The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. 117 readers ranked Buffalo Sabres players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2025. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player.
Vsevolod Komarov
Drafted: 2022, BUF (134th overall), 5th round, 5th pick
Position: Defense
Born: 1/11/2004 (Age: 21) Chelyabinsk, RUS
2024-2025 stats: GP 69 G 2 A 16 PTS 18
2024 T25U25 Ranking: Komarov moved up 2 spots, he ranked 19th last year
Vsevolod Komarov is a strong two-way defender who plays with an edge. For a 5th round pick, he carries a lot of promise for Sabres’ fans. But before we go any further here, let me bedazzle you with one of his sweetest goals. This is from two years ago, when he was playing in the QMJHL.
Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about this young player. Komarov is a hulking 6’4″ and 210 pounds. He has just completed his first professional season in Rochester with satisfactory results. Vsevolod played in 69 games and racked up 18 points. He was a +7 and had 85 minutes in penalties, many of them of the physical variety. He did show flashes of good things to come.
Komarov has always been a team player, a real competitor. He is all about winning, not personal success. He enjoyed a lot of that in the QMJHL. He won back-to-back Memorial Cups with two different teams, the Quebec Remparts and the Drummondville Voltigeurs. That was quite a feat not accomplished by many. Even though Vsevolod is very team-oriented, he still posted some impressive individual stats while in the Q. Throughout three seasons, Komarov scored 127 points in 182 regular-season games. He had an astronomical plus/minus stat line of +123 in that same period. He was also named QMJHL Defenseman of the Year in 2024. He is a well-rounded, two-way defender who often uses his big body to his advantage. Komarov has already exceeded expectations since Buffalo made him a later-round selection in 2022. We shall see where he goes from here, now that he has turned pro. His first season with the Amerks went about as expected, as he transitioned well to the level-up in competition. Year two in Rochester should be interesting to watch as fans follow his progression.
In a 2022 redraft, Komarov would surely go much higher, even as early as the 2nd round. Many agree that the Sabres got a steal with this player. GM Kevyn Adams must secretly disco-dance around his home with a cartoon grin on his face while savoring that pick. I apologize for putting that image in your head, but I bet it’s true. The key now for Buffalo is to make the best use of him. So what do they have? A big, physical player who can turn on the offense at times. He also has steady composure in his own zone and sound hockey sense. He is not afraid to mix it up either and is willing to take the body. Komarov just needs to put the work in and gain more experience. He has the head-start advantage over the sudden wealth of right-handed defensemen in the prospect pool. (Mrtka, Kleber, Bedkowski) He is older and further along with a year of pro hockey under his belt. He is not NHL-ready yet, as he needs another year or two of seasoning at least. But so far, so good for this surprise player. Getting Komarov has been comparable to finding a bonus onion ring in your order of fries. A nice gift you were not expecting. The Sabres have an extra high-tier prospect now. Hopefully, the revelation of his talent and hard work pays off for Buffalo someday.
RANDOM SIDENOTE: Anyone else notice the little Ryan Miller jerseys along the glass in the Amerks’ picture above? They are displayed on little plastic mannequins. Very weird! I just thought they were funny, so I’m pointing them out. Here is a close-up picture. It’s Mini Miller Time!
