The 2012 and 2013 draft classes are looking pretty solid

Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com


For the past two drafts the Buffalo Sabres have been laying a pretty good foundation for the future.

The 2012 draft was a good haul as six of the eight players drafted that year are signed with the club.

Twenty year old Zemgus Girgensons will be heading into his second NHL season and fellow first-rounder Mikhail Grigorenko will be in his third season with the club. After bouncing around, Grigorenko will be settled in to Rochester to continue his development.

Three other 2012 draftees--D, Jake McCabe (44th overall,) F, Justin Kea (73rd) and D, Brady Austin (193rd)--will begin in Rochester this season having signed their entry-level contracts.

Goalie Linus Ullmark (163rd) is on a sliding ELC and will remain in Sweden for another year before coming to North America next season.

And if this off-season is any indication, the 2013 draft class may be even stronger.

Jeremy White's "auto-pick" leaves much to be desired

The WGR sports jocks are there to entertain, and with the backdrop of a really poor professional sports scene in Buffalo right now, they need to come up with ideas to keep people interested. Even if the only real interest in their ideas is from themselves.

The latest came from WGR's morning guy, Jeremy White, last week.

White is the same guy who, after watching years of futility at under center for the Bills, believed that the team should select a quarterback in every round of the NFL Draft this past year. That's how bad he wanted his "franchise" quarterback.

Just take the best quarterback available in every round and the odds are one of them will work out was his basic philosophy (no real mention of the offensive co-ordinator, or head coach, and how they fit into the development and success of an NFL qb.)

Extreme? Yes. Practical? No. Fodder for the airwaves? Absolutely--for hours, days and weeks on-end.

Now he's bringing that same co-host draft ingenuity to the NHL.

White's premise is that anyone can draft players, therefore, instead of the GM and his amateur scouts watching and deliberating, they will simply use his "auto-draft" formula.

Auto-draft would simply have the team draft whomever is slotted in a particluar spot as determined by the Central Scouting or ISS lists or whatever list that's available. For instance, if Joe Hockey is rated #2, then you simply pick him at #2.

Simple and easy. And...no accountability either. Perfect for a talk show co-host.

He does qualify it somewhat by directing his theory to the top half of the draft or so, but somehow I think he would take it further.

I guess he's forgotten that the Sabres used the "Video-scout 3000" for their drafting needs under former owner Tom Golisano. Golisano's directive was to cut the scouting staff to a bare minumum and use video to save money. Couldn't hurt, could it?

White's theory is convienient, albeit flawed, but he does have a point, especially when you're at the top of the draft. It doesn't take a "hockey genius" to figure out that Nathan MacKinnon and Seth Jones, or Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin are top players that will be picked #1 or #2.

Even at #3 there's a good chance that a monkey could pick the right player.

But it's assessing talent in the top-15 to 20 and also what surrounds the year or years of the top pick(s) that can make a difference in the fortunes of a franchise. Not to mention assessing team needs at the time of the draft.

Case in point would be the Edmonton Oilers.

Not that anyone can blame them for the choices they've made the past few years, nor have they been bad draft picks, but with three consecutive #1 overall picks (2010-2012) they should be better than 29th in the league this year, three points ahead of the Sabres.

White calls them an aberration. Or you could just say that they're still too young. Or, considering that the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup with one of the youngest teams in recent memory, you could say that something just isn't right.

Prior to Edmonton picking Hall (#1, 2010,) Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (#1, 2011) and Nail Yakupov (#1, 2012,) the Oilers were in a similar situation as Buffalo--a middling team on the down-side who had tasted recent success.

In the five years prior to Hall, Edmonton never had a pick higher than 6th-overall (Sam Gagner, 2007.) They had, the 25th pick in 2005, the 22nd in 2008 and the 10th in 2009. In 2006 they did not have a first round pick.

They also had multiple first rounders during their rebuild as well:  three in 2007, and two in 2011.

Yet, with all of those first-rounders and three #1 overall picks, they're still near the bottom of the league.

From 2005 to 2012, they mostly "Jeremy White auto-picked" and followed the scouting bureaus by drafting the best player available.

An auto-draft pick from the 2007 season would have had Gagner right in that #6 overall range. Not that he's a bad pick, but Logan Couture who was rated in the low-teens was picked 9th San Jose' and is considered one of the top up and coming centers in the league.

An auto pick at 3rd-overall from that same year would have had Phoenix taking Alex Cherepanov. He went #17 to the NY Rangers, played in the KHL, and suffered an untimely death while on the bench during a game.

In fact, 2007 is a definitive case-study against an "auto-draft."

Had the previously mentioned 2010 Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks followed Central Scouting's draft list and auto-picked, they would have passed on Patrick Kane in favor of Kyle Turris. Kane scored the 'Hawks Cup-winning goal in 2010. Turris spent that season in the AHL with the San Antonio Rampage.

TSN's Bob McKenzie, who's pretty good when it comes to rankings, nailed the first three picks of the draft, but after that everything was scatter-shot.

Then there's the 2009 draft where the top-10 were pretty close to projections, including the Oilers pick at #10.

In that draft McKenzie had Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson going 10th, and that's who the Oilers drafted.

Two spots later the Nashville Predators selected defenseman, Ryan Ellis.

Auto-pick would have had Paajarvi-Svensson or any number of forwards going at #10, yet it would have failed to take into consideration that the Oilers had not selected a defenseman in the first round since 1996.

The ramifications of neglecting defensemen in the upper portion of the draft is starting to bite Edmonton. And they had the opportunity to address it three years later.

After picking forwards for years in the first round, as well as using the previous two #1 overall picks on forwards, the Oilers auto-picked Nail Yakupov in 2012. Which isn't a bad thing as the RW was considered the consensus top overall pick.

Sitting right behind him, though, was highly touted defenseman Ryan Murray, who was picked by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Had the Oilers selected Ellis and Murray instead of Paajarvi-Svensson (who's no longer with the team) and Yakupov (who was in the doghouse this season) one would think that they would be climbing up instead of being stuck in neutral or regressing.

Edmonton and Buffalo have many parallels as hockey cities right now. Both are small markets, both cannot attract elite-level free agents and both are relying on the draft to change the fortunes of their franchises.

This season, the Sabres are heading down to the level of where the Oilers were at the close of 2010 and they're looking at a top pick in the upcoming draft.

Buffalo began accumulating draft picks two years ago trading veterans for picks.

Beginning with the 2012 draft, here's what the auto-picks would have been for Buffalo: 

• 2012, 12th pick--D, Derrick Pouliot, (CSS) C, Mikhail Grigorenko TSN (rated #3 by CSS)
• 2012, 14th pick--C, Colton Sissons (CSS) D, Cody Ceci (TSN)
• 2013, 8th pick--C, Fredrick Gauthier, (CSS) D, Rasmus Ristolainen (TSN)
• 2013, 16th pick--RW, Ryan Hartman (CSS) D, Mirco Mueller (TSN)

The Sabres picked Grigorenko and C, Zemgus Girgensons in 2012 then selected Ristolainen and D, Nikita Zadarov in 2013.

As young as they are, both Girgensons and Zadorov are the types of players that the Sabres have been lacking during "the core years," and they're fast becoming fan-favorites as well.

