Buffalo Sabres Prospect Spotlight: Trevor Kuntar’s Journey

The Buffalo Sabres are widely recognized for possessing one of the most robust prospect pools in the NHL, a reputation bolstered by their high draft selections in recent years due to playoff absences. The organization has shown a keen eye for talent, with recent draft picks like 2023 first-rounder Zach Benson making waves in the playoffs, while 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius has emerged as a standout in the AHL.

As the Sabres gear up for training camp in mid-September, the focus shifts to their top 40 prospects—players aged 25 and younger, whose rights are held by the Sabres or who are signed to AHL or NHL contracts, and who have played fewer than 82 NHL games.

Among these prospects is Trevor Kuntar, a center currently playing for the Rochester Americans in the AHL and also signed with the Buffalo Sabres. The team sought veteran depth for their AHL affiliate and found a promising talent in Kuntar, a Buffalo native and the son of former Amerks goalie Les Kuntar. At 25 years old, Kuntar’s journey began with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres before moving to the USHL with Youngstown, which ultimately led to his selection by the Boston Bruins as the 89th overall pick in the COVID-delayed 2020 NHL Draft.

Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 205 pounds, Kuntar enjoyed a fruitful collegiate career at Boston College, where he finished just behind NHL talents Cutter Gauthier and Nikita Nesterenko in scoring during his junior year. This performance earned him a two-year entry-level contract with the Bruins. However, after a promising start in the AHL with Providence—where he notched 20 points in 70 games—his production dwindled to just three goals in the 2024-25 season, leading to the Bruins not extending a qualifying offer.

Kuntar then signed a one-year AHL deal with Rochester, where he quickly made an impact, scoring nine goals in his first 24 games. His performance earned him a promotion to an NHL deal for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, culminating in a successful campaign with 21 goals and 37 points in 70 games, along with his NHL debut against Vancouver on December 11. Following this impressive season, he secured a two-year, two-way contract extension at the NHL minimum of $875,000.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.