Jarmo Kekäläinen made a move in the NHL draft that no one saw coming

Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekäläinen surprised everyone at the NHL draft by selecting defenseman Daxon Rudolph with the fourth overall pick.

The 18-year-old Rudolph was generally regarded as a top ten player, but he was not expected to be a sure top 5 pick. He also became the first defenseman selected in the entire draft.

Rudolph played 68 games last season in the WHL with the Prince Albert Raiders, recording 28 goals and 50 assists for a total of 78 points. He won gold at the 2025 U18 World Championships and bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Next, he will join the reigning NCAA champion Denver University.

The Hockey News reported that Rudolph had not had discussions with the Sabres prior to Friday. He also did not participate in the team’s interview at the draft combine. However, following the surprising trade of Bowen Byram, the Sabres had the opportunity to use their pick to select him.

Kekäläinen’s decision did not receive a positive reception from Sabres fans.

– They traded Byram and Greenway just to draft him. 78 points as a WHL defenseman is absolutely ridiculous, but Buffalo collects blue line talents like Pokémon cards and still can’t make the playoffs, one Sabres fan wrote on X.

– You lose Tuch and Byram, and not only do you keep the pick, but you use the 4th overall pick to take maybe the 4th or 5th best defenseman in the entire draft, another wrote.

– It’s crazy how you turned the Chicago trade in an instant from a “heist” to Davidson’s masterpiece in under three minutes, one fan lamented.