Buffalo Sabres top prospect traded in blockbuster deal for 8 draft picks

The Brampton Steelheads have made a significant trade, sending top goaltending prospect Ryerson Leenders to the Brantford Bulldogs in exchange for eight future OHL draft picks. The picks include three second-rounders, three third-rounders, as well as a fourth-round and a fifth-round pick in 2035 and 2037, respectively.

In a related move, the Steelheads announced they acquired goaltender Jacob Gibbons from the Erie Otters in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2028 sixth-round pick. Gibbons is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft.

Leenders, 18, was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Last season, he posted a 24-17-4 record with the Steelheads, who were based in Mississauga at the time.

The trade suggests that 2025 draft-eligible goaltender Jack Ivankovic is expected to take over as the Steelheads' primary goalie. Ivankovic, a first-round pick in 2023, recently played a key role in Canada's gold medal win at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

As Brampton aims to contend in their first season after relocating from Mississauga, they've also strengthened their roster by acquiring Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf, who scored 52 goals and 95 points in 60 games for Kitchener last season, and defenseman Spencer Sova, the former captain of the Erie Otters.