This will be a six-part series highlighting what the Buffalo Sabres‘ draft plans may be, including an individual look at all four picks the Sabres have in the top 52.
By the time the Buffalo Sabres approach their second of their two second-round picks at pick No. 52, many of the big name players that have had their names floated around for the past few weeks will be long gone. Here, instead, the Sabres will be looking to find that player that is trying to make a name for himself, beyond that of NHL scouts.
Last year, the Sabres seemingly did just that in taking Jake McCabe, who went on to captain Team USA to a gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia this January.
This year, the Sabres have the opportunity to do the same.
Once a team gets into the second round, “needs” are closer to wants as the likelihood that a prospect drafted makes a substantial impact at the NHL level drops significantly once you leave the first round. This draft may be a bit different given the wealth of talent in the first round, but history doesn’t lie.
That’s why the Sabres will likely go with the best player available at this point, and who will be available is impossible to know. Prospects with second-round grades are just as likely to go in the fourth round, depending on where they fall on a particular team’s board.
So, with this in mind, picking the player the Sabres will select brings us well into the realm of conjecture and guesswork.
But if the draft goes according to needs, a few names may jump out to the Sabres.
The first is Justin Bailey, who may end up coming off the board earlier in the second—possibly the Sabres. Bailey is a longer term prospect with above-average athleticism that may bolster the Sabres’ second or third line in a few years.
Other talented wingers the Sabres may look to include Nick Sorensen, a teammate of Mikhail Grigorenko’s in Quebec of the QMJHL, Hudson Fasching, a member of the United States National Development Team, and Anthony Duclair, another teammate of Grigorenko’s in Quebec.
While any of those four players would be excellent additions to the Sabres’ ranks, there is certainly no guarantee that they will all be available when the time comes for the Sabres to pick at No. 52. Sorensen, Duclair and Bailey all have first-round potential, and would be clear first rounders if not for the depth of this year’s class.
So, if any of these four players are left, the Sabres will look long and hard, no matter who they select in the first round. Bailey seems to be the guy with the most buzz around him in Western New York, which is not surprising given he grew up in Williamsville, just a few miles outside of Buffalo.
Prediction: Justin Bailey, W, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
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After the Buffalo Sabres missed the postseason in 2013, tallying just 48 points in their 48 games, there hasn’t been much to talk about, especially with the NHL playoffs taking center stage.
With the Stanley Cup Final now over, however, and as we get closer to the NHL entry draft and NHL free agency, talk is beginning to ramp up for every team around the league once again.
Here is a comprehensive guide to the Buffalo Sabres’ 2013 offseason, covering the NHL draft, right through the 2013-14 season outlook.
With the NHL Draft less than one week away, it’s time to look at a team that is in a position to make some of the biggest headlines early on Sunday—the Buffalo Sabres.
With four picks in the first two rounds (No. 8, 16, 38 and 52), the Sabres have more than enough ammo to continue to build up their already deep prospect pool, or try and use some combination of those picks to move into the top five.
The value of their first four picks is exponentially larger this year thanks to the depth of the 2013 class. Players who would normally come off the boards between picks 15-30 in an average draft will be available in the late 30s and early 40s this year, and a team like Buffalo is in a great position to capitalize on this.
If one thing has become clear over the past season, it’s that Buffalo has fallen from a perennial playoff contender to a rebuilding team that needs to build a new core. Longtime Sabres like Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville are either gone or on their way out the door and they are being replaced with new faces like Mikhail Grigorenko and Cody Hodgson. The glory days are long gone, and it may take a while before they’re back.
By the end of the 2013-’14 season, Buffalo will look nothing like the team that went to two straight Eastern Conference Finals before falling into mediocrity for the last three seasons. That transformation starts with the draft.
General manager Darcy Regier has made no secret of the fact that he is looking to move up into the top three selections this year, but after his comments last week, that possibility is looking increasingly unlikely.
