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.
Brodie Ziemer
Drafted: 2024, BUF (71st overall), 3rd round pick
Size: 5’11”, 200 lbs
Position: Winger (shoots right)
Born: 2/22/2006 (Age: 20) Chaska, MN
2025-2026 stats: GP 36 G 23 A 13 PTS 36, University of Minnesota
2025 T25U25 Ranking: 19th
What’s this, a forward?!
In Brodie Ziemer, the Buffalo Sabres have a winger prospect whose background is littered with achievement and studded with leadership. A product of the storied Shattuck St. Mary’s program between 2020-22, Ziemer won the 2021 14U AAA USA Hockey Youth National Championship, finishing his time there with finishing with 217 points in 109 games.
From there he went to the USNTDP Juniors for two years, ranking fourth on Team USA in scoring during the 2023-24 campaign with 70 points (27 goals, 43 assists) in 61 appearances. Next came the University of Minnesota, where he picked up 23 points in 38 games as a freshman, before moving to point-per-game pace last season with the Gophers, scoring 23 goals with 13 assists in 36 games leading the team in scoring and winning All-Big Ten Conference Second Team honors. His 23 goals was seventh nationally.
In all, he’s won gold at the Under-17 WHC (3G, 3A, 6pts), silver at the Under-18 WJC (3g, 9A, 12pts), and then gold at the Under-20 WJC (3G, 4A, 7pts) where he was also captain of Team USA.
Ziemer didn’t add any height last year, but did bulk up to a round 200lbs which makes him a compact unit that is not easy to bump off the puck. Dubbed Mr. Consistent by a former coach, it’s looking like he will be staying in college for another season.
A bulldog of a player, the 20-year-old is a ferocious competitor who showed his scoring touch this last season. There’s some razzle-dazzle there as well, and he’s not afraid to show it off. Where he still needs some more seasoning is in his own defensive zone, especially with attacking forwards as they cross the blue line and closing down the space they are being afforded.
What is interesting about Ziemer is that he’s doesn’t jump out on your screen as a superstar. What is unique about him is that he’s good at everything. You know that kid in your school that was just solid at everything he touched? That’s Brodie.
“He’s not the fastest skater, he doesn’t have the best shot, he’s not elite in any one category. He just does so much right. He’s just very good at everything.” said Nick Fohr, Ziemer’s coach at the US National Team Development Program to the Times-Herald.
“He just does so much right all the time, including just every detail, every day, every meeting, he’s just locked in. He’s that typical guy that just leads by example and everybody looks to. He gets along with everybody. Everybody respects him.”
Some more intangibles once again in a prospect group that the Sabres have a very good chance of producing more gems from. There’s enough in Ziemer that Buffalo decided to let him play another year of Gopher hockey to develop, before they will likely bring him to Rochester to play hopefully in the postseason for the Amerks.
A unique nugget of information about Ziemer – he’s the only Gopher to have ever worn the #74 sweater in the college’s history. If he makes it to the Sabres and keeps the #74, he’ll join Rasmus Asplund, Jay McKee and one very mysterious prospect from the Tokyo Katanas, Taro Tsujimoto.
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