BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres selected right-handed defenseman Daxon Rudolph with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenseman spent last season playing for Prince Albert in the WHL. He had 78 points in 68 regular-season games.The Sabres acquired the No. 4 pick in the draft when they traded Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Because they had spent much of the pre-draft process planning on picking No. 27, the Sabres didn’t interview Rudolph at the NHL Scouting Combine. Instead, they interviewed him in their offices on Friday morning.“Definitely something you don’t hear too often,” Rudolph said with a smile.Sabers draft Daxon Rudolph goes ahead of projections The Athletic Hockey ShowThe Sabres now add another right-handed defenseman to their prospect pool, building on what was already an area of strength. The Sabres drafted Radim Mrtka No. 9 overall last season and have also recently spent second-round picks on Maxim Strbak and Adam Kleber, as well as third-round picks on Gavin McCarthy and David Bedkowski. Buffalo already has a young, talented blue line at the NHL level, too, with Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson and Owen Power locked up to long-term contracts. The Sabres also traded for 22-year-old Olen Zellweger ahead of the draft on Friday.“Obviously, I watched a lot of them this year and during the playoffs,” Rudolph said. “The way those guys play the game is fun to watch. They’re all really top players, and it’s exciting to join them.”