“I would characterize the draft and primarily the ability to move in the draft—to move up into those top spots—will be extremely difficult if not impossible given the conversations that I have had as recently as [Wednesday],” Regier said in his pre-draft press conference.
With that in mind, Sabres fans can probably stop dreaming about picking up Halifax Mooseheads forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, or Portland Winterhawks defenseman Seth Jones, who are the consensus top three prospects in this draft class.
However, just because Buffalo will most likely not be in a position to pick up a five-star prospect doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to find a player or two who can make a significant impact in the not-so-distant future.
Before we begin looking at specific players, I should note that I would be shocked if Buffalo actually kept each of their first four picks. Even if a trade into the top-five is impossible, if recent history is any guide, Regier will surely make some sort of move with those picks.
Assuming Buffalo keeps the No. 8 pick, they should be looking at a group of players that includes Swedish forward Elias Lindholm, Ottawa 67’s center Sean Monahan and Russian winger Valeri Nichushkin.
Lindholm, a strong two-way player who put up 30 points in 48 games against grown men in the Swedish Elite League this year, seems to be the most likely pick. It has been said that in most other drafts, the 18-year-old would garner top-three consideration, so picking up a player of that caliber would be nothing to sneeze at with the eighth pick.
That said, Buffalo already has a couple of strong two-way players in Rochester in Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson, so the positional need for another center is not that strong.
What the Sabres do not have is a player like Sault Ste. Marie defenseman Darnell Nurse. You won’t see a lot of offensive production in any of his highlight videos, but what you will find is a guy with the toughness and shutdown ability to take an opponent’s best player out of the game on a nightly basis. What you’ll find is exactly what the Sabres’ current defense corps is missing.
Buffalo has plenty of smooth-skating, offensive minded defensemen in the pro ranks, but they don’t have that guy who can poke check, block shots, drop the gloves and lead his teammates in clutch situations. Nurse can do all that and more. He is the type of player who can take over a playoff series and put the team on his back.
The nephew of former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, Nurse is already 6’5″, 185 pounds at 18 years old, and he has the frame to add on another 20-30 pounds to give him the ideal size needed to be a top flight defenseman in the NHL.
He has been compared to future Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, and if he is even half that good, Nurse would be an absolute steal at pick No. 8.
Taking a defenseman with their first pick opens up the possibilities for Buffalo when they head back to the podium with the 16th pick. They could go the defenseman route again, but with the other positional needs, that is unlikely, even if Rasmus Ristolainen and Bo Hovat are still available. Look for a forward or Halifax goaltender Zach Fucale to come off the board at 16, especially if Miller is no longer on the roster come draft day.
The best bet for the Sabres with their second pick could be Quebec Ramparts power forward Adam Erne. A former teammate of Buffalo’s first pick from last year, Mikhail Grigorenko, Erne brings a toughness and scoring touch that would fit in well with a Boston Bruins-type system—something that the Sabres could sorely use.
Together with Marcus Foligno, Erne would help change Buffalo’s perception around the league from a soft team to a one that is tough as nails with the offensive ability to match it.
With the 38th pick, Buffalo can add more offensive firepower to their prospect pool with winger Andre Burakovsky. The Swedish sniper can do almost anything with the puck, and with Vanek’s days in Buffalo seemingly numbered, Burakovsky could act as his replacement a few years down the road.
Weighing in at just 176 pounds, Burakovsky will need to add weight to his slim frame, but if he is available at pick No. 38, Buffalo would be able to pick up their third first-round caliber player in this draft.
As it stands, Buffalo has 10 picks in this year’s draft, and while that number is likely to change, Buffalo should come away with a number of players who could make an impact at the NHL-level soon. Regier has come under fire from fans for his inability to acquire any superstar talent, but he has done a fine job of putting his team in position to build through the draft as they work through this rebuild. Even if he won’t call it that.