Within the next few years, Buffalo will be looking for them to be part of a foundation for the top picks they look to be getting over the next couple of years.

How they pan out will be another story, but I'd rather have their scouting staff assess need and worth as opposed to Jeremy White's "auto-draft."

Would "auto-draft" have asked Owner Terry Pegula and GM Darcy Regier if they wanted to get "tougher to play against" before picking Zadorov like AGM Kevin Devine did?

Kevin Devine and the Sabres vs. Chris Pryor and the Flyers at the 2013 NHL Draft

Well, not so much a mano-y-mano battle of both teams' head scouts, more of a comparison of thought processes concerning amateur players rankings at the draft.

Before we get into it, much thanks should go out to the NHL and their teams for providing behind the scenes videos of the 2013 NHL Draft.

Previously we delved into the Sabres and their draft workings via Beyond the Blue and Gold.

Last week the Philadelphia Flyers released Flight Plan, Episode 1--The War Room.

Flight Plan takes us into the Flyers draft room as they prepare their list of prospects. Philly scouts are all focused upon Scouting Director Chris Pryor and the draft board up on the wall.

The Sabres and Flyers have a history that dates back to the mid-70's with The French Connection meeting the Broadstreet Bullies in the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals.

That history is also embedded in Sabres owner Terry Pegula. His introduction to hockey was with the Flyers back then, but he wound up falling in love with The French Connection and the Buffalo Sabres.

Both teams missed the playoffs in the 2013 lockout-shortened season. The Sabres would have the 8th pick in the draft while the Flyers would have the 11th.

And both teams "had their guy" as they went to the table.

For the Sabres, Assistant GM/Head Amateur Scout Kevin Devine and his scouts pegged defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.

Pryor and the boys from Philly went to the draft table with their guy as well.

The Flight Plan video gives us a glimpse as to how they got there, but what's interesting concerning the connection between the Sabres and the Flyers is how they ranked their players.

Once again, with the 8th pick in the draft the Sabres were locked into Ristolainen. But they also had a player fall to them at No. 16 that they did not expect--defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

None of the Sabres scouting staff expected Zadorov to be there and some even had him rated higher than Ristolainen. Devine said that the big Russian "kept sliding and we kind of looked at each other and said 'this is a no brainer.'"

He encapsulates the enthusiasm of picking Ristolainen and Zadorov, "If somebody would have told me we got these two guys at No. 8 and 16, I'd be shocked."

Sitting with the 11th pick, GM Paul Holmgren and his staff watched as their guy was slowly falling to them.

Prior to the draft, Flight Plan gives us a glimpse as to how they came to pick defenseman Samuel Morin.

It's later in the video when Pryor asks his staff, "Who has the most upside?"

A scout jumps in, "Morin," he said and quickly qualifies it, "I don't know if he's going to hit it, but he has the most upside."

Pryor proceeds to take his marker and move Morin up the chart (everything on the chart except for Morin's name is scrambled) but we come to find out later that the scouting staff moved him up to No. 6 on their depth chart.

Here's how they rate the group after Morin. Pryor says, "We got Risto (Ristolainen) at #11. (Darnell) Nurse at #12. (Sean) Monahan at #13." Then he amends it to:

• Morin (defenseman)
• (Mirco) Mueller (defenseman)
• Zadarov (defenseman)
• Nurse (defenseman)
• Risto (defenseman)
• Monahan (center)

Unless something happened at the draft table, it would seem as if defense was what they were going for.

What's interesting here is the juxtaposition of the scouting staffs.

The Sabres were intent upon picking Ristolainen, a more well-rounded defenseman, who was said to be the most NHL-ready of that defensive grouping.

The Flyers were more interested in upside on defense and had Morin as the guy, moving him all the way up to No. 6 on their draft board.

Here's what sportsnet's Patrick King had to say about Morin:

"Morin has such raw potential that there is no real consensus ranking among the scouting community. His skating ability at his size is an asset NHL teams will surely covet. He can move the puck well with an outlet pass and shows enough poise with the puck on his stick to seek out his best option. Morin doesn’t have an overwhelming shot, but it is utilitarian in that he generally gets it on net. He’s solid in his own end and uses his long reach beneficially. He’s one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft class, and it should be interesting to see where NHL teams value his potential on draft day."

Here's a scout's take (via sportsnet):

'He’s a monster on the ice,” says Ross MacLean, head scout for International Scouting Services. “He has tremendous size and moves very well for his size. While he is a good skating and decently mobile defender, he still has a lot of technical development left to do with his footwork. He has smooth hands for a big man and some decent offensive upside but his biggest appeal is that he is a capable two-way defender who has a ton of room to develop and who has the potential to be cultivated into a real stud defender.'

Interesting to note that King rated Ristolainen a bit higher than Morin, and said this about teams that might be interested in Ristolainen:

"The Philadelphia Flyers have been in search of quality defencemen for years. There’s no better place to address this need than with a player like Ristolainen, a late birthdate who’s been playing pro for several years and may be ready to make the jump to the NHL as early as next season. They will have several options around the 11th pick and Ristolainen would make a lot of sense for the Flyers."

Another quick note, Philly also had Zadorov and Nurse rated higher than Ristolainen, but had all of them in the mid-teens on their needs-board.

Three or four years down the road, because of these vids, we'll be able to see just how each scouting staff did with their projections.

Maybe both teams will end up with what they wanted, maybe one will and one won't, maybe they'll both be wrong.

But it's awesome having a definitive point of reference to look back upon.

Six more picks for the Sabres in Rounds 3-7, and a quick overview

The Buffalo Sabres entered the 2013 with 10 draft picks. They left with 11 prospects.

In the first two rounds, they chose five players--two defensmen in the first round and three forwards in the second round. They followed that with a third-rounder, three fifth rounders a sixth and a seventh.

The rest of the picks:

• 69th --Nicholas Baptiste, RW, 6'1" 201 lbs.
• 129th-Cal Peterson, G, 6'1" 175 lbs.
• 130th-Gustav Possler RW, 6' 0" 183 lbs.
• 143th-Anthony Florentino, RD 6'1" 227 lbs.
• 159th-Sean Malone, C 5'11" 183 lbs.
• 189th-Eric Locke, C 5'10, 183 lbs.

Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com recaps the draft succintly and for more info on the picks, click here.

Bakes was also on WGR's Howard Simon Show recapping the draft. Most of the segment was dedicated to the upper picks but he did have the chance to touch upon some of lower picks.

Defenseman Anthony Florentino topped his list of most intriguing late round prospects.

Of Florentino, Baker said, "Very underated in this draft class. Can do a little bit of everything, doesn't have too many flaws to his game, a nice kid off the ice but a mean kid on it. "

"I gotta tell ya," Baker continued sequeing to his next most intriguing prospect, "this Cal Peterson kid he is old school."

Here's how Bakes described the goalie, "He's scrappy, he's a battler, he'll poke-check. He'll stop the puck, but sometimes he'll come out and want to stop the shooter. He's very aggressive."

Baker points out that Peterson will be going to Notre Dame. He's one of five players drafted this year that will be taking the college route:  second round picks JT Compher (Michigan) and Connor Hurley, (Notre Dame); Florentino (Providence); Malone (Harvard.)

