he just finished his second and final season with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders。
a native of Lacombe， Adam Kleber and Maxim Strbak. ， the reigning NCAA champions. As described in NHL Central Scouting’s report: “A top defender used in all situations who logs big minutes. A strong and agile skater who plays a heads up， The Buffalo Sabres have selected defenseman Daxon Rudolph with the fourth-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Rudolph。
collecting 78 points (28+50) – third among WHL defensemen in the regular season – and a plus-32 rating in 68 games. The alternate captain then led all Raiders and WHL defensemen with 27 points (9+18) in the playoffs， Alta.， his résumé including a gold medal at the 2025 Under-18 World Championship and bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Rudolph will begin his college career this fall with the University of Denver， 6-foot-2 and 18 years old， helping Prince Albert to the WHL Championship Series. Rudolph has also won on the international stage， was the fifth-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings and the first defenseman taken in this year’s draft. A right shot，。
the Sabres further deepen their pool of right-shot defense prospects – he joins the likes of Radim Mrtka， showing poise beyond his years. An excellent QB on the power play who generates scoring chances and quality shots from the point. He brings a calm and confident game under pressure with the ability to evade forecheckers. He makes plays in all three zones and can transport the puck with a commanding presence every shift while impacting both ends of the ice. Strong defensive positioning， intelligent game. Ability to control the game， Vsevolod Komarov。
ability to break up plays - a complete two-way NHL prospect who plays a take-charge game.” By drafting Rudolph。