Every organization has that one player who lives somewhere between reality and legend—a name that resurfaces every offseason despite never taking a single NHL shift.
For the Buffalo Sabres, that player is Prokhor Poltapov.
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Selected 33rd overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Russian winger has spent the entirety of his post-draft career with CSKA Moscow, quietly building a respectable body of work while becoming one of Buffalo’s longest-running unanswered questions. Four years after hearing his name called, the intrigue remains as strong as ever, but the window for a long-awaited arrival in Western New York is beginning to narrow.
The Sabres, however, haven’t stopped believing.
Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reported this week that Buffalo continues to monitor the 23-year-old winger and hasn’t closed the door on eventually bringing him across the Atlantic.
“He plays a hard, heavy game and is willing to get to the tough areas of the ice, so I imagine he’ll be a player Jarmo Kekalainen likes,” Fairburn wrote. “The Sabres have remained in contact with him and show interest. But it’s hard to know what he will decide to do.”
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Those final eight words may define Poltapov’s entire NHL outlook.
Nobody outside his inner circle truly knows whether testing himself in North America is still part of the plan.
Unlike many European prospects who make the jump in their early 20s, Poltapov has chosen continuity, signing a two-year extension with CSKA Moscow that keeps him in the KHL through the 2026-27 season. Buffalo will retain his NHL rights indefinitely, but time has a way of reshaping expectations.
There’s also an argument that Poltapov has reached a developmental crossroads.
His last two seasons with CSKA Moscow have been virtually interchangeable, as he followed a 40-point campaign in 2024-25 (17 goals, 23 assists) with another 40-point season in 2025-26, this time finishing with 16 goals and 24 assists while again appearing in all 68 games.
The steadiness speaks to the reliability of his game, but it offers little evidence of the offensive leap many expected from a former second-round pick. For a player approaching his mid-20s, maintaining production is respectable; dramatically increasing it would have done far more to strengthen his NHL case.
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That doesn’t mean Poltapov couldn’t discover another level in Buffalo. A skilled, attack-minded Sabres roster could create more offensive opportunities than he’s experienced in Moscow. Still, after multiple years of nearly identical production, it’s fair to wonder whether his current ceiling is already coming into focus.
That reality is reflected in outside projections.
HockeyStats.com most recently assigned Poltapov just a two percent chance of becoming a full-time NHL player. It’s safe to say that’s not all that great of a number.
Ironically, the Sabres’ roster outlook could create the perfect opening if Poltapov ultimately decides it’s time.
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Buffalo is scheduled to have seven forwards reach free agency next summer, including unrestricted free agents Jason Zucker, Jordan Greenway, Sam Carrick and Justin Danforth, along with restricted free agents Jack Quinn, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich.
That level of turnover almost guarantees legitimate competition for roster spots entering the 2027-28 season.
From a timing perspective, it may be Poltapov’s best opportunity yet.
Rather than trying to force his way onto an established roster, he could arrive during a transitional offseason when meaningful NHL jobs are available. The question is whether that’s the role he wants.
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If the Sabres envision him strictly as organizational depth capable of moving between Buffalo and Rochester, remaining in Russia could be the more appealing option. If management believes he can compete immediately for a middle-six role, the conversation changes entirely.
The next several months could provide the biggest clue yet.
Poltapov signed his previous extension with CSKA Moscow early in the 2021-22 season. If another long-term agreement materializes this summer or shortly after the new KHL campaign begins, it would be difficult to interpret that as anything other than a commitment to staying overseas.
If negotiations remain quiet, however, anticipation around Buffalo’s most fascinating prospect saga will only grow.
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For years, Poltapov has occupied a unique place within the Sabres fanbase—a player who has become something of a folk hero without ever wearing the Blue and Gold. Whether he ultimately arrives as a legitimate NHL contributor or remains one of the franchise’s great unanswered “what ifs,” the next chapter of his story finally appears to be approaching.
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