Nearly half of the Sabres draft haul this year will be headed to college and will have much longer to develop, up to four years, before they'll turn pro. Having five from one draft class really projects out well for the organization.

Via Bill Hoppe, Olean Times Herald, 'With so many picks and our contract situation, you don’t want to waste those picks because their contracts all come up at the same time,' amateur scouting director Kevin Devine explained Sunday on the Prudential Center floor after the Sabres finished picking. 'We wouldn’t be able to sign three or four of them. So that was a plan. We looked at the college route and Europeans for the new CBA, which now gives us four years for those guys over there.'

The odds for any player taken outside the top-five making it to the NHL, much less making an impact, aren't all that great. As you move down the draft it becomes slim to none.

But you never know what can happen with a particluar player. They obviously have enough skill to play, and something about them says there's a possibility. Having four years to allow for the player to develop is a nice cushion.

Having five picks like that, while also having six picks going the junior route where the projection is one to three years, really sets the team up nicely down the road.


The Sabres had themselves quite a haul at the 2013 NHL Draft.

In what's said to be the deepest draft in years they picked five players within the first 52 picks.

One (Rasmus Ristolainen) might be able to jump right to the NHL this season. Another (Nikital Zadorov) is only a year or two away.

They went with size and they went with character. And they looked to pick players with two-way game.

With 11 total picks the Sabres had the luxury of picking two hometown boys in Justin Bailey and Malone with the former being a legitimate power forward prospect.

After focusing upon centers last year they grabbed defense in the first round. Wingers were slightly predominant within positional balance:  four wingers, three centers, three defensemen, one goalie.

A post-draft wrap with GM Darcy Regier and Assistant GM/Head Amateur Scout Kevin Devine can be seen here.

Every year, teams are very happy with their draft and this year is no different for the Sabres.

An overall grade here would be a B+. They did some great things, but the only area that they didn't seem to address was top-line scoring, which they wanted in the top-four but couldn't attain.

Other than that, it'll be three or four years before we get a full take on what Devine and his merry band of scouts accomplished at the 2013 draft.

For a list of (very positive) draft grades from various media outlets provided by sabres.com click here.

The Sabres add three forwards in the second-round of the 2013 draft (Andrej Sekera, Connor Hurley, J.T. Compher, Justin Bailey)

After going with defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov in the first-round, the Sabres turned their attention to forwards in the second. Whether defense or offense, there was a theme that ran through their first five picks--two-way players.

Even though Ristolainen and Zadarov are big, defensively responsible players, both have some offense to their games and consider themselves two-way players.

In the second-round we would see more of that theme with all three picks. "Three" being the operative word as the Sabres added a pick.

Having three picks in the second round was, in essence, defined by selection of Ristolainen.


The trade that wasn't and the trade that was

Picking a defensemen like Ristolainen who they considered to be "NHL-ready" allowed the Sabres to move veteran puck-moving rear-guard Andrej Sekera at the draft.

Sekera had been in the organization since he was drafted in the third round (#71) of the 2004 NHL Draft and he was also a key component for Carolina in a potential trade-back from the 5th pick with the Sabres. The potential deal went like this:  Carolina trades No. 5 along with defensemen Jamie McBain to Buffalo for No. 8 and Sekera.

The Sabres balked.

When the second round came around, Assistant General Manager/Head Amateur Scout Kevin Devine said that the Sabres were ready to use both their second-rounders (#38 and #52) to move up to land a player they coveted.

"We were actually trying to move up to possibly get him," said Devine, "when our phone rang with the offer from Carolina. To be able to keep [our picks] was nice."

Sekera went to the 'Canes and in return the Sabres got McBain and Carolina's second-round pick (#35) in the deal.


The picks

With that pick the Sabres started a run of forwards by drafting C JT Compher, the player Devine and Co. wanted.

"We thought Compher would be gone by the 38th pick," continued Devine. "We looked at moving up to the first round, but there were no takers there.We would have lost both 38 and 52, so it worked out pretty good."

Compher is known for his hard-working, two-way game and it would seem as if they went after a player comparable to Horvat, albeit with a little less on the skill side.

And although the team went away from the "bigger, faster, stronger" mantra with the pick with the 5'10" 185 lb Compher, they stuck with owner Terry Pegula's stated desire for hard-working players.

What he lacks in size Compher, it's said, makes up for in compete. He's said to be relentless in all areas, especially on the back-check, an area severely lacking during "the core" days.

The two second round picks that Devine saved by not having to trade up to get Compher were used on a couple of forwards who also have strong two-way games.

With the 38th pick in the draft the Sabres went with the youngest player in the draft Edina (MN) High School forward Connor Hurley.

An obvious project, Hurley has enough skill that if he were born just a day later, he'd have been projected as a first-rounder in the 2014 Draft. Instead he'll be in the Sabres organization playing in the USHL next year then headed to Notre Dame the following year.

This pick is all about upside for Hurley. Not two or three years, but maybe four or even five years down the road. If he ends up making an impact in the NHL, it will be a tribute to the projections of the Sabres' scouting staff. If he bombs, he'll get lost in the number of overall picks the Sabres had in the first two rounds of the draft.

Many had thought that Williamsville, NY native Justin Bailey would be the Sabres pick at 38, but Buffalo was lucky to be able to land him at No. 52 with the third of their three second-round picks.

Bailey is a 6'3" LW who will have time to bulk up from his 183 lbs. He plays a two-way game and has all the makings of an NHL power forward, but will need to work on his strength and consistency. Right now he skates well, can weave through traffic and can finish, which makes for great skill-side building blocks.

He seems to be a high-character guy as well. One would also believe that the motivation to make the home team proud should propel his work-ethic and desire to move up the prospect ranks.

We know everyone in Buffalo will be rooting for him.


The skinny

With three second-round picks in what's said to be a deep draft, the Sabres fortified their prospect pool with the addition of three forwards.

Work-ethic and two-way acumen seem to be desirable cornerstones with which the Sabres want to rebuild and all three second-round selections have that.

Gone are the days of picking that purse-carrying skilled player.

The Sekera trade added a interesting twist to the second round, and one would think that the Sabres were thrilled to not only get their man in Compher, but also to be able to keep their selections and add to the talent pool.

Bailey is a very good pick and has all the makings of a power forward a few years down the road, but the most intriguing pick may be Hurley.

In effect, one could look at Hurley as a 2014 first-round pick whom the Sabres were able to draft a year early. He seems to have a helluva skill-set and that work-ethic/two-way acumen. But the best part of that pick for the organization might just be time. Hurley will have plenty of time to hone his skills while the Sabres can be extremely patient in the process.

All in all the first two rounds were solid. Maybe not as flashy as most had hoped, but rock solid none-the-less.

The rebuild is on, and if there was a question as to the types of players the Sabres are rebuilding with, the first two rounds of this draft certainly provides a strong indication as to where they're headed.

They've added two towering, gritty d-men on the back-end and traded a puck mover to make some room. They continued to build up-front with two-way acumen being the desired trait. They added tons of compete and plenty of upside plus gained some size on the wing.

These are the types of players that have been lacking for a number of years, maybe dating back to 2007/08 when the NHL was transitioning away from the "new-NHL" to a more old-school grind it out style.

