The Buffalo Sabres knew when they traded Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks that they needed to get a difference maker in return.
To do that, they asked the Blackhawks for the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and with that pick, they took the right-shot defenseman from Alberta, Daxon Rudolph.
Rudolph is just 18 years old, and the Sabres won’t be rushing him to the NHL.
Right now, he plays college hockey for the University of Denver in the NCAA, one of the most potent programs there currently is at that level.
And so far, Rudolph certainly looks like he belongs.
Daxon Rudolph Denver Stats
Rudolph has only played two college games, but he’s already off to a flying start.
The 6-foot-2 defenseman has scored a goal and dished out four assists in Denver’s first two games.
Denver opened the season on the road at Alaska-Anchorage, and Rudolph actually scored the Pioneers’ very first goal of the season after just 10 minutes and 35 seconds.
Rudolph then assisted on two goals in the third period in a 6-2 win.
As makes sense given the travel, Denver took on Alaska-Anchorage once more before leaving town, and Rudolph had two more assists in a 4-1 win.
He’ll return to the ice on Saturday, Oct. 10 in a fascinating matchup with the USA Hockey Under-18 Team in an exhibition match.
Denver’s next NCAA clash will be a massive one against high-powered Michigan on Friday, Oct. 16 in Denver. They’ll raise their national championship banner that night.
The NCAA hockey level doesn’t have exactly the same stats available as the NHL, but Denver does show Rudolph with one blocked shot, and offensively he has taken seven shots.
When Will Daxon Rudolph Come to NHL?
The Sabres definitely have no reason to rush Rudolph, who won’t turn 19 until March.
NHL teams also won’t take a player from his NCAA team in the middle of the season, so if Rudolph was going to get a late-season cameo in Buffalo, it wouldn’t be until Denver completes what it’s hoping will be a deep postseason run at the end of the year.
The Sabres wouldn’t have to bring Rudolph to the NHL at that point if they don’t want to, though. They’ll retain his rights even if Rudolph plays an entire four-year college career with the Pioneers.
Given Rudolph’s draft status, it seems unlikely he’d play four college years, but the Sabres know his development is the most important thing. They’ll be tracking Rudolph closely and developing a quality plan for his future, which should eventually bring him to Buffalo to be a difference maker on the blue line.
Sabres Prospect Daxon Rudolph Already Taking NCAA By Storm At Denver