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This will be a six-part series highlighting what the Buffalo Sabres‘ draft plans may be, including an individual look at all four picks the Sabres have in the top 52.
The Buffalo Sabres have some assets in this year’s draft with four picks in the first 52 selections. These assets can be used to bulk up the prospect pool or to move up in the draft—more on that in another article.
Considering the predictions already made in this series—center/winger Elias Lindholm at No. 8 and goaltender Zach Fucale at No. 16—the Sabres still need to draft a skilled winger or a three-zone defenseman.
While the second-round talent may not be quite to the level of the first-round pool, plenty of excellent prospects should be available for the Sabres.
The first is Thomas Vannelli, a high schooler who has committed to play for the University of Minnesota next season. He will join a stable of NHL prospects in Minnesota, putting his 6’2″, 175-lb frame to work at the college level. Vannelli is known for his presence in all three zones but especially on the offensive end.
Vannelli may be somewhat of a project, but he’ll likely end up playing at least two years at Minnesota before considering a jump to the pros. With his upside, motor and skills, a second-round pick on him could be a steal.
Another prospect is Robert Hagg, who played for MODO of the Swedish Elite League last season. While Hagg only registered one point in his 27 games, he was praised for his ability to dictate a rush and to play the point on the power play. He also excels in the defensive zone, with his 6’2″ body leading the way.
Hagg is not as flashy as Vannelli or any of the other first-round defensemen, but he projects as a top-four guy on defense and could bolster the Sabres’ special teams for years to come.
The last intriguing prospect is a hometown player, Justin Bailey.
Bailey played in the Ontario Hockey League for the Kitchener Rangers last season, scoring an impressive 36 points in 57 games, which was fourth on the team. He is exceptionally athletic but may have to improve his strength—his 6’3″, 190-lb frame can benefit from some time in the weight room.
Bailey is another high-ceiling talent who can develop in the OHL for another year or two and then be a welcome addition to Buffalo’s top six.
With pick No. 38, the Sabres will likely seek defense, and Vannelli seems to be the perfect option if he’s available. With the end of the first round and the beginning of the second being so wide open, it’s possible.
The pick: Thomas Vannelli, defenseman, University of Minnesota
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The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed netminder Jhonas Enroth to a two-year deal this morning according to ESPN’s Pierre Lebrun, ensuring that the Sabres will be with at least one of their two top goalies to start next season.
Enroth will receive $1.25 million per season over the two years, potentially making the signing an excellent deal for the Sabres.
Enroth was due to become a restricted free agent on July 5, meaning the Sabres could have matched any offer made to him. However, given the uncertainty surrounding the Ryan Miller situation at the present time, it was pretty much a sure thing that Enroth would be back with the Sabres next season and beyond.
Enroth only started nine of the team’s 48 games last season as his struggles from the end of the 2011-12 season carried over to the beginning of this season. In those nine games, Enroth amassed a respectable 2.60 goals against average and an excellent .919 save percentage. Enroth finished the season with a 4-4-1 record.
Given the uncertainty swirling around Miller, Enroth could be the Sabres’ number one netminder come October. While he has not proven that he can consistently play at a high level, Enroth has shown his ability to carry the Sabres to a win. If Miller were to leave, Enroth would share time with Matt Hackett who came over from the Minnesota Wild in the Jason Pominville trade.
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Right about now it’s not hard to picture many Buffalo Sabres fans hitting their heads off of the nearest table wondering how in the world their general manager, Darcy Regier, could trade Daniel Paille.
And not only just for trading him, but trading him to the Boston Bruins of all teams.
Since Paille was sent from the 716 to the 617 four seasons ago, the Bruins have won the Stanley Cup once, the Northeast Division twice and have even knocked the Sabres out of the playoffs in the first round.
Now, to say that their success has to do with Paille directly is a bit far-fetched. He has been great during the past two rounds of this year’s playoffs and has the game-winning goal in both of the Bruins’ Stanley Cup Final victories, but the team’s success is not on his shoulders.