The players selected in this draft, along with the likes of Steve Ott represent players who should be able to play in any style NHL.

And that's a helluva foundation with which to build upon.




For more detailed information on the players selected by the Buffalo Sabres and an overview of rounds three-seven, visit our good friend Kris Baker at sabresprospects.com.

Sabres first round in the 2013 Draft brings in two big defensemen

Sabres owner Terry Pegula took over the team in 2011, just a little over two years ago.

One of his mantras during his first presser was, "I want to keep not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."

At the 2012 Draft last year, Kevin Devine the Sabres assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting, stated that the team wanted to get "bigger, stronger, faster."

Presently in the midst of a rebuild/team makeover, Buffalo went into the draft with many needs up and down the lineup--including top-line talent and defensive help. They went into Sunday with two first-rounders and two second-rounders and a total of 10 picks.

There was a wealth of offensive talent at the very top, some two-way standouts just below and some highly regarded defensemen said to be amongst the top-10.

The Sabres couldn't crack the top-four of the draft where Devine said there were two drop-off points--one after Nathan MacKinnon and Seth Jones, the other said to be after Jonathan Drouin and Alexsander Barkov. Another drop-off point, Devine implied, was somewhere around the 9th/10th pick.

Most fans had high expectations an impact forward and a solid defenseman, in either combination, to be taken by the Sabres if they stayed at No. 8 and No. 16.

At yesterday's draft one could feel the collective sigh coming out of the F'N Center, home to the Sabres Draft Party, when Buffalo selected defenseman Nikita Zadorov with the 16th pick in the draft.

Not that it was a bad pick by any stretch of the imagination. In fact most thought Zadarov would be gone anywhere from No. 10 to the mid-teens--within that fourth tier of players.
And most Sabres fans would've liked the pick had the team not selected a defenseman with their first 1st-rounder.

At No. 8 the Sabres drafted 6'3" 205 lb. Finnish defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, a player Devine said they "keyed on" heading into the draft.

Ristolainen is a big, strong defenseman who plays with an edge and can move the puck out of his zone. He spent the last two seasons playing against men in the Finnish Elite league and acquitted himself extremely well.  He logged well over 20 minutes a game and was used in all situations as an 18 yr. old.

Projections for Ristolainen have him NHL ready. Just how ready is yet to be determined. Devine said post-draft that "he has a good chance of playing in the league next year." Ristolainen is under no Canadian Hockey League constraints and will either be in Buffalo or Rochester to start next season.

As for Zadorov, the Sabres had no intention of grabbing another defenseman with their 16th pick, "we had [Ristolainen and Zadorov] neck and neck," said Devine, mentioning that having Zadorov drop was "our biggest surprise."

"We were looking to move up [from No. 16] but teams were saying no and [Zadorov] kept sliding and sliding," said Devine with almost a Cheshire grin on his face. "So, to get those two big guys [without trading up] was pretty nice."

Nice is not a word when it comes to those two, especially Zadorov.

"Yeah, I like to hit," he beamed at his presser.

"In Russia it's not a physical game," he said. "Here in Canada everybody plays physical and play against you stride for stride. You should be ready every second."

In Zadarov the Sabres got themselves a huge, mobile defenseman with some offense and a mean streak.

So with one stroke of a 2013 first-round draft-brush, seemingly much to the dismay of some fans, the Buffalo Sabres revamped their blueline. Some would say at the cost of passing a possible difference maker up-front.


The Skinny

There are seemingly many things at work under the surface of these two picks.

First and foremost it signals a shift in a team-building philosophy that once largely centered around skilled, puck-movers on the back end.

Gone are the days where we'd see five Brian Campbells to one Jay McKee on the back-end. Throughout the last six, largely forgetable seasons, the Sabres back-end was about as soft as it could be outside of gritty veterans like Craig Rivet and Robyn Regehr.

A more balanced defense with the addition of heft and nasty is a good thing for everyone on the team, especially in goal.

Long-time Sabres goalie Ryan Miller has been run at for years, the Milan Lucic incident being the most recent, with little recourse and it looks as if that should no longer take place.

Picking the best player available has always been how Buffalo works the draft and in their minds they worked it just like that with the Ristolainen and Zadorov picks.

But it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to think that picking these two big defensemen will have some influence upon whether Miller re-signs or moves on.

Miller seems like a very loyal guy, and as he looks upon (up at) these two defensemen, he could see them as templates of the future on defense, and it very well could sway him into sticking around through the rebuild.

Yet another factor seemingly at work in the selection of these two defensemen is the influence of scouts from Europe.

Long-time NHL defenseman and former Sabres player Teppo Numminen has been an assistant coach for the Sabres for the last two seasons. Before that he was a scout with the Finnish National Team.

It's safe to assume that Numminen had access to scouting reports from numerous contacts in Finland concerning Ristolainen, his fellow countryman. And it wouldn't be at all surprising if the he was on hand for a few games himself.

The Sabres also have a full time presence over in Europe in amateur scout Fredrik Andersson.

Andersson was hired to scour Europe for late round goalies-gems like Nashville's Pekke Rinne. Last year the Sabres drafted goalie Linus Ullmark in the 6th round and he's quickly rising up the Sabres prospect ranks.

It wouldn't be too surprising to hear that Andersson had taken in a number of Ristolainen's games and had a full (obviously positive) report for Devine and Co.

And if those underlying factores weren't enough, one might also note that both Ristolainen and Zadorov have fellow countrymen on the team.

Regier and Devine had been telegraphing for weeks that some of the young players from overseas might find comfort in having a fellow countryman to grow with.

Most had assumed that Elias Lindholm would learn the pro ropes from fellow Swede, Jhonas Enroth, but that factor alone, obviously and correctly, wasn't enough to sway Regier and Devine to move up for and draft Lindholm.

They did find a match to their liking though in Ristolainen. He will be entering the North American pro ranks with fellow Finn, and World Junior teammate, Joel Armia (#16 overall, 2011.)

And Zadarov, who is just learning the English language having been in North America for only a year, will have fellow countryman Mikhail Grigorenko (#12, 2012) to buddy up with in the Sabres organization.

Many had been thinking that RW Valeri Nichushkin would be buddying up with Grigorenko to formulate two-thirds of a line. But the Sabres passed on the Russian due to his links to the KHL and his ultimatum that it would be either the Russian pro league or the NHL this year. Nothing else.

Pairing countrymen wasn't the driving force behind the picks, but it does add a layer of comfort for all four of the players involved and may help increase their chances for success in the NHL.


The Review

I was as deadened as anyone when they picked Zadarov at No. 16 in the draft this year, thinking there's now way they'd go defense twice in the first round.

But taking everything into consideration, the Sabres did well in picking both Ristolainen and Zadorov, two big, strong defensemen.

Bo Horvat was available at No. 9 and would have been a real solid pick, but they already have a player of that ilk in Zemgus Girgensons.

The shot at a trade up to No. 5 for Lindholm that was passed on by the Sabres is mildly disturbing, but I actually liked Horvat better than Lindholm so it really matters not to me.

What it comes down to is the Sabres are continuing to change the type of player they want to build with.

