Sabres Draft Rudolph at Four

NHL News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jun 28, 2026 · 1m

The Buffalo Sabres pulled off a draft-day masterclass, trading away key defensemen to land the fourth overall pick—and they used it on defenseman Daxon Rudolph, the first blueliner off the board. But the real drama? They traded Bowen Byram to Chicago for the pick, then moved Alex Tuch to Washington for future assets, and even snagged Olen Zellweger from Anaheim at the last minute. Yet they held firm at 20 and shocked everyone by selecting center Ilia Morozov—a young phenom from Miami University. Rudolph, who knew he was a top-5 talent, called it a dream come true. Support the show:Get a…