Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect traded for 8 draft picks

PUBLICATION

Josh tupper
August 29, 2024 (2:16 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect Ryerson Leenders has been traded for 8 draft picks to the Brantford Bulldogs

The Buffalo Sabers made the decision to draft Ryerson Leenders 219th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. Despite being one of the last picks in the draft, Leenders has an incredible upside and was one of the younger players in the draft. As a 17-year-old, Leenders played 46 games going 24-17-4.

Despite the upside, today the Mississauga Steelheads made the decision today to trade the young goaltender. The Steelheads sent Leenders to the Brantford Bulldogs in exchange for 8 draft picks over the next 3 years.

This deal opens the door for Jack Ivankovic to take over the Steelheads' crease fulltime and gives Leenders an opportunity to join a team like the Bulldogs who could take a huge step forward this season.

Leenders will look to build on 3.12 goals against average and .909 save percentage as he looks to carve out a potential path to the NHL. Brantford Bulldogs General Manager Matt Turek had the following to say:

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.