BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jake Richard stealing the show at the Buffalo Sabres’ three-on-three scrimmage at development camp is becoming an annual summer tradition.Richard, who signed his entry-level contract out of UConn last month, turns 22 in August. So he should be a standout at a camp that features a lot of players three and four years younger than him. He also has a game that is well suited for three-on-three. He’s patient with the puck and has an NHL-level shot. The time and space play to his strengths. And on Thursday morning, he had an assist and two goals in the span of a few minutes early in the scrimmage. He finished the day with four goals.The more notable part of Richard’s game, though, was the work he did with his stick, stripping opponents of pucks at both ends of the rink. Richard is about to make the jump to the AHL. He won’t have nearly as much room to operate in those games as he did on Thursday morning. The opposition will be older and stronger, the game faster and more physical. Last season, Richard’s production dropped from 15 goals and 28 assists in 2024-25 to 10 goals and 17 assists in 2025-26. The skill is there, and so is the stick work. He plays a strong game in front of the net. Now he has to put it all together against men.Here’s what else we saw during the Sabres’ week of development camp.Winners and losers from the 2026 NHL DraftScott Wheeler1. Fifth-round pick Doman Szongoth is just the fourth player drafted from Hungary, and he’s trying to become the first to make it in the NHL. Two things that stand out about him are that he’s already strong for his age and that he competes hard. Backchecking isn’t the most glamorous part of a three-on-three scrimmage, but Szongoth was regularly emptying the tank.2. Buffalo is loaded with right-handed defensemen in the system right now, but David Bedkowski shouldn’t get lost in the shuffle. He’s 6-foot-5 and has clearly added some strength to his frame. He moves well and was the most physical player at camp all week. He’s already developed a reputation as a player who plays on the edge in the OHL. I can see him getting to the NHL because it’s easy to see a role for a player with that kind of toughness and physicality.3. Putting too much stock in the three-on-three scrimmage isn’t entirely fair to these prospects or the development process. The same is true of the entire camp. But I do enjoy watching the small ice drills in practice. You get to see who can function in a setting that most closely mimics game action. A few players stood out. One was Minnesota Duluth defenseman Adam Kleber. He’s 6-foot-6 and 229 pounds, so it’s notable to see him handle the puck in tight spaces. He already has a high-end defensive game and understands how to kill plays and take space away from offensive players. But he said he’s working on his offensive game. Kleber had three goals in the scrimmage that came on some slick moves at the net. Buffalo’s blue-line picture is crowded, but the Sabres should have room for a player like Kleber when he’s ready to turn pro.4. 2025 first-round pick Radim Mrtka looks ready to make a nice step forward this season. He’s put on some weight, and his skating looks even better than it did a year ago. He’ll likely get to play a big role in Rochester this season. He looked comfortable in the NHL preseason last fall and got a taste of the AHL with a few games early in the season and then again in the playoffs. Amerks coach Michael Leone has a clear vision for what Mrtka needs to do to handle the jump.