What Paille has done is solidify a bottom six that could be one of the best in the NHL.
So why did the Sabres and Regier feel the need to ship him off to a division rival, especially given the time they put into developing Paille?
He was drafted 20th overall in the 2002 Entry Draft, with the Sabres using the first-round pick they obtained from the Detroit Red Wings in the Dominik Hasek trade to move up 10 slots to select the Guelph Storm product. Paille spent two more years in the OHL and represented Team Canada in the World Junior Championships both of those years.
After spending the better part of two years with Rochester of the AHL and splitting time between Buffalo and Rochester the next season, Paille was promoted to the Sabres’ roster full-time in 2007-08. In his first full year, he had the best statistical season of his career, posting 35 points in 77 games, spending most of his time on the third line.
While recording a comparable season statistically in 2008-09, Paille struggled to stay consistent, posting numerous stretches without a point and a minus in the plus-minus column.
The next season, Paille was traded to the Bruins for a third-round pick, which was used on depth prospect Kevin Sundher, who likely will never see more than a bottom-six role with Rochester.
So should Sabres fans be mad that Paille never really got a fair shake as a Sabre? Yes and no.
It was pretty shocking that Regier would be as cavalier with one of his more talented young guys, even if his talent was clearly as more of a two-way, bottom-six player. Paille had the tools to be an excellent shutdown pivot and had the size and skating ability to back it up.
However, looking back at what the Sabres were facing at that time makes the move make at least some sense for those who are extremely unhappy.
Paille had been a healthy scratch for most of the beginning of the season that year, with then-coach Lindy Ruff favoring the play of a less-targeted Pat Kaleta and rookie Tim Kennedy.
Beyond that, the Sabres were flirting with the top-end of the salary cap, having just signed Jason Pominville and Ryan Miller to new deals that summer. Needing to clear some space, the Sabres saw the underperforming Paille as the easiest piece to move.
But the most important factor in all of this has been Paille‘s ability to play on the third and fourth lines in Boston, a team whose defensive identity is far more apparent than any post-lockout Sabres team. Paille has not come close to eclipsing the statistical levels he hit while in Buffalo, but he has flourished in his defense-first role with the Bruins.
So, while Paille is enjoying a fair amount of success this postseason, it may not be necessarily fair to say “that could be us,” because, realistically, the Sabres would not have been able to get the same type of play out of Paille given the differing styles of the two teams.
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This will be a six-part series highlighting what the Buffalo Sabres‘ draft plans may be, including an individual look at all four picks the Sabres have in the top-50.
The Buffalo Sabres will be busy during the first round of this month’s NHL Entry Draft.
After projecting them to select Elias Lindholm, a center/wing hybrid from the Swedish Elite League, with their No. 8 overall pick, the Sabres will have eight picks to see what unfolds for them at pick No. 16.
There are a few directions the Sabres can go with the 16th pick. Their first inclination, having taken a forward at No. 8, will probably be a defenseman. There are a few three-zone defenseman who could or should be available at the 16th spot.
The most wanted at that spot will likely be Ryan Pulock, who starred for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. While considered an offensive defenseman right now, many believe he has the tools to become an excellent defensive zone guy as well. His shot also draws rave reviews, a quality the Sabres are currently lacking on their blue line. Pulock led his team in scoring this season as well with 45 points in 61 contests.
Pulock has been projected to go as high as No. 8 (to the Sabres) and No. 20 to the San Jose Sharks, but most have him in the 10-14 range, so he may only be there if he slides or the Sabres move up.
The other defenseman the Sabres will be taking a long look at is Mirco Muller, also playing in the WHL for the Everett Silvertips. The Swiss defenseman has been shooting up draft boards as of late due to his complete playing style and high ceiling. He may not be flashy, but he will get the job done in all three zones, something the Sabres sorely need.
