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.
Noah Ostlund
Drafted: 2022, BUF (16th overall), 1st round, 16th pick
Position: Center, wing (shoots left)
Born: 3/11/2004 (Age: 22) Stockholm, SWE
2025-2026 stats: GP 60 G 11 A 16 PTS 27 +11, Buffalo Sabres
2025 T25U25 Ranking: 9th last year
Noah Ostlund put together a promising rookie year for the Buffalo Sabres during the 2025–26 NHL season, recording 11 goals and 27 points across 60 games. He missed time late in the year due to an upper-body injury starting around March 25, 2026, which sidelined him for several games before he returned for the playoffs. Noah was also temporarily sent down to the Rochester Americans in December not for performance, but as a procedural “numbers game” so the Sabres could carry an extra defenseman on a road trip since he didn’t require waivers. He would return soon after.
Ostlund earned praise from coach Lindy Ruff for his strong two-way play, responsible reads, and competitive board work despite a leaner physical frame. He also consistently drives play, creates high-danger chances, and makes his linemates better. All good things to hear about your first-year player. At 5’11” and 180, the staff would still like to see him fill out a bit more and add some muscle. That is one of the few complaints on Noah last season. The 22 year old sometimes looks like his Sabres’ sweater is two sizes too big.
Also a problem area is his faceoffs. Noah struggled on the dot with just a 31.9% faceoff win percentage, which restricted his usage as a full-time center.
The coaching staff loves what Ostlund can bring to the table, and so do the fans. He has a nose for the net and is highly creative offensively, with his playmaking ability standing out in particular. Ostlund possesses an excellent skill set and plenty of hockey smarts, all while handling his defensive responsibilities well. His physicality and durability should only improve as he adds more strength, allowing him to better withstand the full (and new) 84-game grind of the NHL.
This kid has a ton of potential, and the sky is truly the limit for him. If he can stay healthy and play close to a full season, he is capable of putting up 20 goals and 55 points this year. He was sorely missed after going down in the playoffs, managing a goal and an assist in his three games played. He should also see more power-play time this season, giving him another opportunity to boost his offensive numbers. To me, Noah Ostlund seems poised for a strong sophomore breakout when the puck drops this October. I don’t anticipate any second year jinxing to suddenly pop up with this fine player.
2026 Buffalo Sabres Top 25 Under 25
#25 Simon-Pier Brunet
#24 Topias Leinonen
#23 Gavin McCarthy
#22 Luke Osburn
#21 David Bedkowski
#20 Maxim Strbak
#19 Brodie Ziemer
#18 Vsevolod Komarov
#17 Ashton Schultz
# 16 Riley Fiddler-Schultz
#15 Prokhor Poltapov
#14 Ryan Johnson
#13 Ilia Morozov
#12 Adam Kleber
#11 Tyson Kozak
#10 Olen Zellweger
#9 Daxon Rudolph
# 8 Radim Mrtka
#7 Jack Quinn
#6 Jiri Kulich
#5 Noah Ostlund