Sabres select Daxon Rudolph No. 4 overall in 2026 NHL Draft

The first defenseman is off the board in a first round full of talented ones. The Buffalo Sabres selected Daxon Rudolph, 18, with the fourth-overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft Friday night at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

Rudolph is coming off a dominant season with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in which he had 28 goals and 78 points in 68 regular-season games, then co-led the playoffs in assists with 18 and points with 27 across 19 games.

One word to describe Rudolph: dangerous. Rushing the puck or especially shooting it with his howitzer, even from longer range, he’s a constant threat to score and projects to be a power-play weapon should be reach his ceiling at the NHL level. With his forward-like instincts, it’s no wonder Rudolph has been compared by scouts to reigning Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets, as Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis reported from the 2026 Draft Combine. Unlike Werenski, though, Rudolph is a right-handed shot, giving him some extra value playing a premium position.

Despite being 6-foot-3 and safely north of 200 pounds, Rudolph isn’t a bludgeoning force on the defensive side of the puck, but he’s big enough and strong enough to hold his own physically. He defends more with deft stick work, positioning and hockey sense.

Rudolph had a big international season in 2024-25, playing on gold-medallist Canadian teams at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and Under-18 World Championship. For 2026-27, he’s following a similar path to so many high-end major junior players under the new eligibility rules: leaving the CHL to play NCAA Div. I and work on his game against older, strong competition. Rudolph has committed to the University of Denver for 2026-27, suiting up for the defending national champions. Talk about a loaded D-man import class for the Pioneers; joining Rudolph will be Ryan Lin, a fellow 2026 Draft Class member, and 2025 Seattle Kraken second-round draftee Blake Fiddler.