Muller flew under the radar until the World Junior Championships in Ufa this year, so he is not projected nearly as high as some defensive prospects, but the most recent mock drafts have him going as high as No. 16 to the Sabres.
There is a dark-horse pick here, and it depends on what the Sabres’ top brass feel about their goaltending future.
Zach Fucale is the clear No. 1 netminder in the draft this year, but the talent in the pool of skaters this year has likely pushed him out of the lottery picks, and possibly even the first round entirely. He backstopped the stacked Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL to the Memorial Cup this year and posted a ridiculous 45-5-3 record this season.
While clearly a blue chipper, Fucale has been projected everywhere in the draft, from as high as No. 11 to the Philadelphia Flyers to as low as No. 34 to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
If he is available, it will depend on the Sabres’ evaluation of Matt Hackett and Jhonas Enroth as their starting goalies of the future, but may be a shoo-in if Ryan Miller is traded, as many expect him to be.
Another consideration is if the Sabres take a defenseman with the eighth pick. That opens up the possibility of them taking a wing here, making Adam Erne, Valentin Zykov, Ryan Hartman and Hunter Shinkaruk guys to keep an eye on.
Overall, signs point to Pulock being the most desired guy at No. 16, but the reality is that he could be gone by the time the Sabres pick at No. 8. Muller has the goods but may be considered a reach with the 16th pick.
The best guess?
Due to Miller’s likely relocation, assuming they stay at No. 16, the Sabres’ selection is: Zach Fucale, G, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
Follow me on Twitter for NHL and Sabres news all offseason: @SwordPlay18.
Read more Buffalo Sabres news on BleacherReport.com
This will be a six-part series highlighting what the Buffalo Sabres‘ draft plans may be, including an individual look at all four picks the Sabres have in the top-50.
With all of the suffering Buffalo Sabres fans endured this season, it may be a bit underwhelming to pick eighth in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. At various points in the season, the Sabres were challenging the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers for the first overall selection, so it is certainly understood why many feel that way.
But the reality is that the Sabres have the opportunity to get a top-end prospect even if they stay at the eighth spot.
Last week, the Sabres’ needs were discussed, and the feeling around the hockey world is that the Sabres will go in one of a few directions: scoring winger, three-zone defenseman or trading up into (likely) the top-four.
Scoring winger is probably the team’s biggest need and also where the prospect pool falls off significantly once the top two or three guys have been selected. This makes it more likely the Sabres will go this route with their no. 8 pick, rather than hoping to pull something off with their no. 16 pick.
There are three players the Sabres will be looking long and hard at that fit the scoring wing bill: Jonathan Drouin from Halifax of the QMJHL, Valeri Nichushkin from Chelyabinsk of the KHL and Elias Lindholm from Brynas IF of the Swedish Elite League.
Simply put, Drouin and Nichushkin are special players who will factor into any NHL lineup come October. Lindholm has excelled in the Swedish Elite League as an 18-year-old, and while he may not be the prospect Drouin and Nichushkin are, he’s about as close as it gets.
Drouin played with fellow top-five lock Nathan MacKinnon in Halifax, but don’t let that temper your expectations. Drouin is masterful with the puck and has vision like no other player in the draft. His 105 points in only 49 games is spectacular, and that does not even include the 35 points he tallied in 17 playoff games. He is also not impeded by his size as players with his skill tend to be as he stands 5’11” and weighs in close to 180 lbs.
As you may have guessed, Drouin will move fast in a few weeks, likely to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third spot at the extreme latest.
Nichushkin is charging up draft boards as of late and the latest mock drafts from NHL.com have him going no later than the sixth spot to the Calgary Flames, and most figuring the Carolina Hurricanes will snatch him up at number five.
Nichushkin combines size with skill like no other player in this draft and has garnered more than a few comparisons to both Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin due to his excellent skating ability and his affinity for going through people instead of around them.
