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.
Prokhor Poltapov
Drafted: 2021 – 2nd Round (33rd Overall)
Position: Left Wing
Born: February 1, 2003 (21 years old)
2023-24 Stats: CSKA Moskva (KHL), 5-8-13 + 12 PIM in 56 GP, Zevzda Moskva (VHL), 5-2-7 + 6 PIM in 5 GP
2023 T25U25 Ranking: 21st
The Buffalo Sabres drafted Russian offensive prospect Prokhor Poltapov in 2021 in the NHL Draft’s 2nd Round. Poltapov had high marks from talent scouts. Elite Prospects said about him in 2021 that “he invites defenders on his back, shields the puck by extending a knee or by using his bottom arm, and transforms intense backpressure into an escape tool; he slows down, leans against opponents, and lets their shoves propel him into open ice. He then attacks the goalie or other defenders with a combination of handling moves and deception. Poltapov has some savvy feints in his kit.”
During the past three years Poltapov has competed in several Russian hockey leagues but he’s played the most games with the KHL’s CSKA Moskva, where he had a 5-8-13 record this past season. Back in January, Poltapov was demoted from the KHL to the VHL’s Zevzda Moskva, where he showed some skill, scoring a goal to help the team hang on to a 3-1 lead over HK Norilsk, one of his five this past season with the league.
The Russian forward is signed with the KHL through the 2024-25 season, meaning the Sabres won’t bring him to the NHL or even AHL for at least another year. It remains to be seen whether Buffalo eventually inks him to an entry-level deal, because some European players decide to stay in the KHL instead of heading to North America. Also, after an initial high level of enthusiasm, Poltapov did take a hockey step back in 2024, being sent down to the VHL.
If he does end up in Buffalo during the next few years, some observers believe he could become a reliable middle-six forward. Poltapov brings a deceptive game, but trickery doesn’t mean much if he can’t score goals consistently. Stay tuned on this prospect.