Top goaltender prospect of the Buffalo Sabres traded for an astonishing eight draft picks

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Daniel Lucente
August 30, 2024 (8:12 PM)

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Ryerson Leenders is a top goalie prospect for the Buffalo Sabres and he has just been traded in the OHL from Mississauga to the Brantford Bulldogs.

The Buffalo Sabres drafted Ryerson Leenders at 219th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Taken rather late in the draft, what separates Leenders is that he was one of the younger prospects selected in the draft as he was only 17 at the time of selection. He played in 46 games last year, finishing with a 24-17-4 record.

The Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL moved the promising netminder in a surprise transaction to the Brantford Bulldogs. In all, the Steelheads received eight draft picks over the course of the next three years.

This trade opens the door for Jack Ivankovic to take over as the starting goalie for the Steelheads, with Ryerson Leenders moving to the Bulldogs, which is a team with a lot of upside this year.

Ryerson Leenders, a 6-foot-4 netminder, will look to build upon his 3.12 GAA and .909 save percentage as he works his way towards making an impact in the National Hockey League. The Brantford Bulldogs' General Manager Matt Turek had this to say about the trade:

"We are very excited to add Ryerson to our club. Ryerson solidifies our goaltending tandem alongside David Egorov & gives our club a tremendous foundation for success. We know Ryerson is a player the fans will immediately gravitate to and look forward to his contributions both on the ice and in the community."

Source: Blades of Steel
Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect traded for 8 draft picks

Source: Elite Prospects
Ryerson Leenders