The last high-end possibility for the Sabres is Elias Lindholm, who was able to score 30 points in 48 games in the Swedish Elite League despite playing against much older, stronger players. He played center last season, but could play wing in the NHL. While some question his talent ceiling, he should become a top-six forward.
Lindholm has been projected all over the top-10, but most have him going in the six to eight range.
The potential overriding theme here?
The Sabres will likely need to trade up in order to secure Drouin or MacKinnon, and possibly even Lindholm. There are other names that have been thrown around, like Hunter Shinkaruk from Medicine Hat of the WHL or Valentin Zykov from Baie-Comeau of the QMJHL, but they have the potential to be around for the Sabres’ second first rounder.
Look for Darcy Regier to make a splash here, because the Sabres need top-six help on the wing. According to Josh Cooper of The Tennessean, Colorado, Florida and Nashville have all indicated that they would not be shy about discussing their numbers one, two and four picks, respectively.
While Darcy would not pass up MacKinnon or Alexsander Barkov if they were available, one would have to think Drouin and Nichushkin are the likely targets, especially if the Sabres are forced to move up to get him.
Assuming the Sabres stay at number eight, the prediction is: Elias Lindholm, C/W, Brynas IF (SEL)
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After a tumultuous season that saw captain Jason Pominville shipped off to the Minnesota Wild and their defense corps gutted, the Buffalo Sabres are in for a good, old-fashioned rebuild. General Manager Darcy Regier remains with the team for an unprecedented 17th season, and is accompanied by now full-time head coach Ron Rolston. While much needs to be done to restore the team to contending form, I will focus on the Sabres’ goals in the beginning stages of the process.
Here, I’ll take a look at:
- Impending free agents (restricted and unrestricted)
- Possible moves in unrestricted free agency
- Possible trades
- NHL Draft prospects
Having traded defensemen Robyn Regehr and Jordan Leopold at the deadline to Los Angeles and St. Louis, respectively, the Sabres don’t have that much in the way of unrestricted free agents. The team recently re-signed enforcer John Scott for another year, and forward Jochen Hecht finally called it quits. The team does have decisions to make on rearguards Alexander Sulzer and Adam Pardy, but, with all due respect, these guys don’t factor too significantly into the team’s future plans.
That being said, the Sabres have some restricted free agents worth watching. Center Cody Hodgson will be due a bridge contract after a successful campaign in terms of offensive production. In addition, goaltender Jhonas Enroth, defenseman Mike Weber and forward Brian Flynn will each require pay raises of varying degrees. Enroth is perhaps the most interesting situation to watch, as he may be featured in a much more prominent role going forward.
In terms of unrestricted free agency, I wouldn’t expect the Sabres to be too active. While they will have money to spend, I expect Regier to keep his wallet in his pocket unless he decides to use one of the two amnesty buyouts allowed by the new CBA (sorry, Ville Leino). If they do choose to spend money in free agency, though, I think they would be interested in the services of Detroit‘s Valtteri Filppula if he were to test the waters.
Perhaps the biggest issue for most Sabres fans, though, is the fates of Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller. Both players have one year remaining on their contracts, and one has to wonder whether they are going to be around to see the rebuilding process to its completion. Count me among those who believe that Miller will be traded, most likely at the draft. Temper your expectations on possible returns, though, as the trade market for starting goalies is very weak these days.
On the other hand, I expect to see Thomas Vanek in blue and gold for at least the beginning of the season. He remains the most productive forward on a team that is, at the moment, very young and lacking in talent. While the market for Miller is small, I would speculate that 29 teams would be interested in Vanek‘s services. Darcy Regier won’t be trading him for anything short of a big overpayment.
Finally, we have the NHL Draft. The Sabres have two first-round picks and two second-round picks to play with. With this kind of ammunition, they have the ability to move up for a player of choice or to sit back and select the best player available. Either way, the team has to be excited with their flexibility going into a strong draft.
