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, 2024. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player. Staff votes counted equally with reader votes.
Nikita Novikov
Drafted: 2021 – 6th Round (188th Overall)
Position: Defense
Born: July 25th, 2003 – 21 Years Old
2023-2024 stats: AHL – 65 GP – 3-20-23, Playoffs – 4 GP – 0-2-2
2023 T25U25 Ranking: 20
After amassing 94 career KHL games, 4th most by a KHL defenseman before the age of 20, Novikov was ready to begin his pro career in North America. After signing him to his entry level contract in May of 2023, the Sabres were excited to see how he would transition to the AHL, and they were not disappointed. Novikov’s size and strength (6’4” 198lbs per EliteProspects.com) were a perfect fit for the AHL game.
The most surprising part of Novikov’s season was his offensive production. In his previous two seasons in the KHL, he only amassed 5 points in 62 games and 4 points in 32 games in the 2022-2023 and 2021-2022 seasons respectively. However, he blew those numbers away with an impressive 23 points in 65 games for the Amerks.
He was active in the offensive zone and utilized his size to crash the net which led to multiple goals.
The net-front presence from a defenseman is typically reserved for defending their own net, but Novikov flipped the script last season. He also showed an ability to jump in on the rush and beat a goalie clean.
Despite showcasing a new offensive side of his game, Novikov did not shy away from the physical side of the game that he’s more known for. The AHL is known for being a more physical league than the NHL with significantly more fighting. Novikov showed no hesitation to defend his teammates when called upon.
As with many sizable defensemen, Novikov will need to improve his skating to get a look at the NHL level. Recent success with fellow large defenseman Mattias Samuelsson does bode well for Novikov’s development in Rochester. Time will tell if he can build off this promising start in the Sabres’ organization.
2024 Buffalo Sabres Top 25 Under 25
#25: Adam Kleber
#24: Tyson Kozak
#23: Maxim Štrbák
#22: Prokhor Poltapov
#21: Aleksandr Kisakov
#20: Viktor Neuchev
#19: Vsevolod Komarov