What Does the Future Hold for Radim Mrtka?
Since he was drafted at 9th overall in 2025, Radim Mrtka has been somewhat of a polarizing presence for the Buffalo Sabres. As a young and talented defenseman with a unique combination of physical build and skill, Mrtka holds significant value both as a player and as a potential trade chip. Mrtka is a 6-foot-6, right-shot defenseman, originally from Czechia, who played for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League before being drafted by the Sabres. After playing a few games for HC Ocelari Trinek in his home country at the start of the 2024 season, Mrtka signed with the Thunderbirds and quickly became an impactful player. By the end of the season he was putting up significant ice time and finished with 35 points in 43 games, ranking third amongst rookie defensemen in the league.
Heading into the 2025 NHL Draft, there was some speculation that then-GM Kevyn Adams would trade the Sabres' pick, given the construction of the roster at the time. Instead, Adams went all in on Mrtka saying, “In my experience as general manager over the years, it's extremely challenging to get those type of players if you don't draft them, so we just felt when that guy's on the board, that was the right pick to make.” Mrtka’s subsequent breakout season in the WHL seemed to validate this decision.
Last season, Mrtka continued to grow as a player and gain valuable experience, including a few games with the Rochester Americans in the AHL, and playing for Czechia’s national team in the World Juniors (where he won a silver medal following a loss to Sweden in the finals). Beyond his notable physical profile, his ability to move around the ice despite his size emerged as a major upside.
Despite this success, his name also began to gain more traction in trade talks as new-GM Jarmo Kekäläinen said, “Always draft the best player available… and then if you have too many good defensemen, that's a great problem to have. There's going to be 31 teams calling me, and if they need a defenseman, they know who to call, and if we need a forward instead, we can make a trade." In particular, rumours grew around the trade deadline that Mrtka would be part of a package to bring Saint Louis Blue forward Colton Parayko to Buffalo, before Parayko utilized his no-trade clause and squashed the deal.
This season, fans continue to wonder how and when Mrtka will find his place on a Sabres’ team that already has some significant depth at the blue line. Notably, although defenseman Bowen Byram was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, Olen Zellweger and Mattias Samuelsson are currently occupying significant playing time. Moreover, at this year’s draft the Sabres took Daxon Rudolph at fourth overall. Rudolph is a 6-foot-3, 205 pound, right-shot defenseman currently playing for the University of Denver in the NCAA. Although he is still only 18 years old, Rudolph is definitely a prospect to watch and is already making headway on his journey to the NHL with seven points in his last six college games.
While Mrtka has expressed understanding for why his name continues to appear in trade speculation, he also remains committed to the team and is excited about his ongoing development, particularly coming into his first full season with the Americans in the AHL. Following his first few games, Mrtka emphasized his desire to continue learning and improving his game as he strives to reach the NHL. Specifically, he’s been working on getting stronger, using his feet better, and becoming a better defenseman overall so he can begin to contribute more on the offensive side as well. Since he was drafted, Mrtka has cited Captain Rasmus Dahlin as one of his biggest inspirations, largely due to his calm style of play and his two-way game. Modelling his game after this, Mrtka is aiming to continue working hard and helping the team as much as he can as the season continues.
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