Ristolainen and Zadarov are two big boys who seem mature to the point where they look like men and both should be with the Sabres in the very near future. They're a couple of towering d-men who can play the game at high speed and seem intent upon protecting their own end in their own, somewhat different, way.

It's a postitive for Miller (or whomever else ends up in net,) it's a postive for the forwards who can play the game while having their backs covered, and it's a positive for their fellow countrymen (as well as themselves) as all four--Ristolainen, Armia, Zadorov and Grigorenko look to have an impact on the team within the next two seasons.

All-in-all, it was a real good first round for Kevin Devine and the Buffalo Sabres.

NHL Draft Day, 2013--My favorite players for Buffalo

Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com has spent years covering the CHL and other prospect circuits in hockey.

He has a depth of knowledge and a keen eye. That's why he's been a go-to guy on WGR when it comes to the Sabres prospects and the draft.

He has earned every minute of media time he gets and continues to earn more with each passing month.

You can here him on WGR this afternoon from 3-6 pm, along with host Kevin Sylvester, live from the F'N Center covering the draft for Sabresnation.

His 1st-round mock draft for Sabres.com can be found here and his comprehensive draft preview can be found here.

If you haven't been to either yet, you can spend the next couple of hours prepping yourself for today's draft.

That being said, while going through his preview and mocks, along with traipsing through TSN, the Hockey News, and other hockey sights and while tapping into both ISS and Central Scouting, I've managed to come up with some favorites for the first three rounds of the draft today.

The Sabres do not have a 4th round pick today, and even if they did, any picks from that round and below are way out of my range anyway.

Buffalo heads into the draft today with the 8th and 16th in the first round, the 38th and 52nd in the second and the 69th in the third.

So...here we go.


--1st-round, 8th overall

Bo Horvat, C--Most have center Elias Lindholm slotted here, but I think he'll be gone. And even if he was still available I still like Horvat better. Horvat has been plying his trade on a smaller American rink with some mean S.O.B.'s ready to take his head off as he positions himself around the net. Lindholm has been overseas with a larger rink and facing different, less aggressive competition. Speaking of positioning, Horvat has a strong lower-body and it seems as if he positions his body perfectly for every situation he's in. He's great on his skates, moves with a sense of purpose with or without the puck, and seems to be able to find that small opening in high traffic. And he can finish too. I see a lot of two-way, Chris Drury in him. And he's a winner. Fits owner Terry Pegula's dictate to a "t":  "I want not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."


--1st-round, 16th overall

Adam Erne, LW--Most mocks have the Sabres taking at least one defenseman in the first round. Their organizational depth up-front needs much more attention that defense, even with the loss of Robyn Regehr, Jordan Leopold and TJ Brennan. They need forwards. They need big, strong forwards. They need attitude. The Sabres could go a multitude of ways at No. 16 and have a multitude of postions and styles to choose from. Erne has size, he can finish, he can hit, he can be aggressive. As a possible top-six winger, one could see any center loving the tenacity and cornerwork of Erne and Marcus Foligno.


--2nd round, 38th overall

Justin Bailey, RW--At 6'3" 185 lbs. Bailey has projectable powerforward size. He will be a bit of a project as he grows into his frame, but as of right now he can skate real well and seems to be quickly grasping the nuances of the game. As of right now he has incredible puck control, can really weave through traffic and can really finish. Baker continually stresses that scouting departments need to project two to three years out. If Bailey can puts in the work, that determination along with his skills will make for a helluva powerforward.


--2nd round, 52nd overall

Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW--I don't care if he's on the smallish side at 5'11" 165 lbs. I don't care if he's from Denmark either. What I do care about is his incredibly quick and accurate release. I care about how he looks/plays much bigger on the ice. I care about how he slickly moves through traffic, can bang along the boards and isn't affraid of hitting or being hit. Yes, the Sabres have some "smaller" players on the team and have the "smaller" Daniell Catenacci in the system. Bjorkstrand is in that vein, but he has mad skills, tenacity and a scoring touch. There's no reason why he can't spend the next few years slowly developing in the Sabres system.


--3rd round, 69th overall

Ryan Kujawinski, C--Bust out the pierogis and keilbasa. At 6'2", 205 lbs. Kujawinski certainly doesn't need to visit the Polish Villa. For a guy his size he's real strong on his skates, has some quickness and some speed. He's nimble enough to weave through traffic, has a nose for the net, likes it around the net, can find the puck at his feet in tight quarters and can finish. He has a quick, accurate release as well.



Much thanks to Baker for his work on the draft and for his videos as well.

2013 NHL Draft: Mock Drafts

This page will be continually updated as mock drafts become available.

The 2013 NHL draft is coming and there's no shortage of "experts" taking their crack at how the first round will unfold. Specific attention will be paid to the Sabres and the two picks surrounding their present position.

The days leading up to and including the draft day are said to be ripe for movement, but one thing that may not change all that much is the overriding consensus that that top-five picks will include Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones, Jonathan Drouin, Alexsander Barkov and Valeri Nichushkin.

Here's how the scribes see the first round (more specifically the first 17 picks) unfold:

***Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com via sabres.com mock:

Top-five intact, Sean Monahan 6th.

7.  Rasmus Ristolainen, D
8.  Elias Lindholm, C
9.  Bo Horvat, C

15. Curtis Lazar, C
16. Steve Santini, D
17. Ryan Pulock, D



Bakes has been covering "The future of the Blue and Gold" for a decade and his extensive Draft Preview is in-depth and a joy to read for Sabres fans.

It's safe to say that one of Ristolainen, Lindholm and Horvat will be available in the 8th slot. His pick is Lindholm based upon the organizational need for upper-end skill at forward, which is very sound.

Lindholm is a solid pick who has a strong, edgy two-way dimension to his game.

Bakes also, admittedly, reaches a bit for Santini. He likes his overall game and how the defensive defenseman projects out a few years down the road. Most, though, have Santini in the lower parts of the first round.

As mentioned here, it wouldn't be a bad thing for the Sabres to have three 1st-round picks this year. Should they land an extra pick in the 20's, perhaps they would go with another forward at 16 then go after Santini later in the round.


***Craig Button, TSN:

Top-five intact with Elias Lindholm 6th

7.  Darnell Nurse, D
8.  Valeri Nichushkin, RW
9.  Zach Furcale, G

15. Anthony Mantha, W
16. Mirco Mueller, D
17. Nikita Zadarov, D

Has Bo Horvat dropping to Detroit at No. 18.


Former GM Button has Nichushkin sliding to the Sabres at No. 8, and were that the case the Sabres brass would probably jump all over him at that spot. Not hard to envision Nichushkin's "balls to the wall" north-south game and corner work blending with fellow Russian, center Mikhail Grigorenko.

The Sabres have been known for drafting "puck-movers" on the back end for years. But they've said that they now want to get "bigger, faster, tougher." Can't see how a puckmover like Mueller, who's projected to go anywhere from lower-first to lower second, should supplant a mobile, gritty 6'5", 230 lb. defenseman like Zadarov.



***Kyle Woodlief, USA Today via azcentral.com:

Top-five intact, Monahan 6th

7.  Bo Horvat, C
8.  Darnell Nurse, D
9.  Max Domi C,

Has Elias Lindholm going 11th to Philadelphia and Ryan Hartman 10th.