While this subject bears more analysis than I’ll be doing here, look for Regier to try to trade up into the top four picks in order to select one of the elite prospects that are available. If that were to happen, center Sasha Barkov, winger Jonathan Drouin and winger Valeri Nichushkin would be potential targets. If they stay put at the eighth pick, they will be able to choose from the likes of Swedish forward Elias Lindholm, center Sean Monahan or defenseman Darnell Nurse, the nephew of Donavan McNabb.
After an immense amount of promise at the beginning of the Terry Pegula era in Buffalo, management has realized that the team won’t be able to win a cup anytime soon. Despite the disappointment, Sabres fans should take solace in the fact that they are, first of all, cognizant of that fact, and secondly, that they have the wherewithal to turn things around with relative swiftness. Thanks for reading.
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This will be a six-part series highlighting what the Buffalo Sabres‘ draft plans may be, including an individual look at all four picks the Sabres have in the top-50.
The Buffalo Sabres have one slight positive from their disappointing season: Their draft position. The 2013 NHL Entry Draft is chock-full of top-end talent and the Sabres have two picks in the first 16 (Nos. 8 and 16) selections in the draft. There is a huge opportunity for the Sabres to get two pieces that will help them over the hump in the near future.
But they also need to be the right pieces.
The Sabres looked like they needed help everywhere at most times last season, but a few needs definitely outweigh some of the others.
The Sabres’ biggest need is likely a sizable winger with a scoring touch.
On the roster now are Thomas Vanek, Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno, but the futures of Vanek and Stafford are clouded at best right now. Joel Armia will have every opportunity to make the team in October, and at 6’3″ he is exactly what they need, but he alone will not be enough.
On the board in the top-50 that fit this bill include Valeri Nichushkin (6’3″,195 lbs.), Anthony Mantha (6’3″,180 lbs.), Michael McCarron (6’5″,220 lbs.), and Jacob de la Rose (6’2″,190 lbs.). Nichushkin could be the target with the number eight pick, but the likelihood that Sabres’ general manger Darcy Regier will have to move up from the eight-spot to get him increases by the day.
Another huge need for the Sabres is a three-zone defenseman that can be paired with a more stay-at-home guy like Mike Weber.
With the departures of Jordan Leopold, T.J. Brennan and Robyn Regehr, the Sabres’ defensive corps have basically been reduced to some stay-at-home guys like Weber and Chad Ruhwedel and offensive zone guys like Christian Ehrhoff, Andrej Sekera and Tyler Myers. Myers, when playing well, has the best three-zone potential on the team, but last season saw Mark Pysyk emerge as the Sabres’ best three-zone guy in a very short period of time.
Names that Sabres fans will hear that fit this description are Darnell Nurse, Nikita Zadorov, Rasmus Ristolainen and Seth Jones, who is almost certainly going to be the first pick.
The last major need for the Sabres is another playmaking center to add to Cody Hodgson and (potentially) Mikhail Grigorenko.
Hodgson had a much publicized issue in the defensive zone this season, but he was exactly what the Sabres needed in the neutral and offensive zones. And while Tyler Ennis has played well at the pivot, he is not a long-term answer at center. The Sabres’ prospect pool is not necessarily full of playmaking centers, with Grigorenko and Daniel Catenacci being the only ones likely to make an impact. Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson have shut-down, third-line potential in the NHL and will likely not be a Hodgson-Ennis type of guy.
Grigorenko is the dark horse here, and likely the reason a winger is the top priority. While he certainly did not have a Calder-worthy rookie season, he also was not afforded the opportunity to make the type of impact fans expected from the 12th overall pick last year.
Names that the Sabres will keep an eye on here are Nathan MacKinnon, Alexsander Barkov, Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm and Bo Horvat. MacKinnon, Barkov and Monahan will likely be gone prior to the eighth pick, but Lindholm and Horvat may be available as late as the 16th.
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