Sabres announce 2024 Development Camp roster

The Buffalo Sabres have announced the roster for their annual Development Camp, which will be held at LECOM Harborcenter from Monday, July 1 through Thursday, July 4.

The 29-player roster consists of 17 forwards, eight defensemen, and four goaltenders, including 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius.

View the full roster here.

Development Camp aims to introduce prospects to professional work habits and organizational standards. Players in attendance will become familiar with the team and the resources available to them through the Sabres development staff and performance team while taking part in both on-ice and off-ice workouts.

All on-ice sessions are free and open to the public.

Here is the full schedule of on-ice sessions at LECOM Harborcenter:

• Monday, July 1 – Practice from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 2 – Practice from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, July 3 – Practice from 11a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Thursday, July 4 – 3v3 Tournament starting at 9:15 a.m.

All times are subject to change and any updates will be posted on Sabres.com and the Sabres’ social media channels.

See below for a full breakdown of this year’s Development Camp roster.

Forwards (17)

#43 – Andon Cerbone, Quinnipiac University (NCAA)

Undrafted invitee

Cerbone appeared in all 39 contests for the Bobcats during his freshman season, finishing fifth on the team with 26 points (12+14). The Stamford, Connecticut native was recognized as the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week on Oct. 23 after recording his first collegiate points on Oct. 20 and his first career goal on Oct. 21.

#56 – Matteo Costantini, Western Michigan University (NCAA)

2020, 5th-round pick (131st overall)

Costantini played in all 38 games for the Broncos in 2023-24, recording 11 goals, 20 assists, and a plus-20 rating. He registered a career-best 12-game point streak from late November through late January before scoring a goal in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Michigan State in March.

#29 – Riley Fiddler-Schultz, Jacksonville (ECHL)

Undrafted invitee

Fiddler-Schultz posted 43 points (23+20) in 51 games for the Icemen, ranking second on the team in goals and fourth in points. He also appeared in six games for the Rochester Americans, scoring once and totaling seven shots in those appearances.

#94 – Konsta Helenius, Jukurit (Liiga)

2024, 1st-round pick (14th overall)

Helenius led all under-18 Liiga skaters in points during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. His 47 career points rank second all-time among Liiga players before the age of 18, trailing only Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov.

• Read: Helenius' path to Buffalo

#84 – Gustav Karlsson, Vimmerby HC (HockeyEttan)

2022, 6th-round pick (187th overall)

Karlsson recorded five goals and eight assists in 31 games in 2023-24 while posting a plus-12 rating. The 20-year-old will play for Falu IF during the 2024-25 season.

#82 – Brendan McMorrow, USNTDP (USHL)

Undrafted invitee

McMorrow played in 27 USHL games with the U.S. National Team Development Program, posting 16 points (5+11) in those contests. He is committed to play at the University of Denver this upcoming season.

#95 – Ethan Miedema, Kingston (OHL)

2023, 4th-round pick (109th overall)

Miedema recorded 41 points (18+23) in 68 games with Kingston and played an important role on the Frontenacs’ power-play unit, posting eight goals and five assists with the extra man.

#54 – Olivier Nadeau, Jacksonville (ECHL)

2021, 4th-round pick (97th overall)

Nadeau registered 12 goals and 12 assists in 41 contests for the Icemen and added three points (2+1) in seven games in the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Lac-Etchemin, Quebec native also played in five games in Rochester, scoring his first AHL goal on Nov. 4 against rival Syracuse.

#79 – Viktor Neuchev, Rochester (AHL)

2022, 3rd-round pick (74th overall)

Neuchev signed his entry-level contract ahead of the 2023-24 season and played in 57 games for the Amerks, recording 28 points (11+17) in his rookie campaign. The 20-year-old added one assist in two playoff games.

#75 – Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson, FPS (Mestis) / Kristianstads IK (HockeyEttan)

2022, 7th-round pick (202nd overall)

Ratkovic Berndtsson played in 22 games for FPS in Finland’s second-tier league and posted 11 points (4+7) in those contests. He also registered 11 points (2+9) in 16 games for Kristianstads IK in Sweden.

#70 – Jake Richard, University of Connecticut (NCAA)

2022, 6th-round pick (170th overall)

Richard ended his rookie year at UConn with 16 points (6+10) in 31 games, including seven points (2+5) in his first seven games of the season. The Jacksonville, Florida native concluded his season in the Hockey East Tournament, dishing out two primary assists in the opening round against Vermont before tallying a goal and three shots in a 5-4 loss to No. 1 seed Boston College in the quarterfinals on March 16.

#88 – Stiven Sardarian, University of New Hampshire (NCAA)

2021, 3rd-round pick (88th overall)

Sardarian recorded 14 points (7+7) in 32 games in his sophomore season, including three power-play goals and two game-winning goals as the Wildcats fell short of making the NCAA Tournament. Sardarian entered the transfer portal back in April and will play for Northern Michigan University during the 2024-25 season.

#83 – Ryan Smith, Tri-City (USHL)

Undrafted invitee

Smith, a product of Pendleton, New York, played in 60 games for Tri-City of the USHL, registering 24 goals and 14 assists for 38 points in those contests. His 24 goals ranked second on the team. Smith is committed to play for Quinnipiac University next season.

#45 – Jak Vaarwerk, UMass-Lowell (NCAA)

Undrafted invitee

Vaarwerk appeared in all 36 games for UMass-Lowell in 2023-24, scoring five goals and adding 10 assists for 15 points in his rookie campaign. The Clarence, New York native was named the team’s Rookie of the Year for his performance. Vaarwerk was a member of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres from 2017 to 2021.

