primary focus was for the next season, Ostlund was quick to say, “get stronger.” Like many prospects his age, he needs time to build the strength required to compete against professionals. He will be put to the test this upcoming season as he competes for Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League, Sweden’s top pro league. He will likely be a key contributor on Sweden’s World Junior Classic team again this year. The Sabres can be patient with Ostlund as he grows into his game. If all goes well, he projects to be a quality middle-six center who can elevate the play of his teammates with excellent vision and awareness.