The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club’s top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
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31. Doman Kristof Szongoth – C (KooKoo Jr. – Finland)
Szongoth was the Sabres fifth round selection at the 2026 Draft in June (156th overall). A native of Budapest, the 18-year-old played his youth hockey in his home country and in Austria before shifting to Finland in 2023-24, where he scored 49 goals in 33 games at the under-16 level and six goals in nine games at the under-18 level, while also playing for Hungary internationally.
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The next season as a 16-year-old, he played spot duty in Finland at the under-18 level, 37 games at the under-20 junior level, and internationally for Hungary, who was attempting to qualify for the under-18 and under-20 World Junior Championships, and the Milano Cortina Olympics. He also played in the 2025 World Championships.
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Last season, Szongoth posted 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 44 games for KooKoo Jr. (U-20), captained Hungary at the under-18 qualifiers, and scored a goal at the 2026 World Championships in Switzerland.
Elite Prospects says that the 6’1, 194 lb. forward is a “diligent two-way centre, always scanning and identifying his assignments while supporting his defencemen and leveraging his 200-pound frame when battling for pucks down low and along the walls.” Selected in the CHL Import Draft by the Soo Greyhounds, Szongoth will be coming to North America to play in the OHL this fall.
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