#55 – William von Barnekow, Malmo (SHL)

2021, 6th-round pick (161st overall)

Von Barnekow recorded five goals and seven assists in 48 games for Malmo in Sweden’s top professional league. The Malmo native was teammates with fellow Sabres prospect Anton Wahlberg.

#41 – Vasily Zelenov, RB Hockey Juniors (AlpsHL)

2024, 7th-round pick (204th overall)

Zelenov made his pro debut in 2023-24 and tallied 37 points (14+23) in 40 games for RB Hockey Juniors in the Alps Hockey League. He captured a championship with RB Hockey Juniors in Austria’s junior league.

• Read: Meet the Class of 2024

#46 – Brodie Ziemer, USNTDP (USHL)

2024, 3rd-round pick (71st overall)

Ziemer compiled 24 points (8+16) in 27 USHL games for the USNTDP and is committed to play at the University of Minnesota this upcoming season. He served as team captain of Team USA at the 2024 IIHF U-18 World Championship, leading the team to a silver-medal finish with nine assists and 12 points in seven games.

Defensemen (8)

#86 – Simon-Pier Brunet, Drummondville (QMJHL)

2024, 4th-round pick (123rd overall)

Brunet played in 52 games in his second full QMJHL season, registering four goals and 10 assists for Drummondville. He added six points (2+4) and a plus-15 rating in 19 playoff games as the Voltigeurs secured the QMJHL title and a trip to the 2024 Memorial Cup. Brunet was teammates with current Sabres prospect Vsevolod Komarov.

#71 – Patrick Geary, Michigan State University (NCAA)

2024, 6th-round pick (172nd overall)

Geary skated in 32 games in his rookie season at Michigan State, recording 13 points (5+8) in 2023-24. The Hamburg, New York native played for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres through his U-16 season before joining the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL in 2021-22, where he posted 30 points (7+23) in 115 career games spanning two seasons.

#90 – Sean Keohane, West Kelowna (BCHL) / Tri-City (USHL)

2023, 6th-round pick (173rd overall)

Keohane appeared in 25 games for West Kelowna of the British Columbia Hockey League in 2023-24, tallying six goals and eight assists. The Harvard University commit also played in 16 games for Tri-City of the USHL and recorded one assist in that span.

#49 – Adam Kleber, Lincoln (USHL)

2024, 2nd-round pick (42nd overall)

Kleber recorded 26 points (5+21) in 56 games for the Lincoln Stars, leading all Lincoln defensemen in goals (5) and points (26) while tying for first in assists (21). The Chaska, Minnesota native is committed to play at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

#62 – Gavin McCarthy, Boston University (NCAA)

2023, 3rd-round pick (86th overall)

McCarthy played in all 40 games as a freshman at Boston University, registering one goal and four assists for the Terriers, who advanced to the Frozen Four but fell to Denver in the national semifinals. The Clarence Center, New York native scored his first collegiate goal in the Hockey East title game on March 23.

#61 – Luke Osburn, Youngstown (USHL)

2024, 4th-round pick (108th overall)

Osburn led all USHL rookie defensemen in goals (8) while playing in 60 games for Youngstown during the 2023-24 season. He added 15 assists, which ranked third among rookies in the league. Osburn is committed to play collegiately at the University of Wisconsin.

#74 – Norwin Panocha, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)

2023, 7th-round pick (205th overall)

Panocha played his first season in the QMJHL and skated in 52 games for Chicoutimi, posting 15 assists. He also played in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship for Germany after making the team as an 18-year-old. He recorded one goal and averaged over 15 minutes of ice time in five games in the tournament.

#64 – Max Strbak, Michigan State University (NCAA)

2023, 2nd-round pick (45th overall)

Strbak appeared in 32 games for the Spartans, recording nine points (2+7) and a plus-7 rating with 27 blocked shots. His first career goal came against Canisius on Oct. 19 before he participated in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship for Slovakia, where he was selected as one of Slovakia’s top three performers in the tournament while serving as an alternate captain.

Goaltenders (4)

#35 – Ryerson Leenders, Mississauga (OHL)

2024, 7th-round pick (219th overall)

Leenders led the OHL with a .909 save percentage and ranked 10th with 24 wins after posting a 24-17-4 record in 46 appearances for Mississauga. He also won gold with Team Canada at both the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2024 IIHF U-18 World Championship.

#50 – Topias Leinonen, JYP (FIN-U20) / JYP (Liiga) / KeuPa HT (Mestis)

2022, 2nd-round pick (41st overall)

Leinonen dealt with an injury throughout the season, appearing in just 12 games between KeuPa in Finland’s second-tier Mestis league, JYP’s Liiga club, and JYP’s J20 team. He played in seven playoff games at the J20 level, posting a 3-4-0 record and a .892 save percentage.

#80 – Aiden McKenna, Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL)

Undrafted invitee

McKenna posted a 20-13-0 in 36 appearances for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. A product of Rochester, New York, McKenna registered a 2.89 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in 2023-24. He is committed to play collegiately at the University of Vermont in 2025-26.

#34 – Scott Ratzlaff – Seattle (WHL)

2023, 5th-round pick (141st overall)

Ratzlaff appeared in 52 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds, compiling a 21-26-1 overall record while amassing 1,575 saves and a .905 save percentage. The 19-year-old recorded a career-best 62 saves in a 3-1 win over Everett on Jan. 27 to be recognized as the WHL Goaltender of the Week.