The Sabres' Future Begins With Kevin Devine...

...and his merry band of scouts.

The following event, by itself, allows for Devine's inclusion in the Pegula Rewards Program. We flashback to the 2008 draft.

After a season where the Sabres finished 10th in the conference, four points out of a playoff spot, the team is set to select 13th in the NHL Draft.

Defensive needs are prevalent, as well as grit and toughness, as the soft-but-skilled Sabres are floundering in the post new-NHL. Also, with the loss of Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, and only one center picked higher than the fourth round (Marek Zagrapan, #13-overall, 2005)  since Derek Roy (#32) and Chris Thorburn (#50) in 2001, there was a definite need at center as well.

They had two tough prospects as possibilities:  C Kyle Beach and D Colton Teubert.

Beach went at #11 to Chicago leaving two d-prospects, Teubert and and 6'7" Tyler Myers.





It's generally assumed that GM Darcy Regier gets the credit for making the move--in both the trade and the selection--for Tyler Myers.

But that's not the case. Kevin Devine was the impetus behind the drafting of Myers. He and his scouts were locked in on Myers with the Los Angeles Kings as the only team standing in their way and it was up to Regier to get the job done.

Here's how it went down (from insidesocal.com):

"The Kings, eyeing defenseman Colten Teubert, thought they could move down from the No. 12 spot and still get Teubert. They had a deal in place, with an unnamed team, to move down two or three spots but Buffalo, which held the No. 13 pick, was nervous about missing out on its targeted player. The Kings and Sabres talked, and the Kings agreed to trade the No. 12 pick for Buffalo's No. 13 pick, plus a third-round pick in 2009, UNLESS the Kings and Sabres coveted the same player.

How did they resolve this? Each GM got out pen and paper and wrote down which player he wanted to draft. They agreed to make the 12-13 swap if they coveted different players, so that the third, unnamed team wouldn't swoop in and steal Buffalo's targeted player. They showed each other the papers. The Kings wanted Teubert; the Sabres wanted Tyler Myers.

The Kings and Sabres made the swap. Buffalo took Myers at No. 12 and the Kings took Teubert at No. 13."

Call it luck. Call it an alignment of the stars. Call it whatever you want, but the insistence of Devine and his scouts got the Sabres Tyler Myers.

Kevin Devine will be entering his 12th season with the Buffalo Sabres this fall, the last four years as the Director of Amateur Scouting.

The Myers move stands on it's own as he jumped to the NHL from Junior and proceeded to with the Calder Trophy as 2009/10 Rookie of the Year. But it's not the only pick that's worth noting.

In that same draft, the Sabres took Tyler Ennis in the first round as well (#26). Also, with the 44th pick in that draft they selected C Luke Adam.

Those two would end up winning back-to-back AHL Rookie of the Year honors, 2010 and 2011 respectively.



The Sabres' first two picks in 2007 with Devine the Director, TJ Brennan (#31 overall) and Drew Schietsel (#59) were seen anchoring the defense in Portland last season while 6th-round pick (#179) C Paul Byron was top-two center with the Pirates and acquitted himself well as a call-up with the Sabres notching a goal and an assist in eight games.



Kevin Devine (left) at the 2009 draft
with 1st round pick Zack Kassian



It's only been four years, but Devine and his merry band of scouts are off to a torrid start.

When you hit the ground running with draft-picks like those, it not a hard decision to include Kevin Devine, as well as his staff, in the Pegula Rewards Program.




The Pegula Rewards Program buffalosabresnow list:

• GM, Darcy Regier--No
• Head Coach Lindy Ruff--Yes
• Director of Amateur Scouting Kevin Devine--Yes