15. Curtis Lazar, C
16. Josh Morrissey, D
17. Alex Wennberg


Three weeks ago, Woodlief was enamored with the top-10 forwards in this draft. He has Lindholm ranked 6th ahead of both Horvat and Domi yet has him dropping to Philly at 11, saying Lindholm would be a great replacement for Mike Richards, who was traded.

Cannot see the Sabres passing up Lindholm in favor of Nurse, much less Lindholm dropping to 11th.

Nurse at No. 8 for the Sabres is very reasonable, although I tend to believe that they rank Ristolainen higher and would draft him before Nurse if they were going defense there.

In sticking with the belief that the Sabres still covet a Brian Campbell-like offensive-puckmover, Woodlief has them picking Morrissey at 16.

With all the forward strength as well an array of styles with which to choose from, it's hard to believe that they'd be going defense with both of their first rounders.


***Mike Morreale, NHL.com:

Top-five intact, Monahan, 6th.

7.  Darnell Nurse, D
8.  Elias Lindholm, C
9.  Hunter Shinkaruk, C


15. Max Domi, C
16. Mirco Mueller, D
17. Alexander Wennberg, C


Most see the Sabres as having many needs, and they'd be correct, and most have them going with some combination of a forward and d-man with their two picks.

Morreale's mock is pretty solid. Although he has Bo Horvat going 21st to Toronto. If Horvat is available at 16 for the Sabres, he'd be hard to pass up there.

Landing both Lindholm and Horvat--both generally regarded as top-10 picks--would really bolster the organization.


***Adam Kimelman, NHL.com:

Has Nurse going to Carolina at #5, Nichushkin dropping to #7 and Monahan at #6.

7.  Nichushkin, LW
8.  Hunter Shinkaruk, C
9.  Elias Lindholm, C

15. Valentin Zykov, LW
16. Ryan Hartman, RW
17. Max Domi, C

Although hailed as a "pure scorer" by Kimelman, Shinkaruk's skills may not translate fully to the NHL. His less than ideal NHL has kept his draft ranking in that 10-20 range.

Hartman looks to be a solid NHL'er, but Kimelman has the Sabres passing on Domi and defenseman Nikita Zadarov to pick him.

"Bigger, stronger, faster," Mr. Kimelman. That's how the Sabres are approaching their team building.


***Steven Hoffner, NHL.com:

Top-five intact, Monahan 6th.

7.  Darnell Nurse, D
8.  Ryan Pulock, D
9.  Hunter Shinkaruk, C

15. Bo Horvat, C
16. Adam Erne, LW
17. Kerby Rychel, LW

Pulock has good size, is mobile, can work the powerplay and has a cannon for a shot, but Hoffner has the Sabres really reaching for him with the 8th pick here. It's possible that the Sabres could be looking at him with the 16th pick, which is about where he's generally rated.

Erne would be a solid pick for the Sabres in that slot. He's got some serious power forward traits and had played with Mikhail Grigorenko last season on the Quebec Remparts.

Had he slotted Lindholm at eight and Erne at 16, I believe Hoffner would nail it for the Sabres.


***Kevin Allen, USA Today:

Top-five intact, Monahan, 6th.

7.  Darnell Nurse, D
8.  Elias Lindholm, C
9.  Hunter Shinkaruk, C

15. Adam Erne, LW
16. Bo Horvat, C
17. Josh Morrissey, D

I love this. Landing both Lindholm and Horvat without any trade up would be huge, as those are my two favorite players within Buffalo's reach. Allen has some interesting picks in the second half of the first round and if you want to roll through a slide show, complete with ads every three or four pages, go right ahead.

There's nothing more hated or annoying to me than lumbering through a slide show. You can have 'em (Bleacher Report.)


***The Hockey News

Top-four intact, Darnell Nurse to Carolina, Elias Lindholm 6th to Calgary.

7.  Sean Monahan, C
8.  Valeri Nichushkin, RW
9.  Max Domi, C

15. Nikita Zadarov, D
16. Ryan Pulock, D
17. Anthony Mantha, C

The Hockey News offers nothing earth-shattering in their mock. Pretty sure the Sabres would be pleased to land the north/south Nichushkin while Pulock is a highly regarded defenseman.



***Chris Peters, Eye On Hockey, cbssports.com

Top-five in place, Monahan 6th.

7.  Elias Lindholm, C
8.  Rasmus Ristolainen, D
9.  Max Domi, C

15. Anthony Mantha, RW
16. Adam Erne, LW
17. Ryan Pulock, D

Hard to argue with these selections for the Sabres. Ristolainen is said to be NHL-ready, playing an all-around game and Erne would be a solid pick.

Peters, like Baker, presents a solid mock draft with reasonable picks for each team.


***Patrick King, sportsnet.ca

Top-four in place, Lindholm at No. 5 and has Calgary taking G, Zach Furcale 6th in a major surprise.

7.  Sean Monahan, C
8.  Max Domi, C
9.  Darnell Nurse, D

15. Andre Burakowsky, LW
16. Hunter Shinkaruk, C
17. Alexander Wennberg, C

King blows up all expectations with this mock after his first five picks.

Yes, Flames GM Jay Feaster is fully capable of doing something crazy like drafting Furcale at No. 6, but even he's not that stupid. Domi to the Sabres at No. 8 isn't likely, see Kevin Devine's "bigger, stronger, faster" edict.

Mocking Valeri Nichushkin at No. 13 because of "the Russian factor" is a little low for top-five talent.

From No. 6 to No. 16, there's a randomness to Kings picks and although there will be surprises in that range, he's a little extreme here. But he does make it interesting.


***Fox Sports

Top-four in place, has defenseman Darnell Nurse at No. 5 to Carolina and Monahan No. 6.

7.  Valeri Nichushkin, RW
8.  Elias Lindholm, C
9.  Hunter Shinkaruk, C

15. Ryan Pulock, D
16. Max Domi, C
17. Curtis Lazar, C

Having Nurse going to the 'Canes is no real surprise as the defenseman is considered the second-best d-man behind Seth Jones.

Everything else pretty much falls in line in Fox's mock although Domi may not fall that low and the Sabres. Despite Domi's skill level, it's doubtful that Buffalo would add another smallish player to the organization with Tyler Ennis, Nathan Gerbe and Daniel Catenacci already there, even at No. 16.

If the draft unfolds like Fox has it, the Sabres might be better off looking to Calgary in a trade back scenario landing the 22nd and 28th for the 16th, allowing the Flames to land Furcale.


***Sam Cosentino, sportsnet.ca

Top-five intact, Monahan 6th to Calgary.

7.  Nikita Zadarov, D
8.  Elias Lindholm, C
9.  Darnell Nurse, D

15. Samuel Morin, D
16. Mirco Mueller, D
17. Kerby Rychel, LW

Cosentino has a pretty straightforward mock without any real surprises and says that the Buffalo Sabres "will be overjoyed when Mueller falls to their lap here."

Mmmmm. Maybe.

Ryan Pulock, who he has going No. 20 to San Jose', may be more to the Sabres liking than Mueller. Then again, they might eschew both if they are in this spot and opt to trade down for an extra first rounder or in the very least another second-rounder.

