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.
Scott Ratzlaff
Drafted: 2023 – 5th Round (141st Overall)
Position: Goaltender
Born: March 9, 2005 – 20 Years Old
2024-2025 stats: 23-19-4, 3.16 GAA, .910 save percentage
2024 T25U25 Ranking: Not Ranked
Buffalo Sabres prospect goaltender Scott Ratzlaff is expected to compete for a job in Rochester this season with the AHL’s Amerks, spurred by his limited experience around pro hockey the culmination of his junior career.
Ratzlaff was the starter for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds the last two seasons, playing the bulk of the team’s games. His role in Seattle really developed over the years, as he split the 2022-23 season in net before earning the starting spot. In his final season in the WHL, Ratzlaff appeared in 49 games (the next Thunderbirds goalie appeared in 23); only five other goalies across the league played more.
Ratzlaff’s goals-against average was mid (no, really – pretty much exactly half of WHL goalies had a better GAA) but his save percentage was seventh-best in the league. He faced the third-most shots and, accordingly, had the third-most saves. Only Prince Albert’s Max Hildebrand and Tri-City’s Lukas Matecha saw more action. Through no real fault of his, the Thunderbirds struggled as a team over Ratzlaff’s last few years in junior, and as a result, his numbers fell, too.
The 20-year-old’s junior career came to an end in April, as he appeared in 160 total games and finished with a career 2.90 GAA and .909 save percentage and eight shutouts. He was named to the WHL’s Western Conference First All-Star Team and a finalist for the league’s goaltender of the year award.
At the end of this past season, Ratzlaff joined the Amerks on assignment from the Sabres but didn’t see any action. Ratzlaff spoke at development camp earlier this summer about that, as well as his experience with the Sabres in last year’s preseason.
Last October, the Sabres signed Ratzlaff to a three-year, entry-level contract. Last year, Ratzlaff missed out on the Top 25 Under 25 but was noted as an honorable mention.