Sabres director of amateur scouting Kevin Devine says that the 10-20 range, maybe even the lower-mid 20's, is the fourth cut-off point in the first round.

The Jackets and Flames both have three first round picks and both have two after the Sabres pick at 16--Columbus Nos. 19 and 27; Calgary Nos. 22 and 28--and both could be looking to grab top goalie prospect Zach Furcale in one of those spots.

To assure that they land him with their second 1st round pick, they may be interested in trading up with Buffalo (or someone else.)

Provides an interesting trade-down scenario for the Sabres.


***Allan Muir, SI.com

Top-four in place, Elias Lindholm 5th, Monahan 6th. Muir essentailly has Carolina trading out of the five-slot and that team picking Lindholm. Also of note, he has Seth Jones falling to Tampa with the third pick.

7.  Darnell Nurse, D
8.  Valeri Nichushkin, LW
9.  Max Domi, C

15. Zach Furcale, G
16. Samuel Morin, D
17. Alexander Wennberg, D

Another mock draft that has Nichushkin dropping to the Sabres at No. 8 and Muir doesn't break any new ground after the top-five, an area which has some interesting and very plausible twists.

With a forward at No. 8 and a defenseman at No. 16., Muir's mock follows a trend amongst "mocksters" that see the Sabres with a lot of holes and a balanced approach to filling them--one forward, one defenseman in no particular order in the first round.

What Kevin Devine and Co. are probably really looking at with the 16th pick is how many of those "fourth-tier" first rounders are on that board when they're up. That will tell them how many spots they could trade down while still getting a player within their rankings. He has alluded to a drop-off after the top-two, a drop-off after the 5th pick and another drop-off around nine or 10. He has also said that the next tier extends down to around 20 and has said that there may not be much of a difference between the 20th pick and the 10th or 11th pick.

Things can get really weird in the teens of a draft as well as GM's start to out-think themselves and their draft-board.

It's conceivable that Buffalo could drop six slots all the way down to No. 22 and still have two or three players on their draft board at that slot.

In that case picking up a latter first-rounder or another second-rounder would be a bonus.

2013 NHL Draft, Part 7--Loading up with a third 1st-round pick in a deep draft

The 2013 NHL Draft will be upon us soon. The Buffalo Sabres, for the second season in a row, have four picks in first two rounds. They have the #8 and #16 in the first round, #38 and #52 in the second.

Many believe that the team should do anything they can to get into the top-3 this year to land a "franchise player." Sabres GM Darcy Regier is actively trying to move up, but going from 8th into the top-3 is nearly impossible, and as we've seen, not many picks in the 4th-6th spots get moved.

Chances are the Buffalo Sabres will be drafting somewhere around #8.

The following series looks at past drafts from 1979-2003, bookending what are widely considered the best drafts ever over that 25-year span, and what that might mean for the Sabres in this year's draft.


Having four of the top 52 picks in the draft this year, especially if it's as deep as most predict, puts the Buffalo Sabres in a very good position to add organizational depth. And dependent upon how deep the top talent goes, the Sabres may even land themselves an impact player at #8.

Depth is good and an impact player is great, but an elite player would be much better and that's what Sabres GM Darcy Regier is aiming for as he tries to move up the ladder into the top-three. But, the odds of that happening are pretty slim as it stands right now.

Kevin Devine, the Sabres Director of Amateur Scouting was on WGR talking about the draft the other day.

In the interview Devine was directed towards the possibility of moving up in the draft which he addressed, "We have had conversations with Colorado... I think it’s how far they want to move back." (those intimations sent Jeremy White in a frenzy)

Adrian Dater of the Denver Post laid it out like a bucket of cold water saying that any move from eighth to the first overall pick, to him, is a pipe dream (sorry, Jeremy.) When Dater was GR's on Schoppsie and the Bulldog, he said that the 'Lanche are interested in one of the three top players and that's where the negotiation for the #1-overall pick begins.

Overall, Devine looks at the draft as having Seth Jones and Nate MacKinnon clearly up top with a couple of drop-off points after that in the top-10. The next drop-off point is a large grouping of players from the 10th or 11th pick down to the lower to mid 20's. Devine has stated before, and he reiterated again, that there probably isn't much of a difference between the 10th/11th and the 20th.

In the last segment we looked at the Sabres sticking at #8 with thier first pick and trying to pull up that 16th pick into the top-10.

Today we get greedy.


Trying to add a third 1st-round pick

Far be it for anyone outside a team's "war room" to try and anticipate any kind of trade, much less any particular pieces involved. Although it is fun to play arm-chair GM.

With the Buffalo Sabres in rebuild mode and their old core being dismantled piece by piece, it wouldn't be suprising to see one of Ryan Miller or Thomas Vanek--maybe even both--being moved at the draft.

Both Miller and Vanek are core players and both have one year reamaining on their contract. They're the top-two players on the Sabres and two highly regarded, well paid star NHL'ers.

And both right now should be worthy of landing a first-round pick (amongst other things.)

If the Sabres want to load up with a third 1st-rounder in a deep draft, the trick is finding a team willing to move assets, including a first round pick this year, to land Miller or Vanek as either player could only be a rental for the upcoming season.

It should be noted that Miller has a limited no-trade clause where he can name up to eight teams that he can veto a trade to. Vanek does not.

Of all the teams between #7 and #20, there may be only a couple ways for the Sabres to land another pick in the first round.

Edmonton (7th,) Phoenix (12th,) Winnipeg (13th,) and the NY Islanders (15th) all could use a bonafide #1 goalie like Ryan Miller. Unfortunately, those four would probably be included in his no-trade list. They could also use a scorer like Vanek, but it's unlikely they'd forgo their rebuild for a one-year rental.

The Columbus Blue Jackets at 14th and 19th have a Vezina candidate in goal. They could use the scoring prowess of Vanek as well, but a one-year rental does not make a lot of sense for them either.

Ottawa (17th,) Detroit (18th) and even Dallas (10th) all represent possible trade-partners as does New Jersey at #9 and all are decent possibilities for either Miller or Vanek. For example, Ottawa has said they're willing to give up prospects (and presumably their first-rounder) to land a scoring forward like Vanek.

But the two best teams to trade with might be Philadelphia (11th) and San Jose' (20th.) And in both instances a cap-favor from Buffalo might be needed to get a deal done.

The Flyers have two potential cap-buyouts in goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and foward Daniel Briere and, as usual, they're at the salary cap ceiling. They wouldn't hesitate to use both this season in order to get cap-compliant.

But for Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, having to buy out only one this year would be a better course of action.

As the Flyers continue their seemingly endless search for a #1 goalie, Miller, even at his salary and for possibly only one year could be appealing. Holmgren has never been affraid to go after a player, or position, he desires.

He went after, and landed, Bryzgalov as "the missing piece" in 2011 (saying goodbye to 2012 Cup-winners Mike Richards and Jeff Carter in the process) but "Bryz" was below average in his first year (3.46 gaa/.887 sv% in the 2012 playoffs) and the team missed the playoffs last season. He has $34.5M left on that albatross of a contract.

Briere is a clutch veteran who excells in the playoffs, but is 35 yrs. old and is slowly being passed up by a strong group of young, talented forwards who count less than his $6.5M cap-hit. Which makes him a buy-out candidate.

Could the Flyers buy out Bryz and pull off a Briere plus the 11th pick for Miller trade? In that instance, the Flyers would free up nearly $6M in cap-space for next season and would get a #1 goalie. They would also have one more buy out that they could (and most likely would) use at a later date.

Would the 11th pick in the draft this year be worth it to them?

Over in San Jose', the Sharks made a strong run to Game-7 versus the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

With excellent goaltending, a rock-solid defense and top-line scoring from their star players, San Jose' looked to move past their status as "underachievers" in the playoffs and almost pulled off the feat.

Were it not for a lack of secondary scoring, they would've made it past Los Angeles. They scored 10 goals in the seven game series, three goals total in the final three games.

Up-front, top-six forward Patrick Marleau is on left wing. Raffi Torres and TJ Galiardi, two energy forwards, are behind him on the depth chart.

Having a player like Vanek on the top-line would bolster their top-six nicely.

The Sharks have had this core group of forwards together for quite a few years, but looking at the cap-chart for the Sharks, next season could be the last hurrah for this group as four key players will hit free agency.

GM Doug Wilson had this to say about the team and it's future, "There's something special about this group. We’re not a team that’s going to miss the playoffs for five or seven years and go into a rebuild. We don’t believe in that. We want to reset on the fly and it only works when you have players that understand what it is we’re trying to accomplish and participate in it.”

Vanek has a hefty $7.1M cap-hit and for a team like San Jose' that will surely be up against the cap to begin with, trading for him just won't work.

Unless...

Forward Martin Havlat and his $5M come back as part of the return.

Havlat seems to have worn out his welcome in San Jose', has two years left at that cap-hit, and seems to be a buyout candidate.

Adding a $2M player to their cap doesn't seem like a fiscally responsible thing to do for the Sharks. But adding a top-line winger and proven playoff scorer like Vanek for the $2M difference makes a lot of sense.

They will need to do some juggling, possibly moving a spare part or two, (say Adam Burish--$1.85M cap-hit,) which is something they'd be looking at anyway.

Would the 20th pick in the draft, amongst other things, be worth it for the Sharks in order to go "all-in" this year? And can ridding themselves of Havlat's contract without buying him out make a trade like this work?

The variables involved in either the Flyers or Sharks situations are numerous (including no-trade clauses for both Briere and Havlat,) but the basis is there for a good match in either case.

The Flyers and Sharks can take these key pieces and move forward for at least the next season while shedding unwanted salary.

The Sabres could add (at the very least) another first-round pick in a deep draft this season and futher their rebuild.

Buffalo has the cap-space to bring in either buyout candidate (or even both) and would have two years to decide how they'd fit into the grand scheme of things.

With the future of both Miller and Vanek tenuous, the team in rebuild mode and a deep draft class staring them straight in the eye, loading up with three top-20 picks this year would be a solid consolation prize if Regier is unable to move up from either of their draft spots this year.

Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.


Next:  What Regier could, should and possibly will do leading up to the 2013 draft.

2013 NHL Draft, Part 6--Turning the 16th pick into a top-10

The 2013 NHL Draft will be upon us soon. The Buffalo Sabres, for the second season in a row, have four picks in first two rounds. They have the #8 and #16 in the first round, #38 and #52 in the second.

Many believe that the team should do anything they can to get into the top-3 this year to land a "franchise player." Sabres GM Darcy Regier is actively trying to move up, but going from 8th into the top-3 is nearly impossible, and as we've seen, not many picks in the 4th-6th spots get moved.

Chances are the Buffalo Sabres will be drafting somewhere around #8.

The following series looks at past drafts from 1979-2003, bookending what are widely considered the best drafts ever over that 25-year span, and what that might mean for the Sabres in this year's draft.


In the last segment we looked at the LA Kings and their team-building.

The Kings had three players from the vaunted 2003 draft who played significant roles in their 2012 Stanley Cup season:  Dustin Brown, whom they drafted, and two they traded for in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.

The Buffalo Sabres already have two first round picks in what's said to be the deepest draft since 2003.

The Sabres also have flexibility this year with two second-rounders in the draft and they have an array of players that could be used as trade chips to either move up in the first round or grab another first round pick altogether.

Today we'll look at the possibility of moving up from the 16th pick overall.


Moving up from the 16th pick for two top-10 picks would be a safe bet.

As mentioned in oue 2013 Draft overview, while most scouts look at this draft as deep, even the most "pessimistic" scout sees this draft, in the least, having a "deep top-10" on top of an "OK" first round.

Sabres head of amateur scouting, Kevin Devine, leans towards the former in his assessment of the talent pool.

"It's a deep draft," he said, "it probably goes into the low 20's a team is going to get a very good player, and a player at 20 may be just as good as a player at 11."

In both instances, it would seem as if there's a cut-off point at the 10th pick.

With the top-four players in this year's draft all being said as interchangeable first overall picks, all four teams drafting in that range will have the opportunity to land themselves an elite player with elite talent. The odds of the Sabres trading up--their stated goal at the draft this season--are pretty slim.

Carolina has the 5th pick and Calgary the 6th. Both teams should have an NHL-ready player there for the taking and the odds of them moving down the draft are pretty slim as well. Plus, historically speaking, those picks don't usually change hands.

Ahead of Buffalo with the 7th pick is Edmonton. The Oilers and the Sabres will be able to draft comparable players who are said to be on the cusp of playing in the NHL. Behind them, the 9th and 10th picks represent potential on the level of the 8th pick, where Buffalo is set to begin the 2013 Draft.

Unless Sabres GM Darcy Regier works some magic to move up in the draft, it would seem as if the Sabres could be locked into the 8th pick.

With that in mind having three other picks in the top-52 after that spot isn't a bad thing. Especially in a deep draft. There are two ways they may be able to maximize their positioning in the draft this year after #8.

They can try to move up using thier 16th pick to land a second player in that "safe area" inside the top-10.

Or they can use their veteran assets--Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek (maybe someone else?)--to land another pick in the top-20.

In either scenario tapping into the strength of a deep draft like Los Angeles did when the assembled three players from the 2003 Draft on their way to their first Stanley Cup in 2012, could expedite the rebuild process while adding strong pieces to their foundation.

At the 2012 Draft, GM Darcy Regier also had two first-rounders and two second-rounders.

Regier was able to turn the 21st pick in the draft last year into the 14th by adding the Sabres second-round pick (#42) in a trade with Calgary.

He was able to land two centers with those first two picks:  Mikhail Grigorenko (12th) and Zemgus Girgensons (14th.)

Like they did last year, the Sabres could very well have the opportunity to move up into the 7th, 9th or 10th slot this season.

Sitting at #7 in the draft, the Edmonton Oilers have a wealth of talent up-front and could use some help on the back end. There are three defensemen considered in the second-tier behind consensus first overall pick, Seth Jones.

Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, in his mock draft for Sabres.com, has defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen going to the Oilers with the 7th pick. He has Darnell Nurse going 11th and Nikita Zadarov getting picked 13th.

It should be noted that Edmonton has a very young team, and they've made some siginificant changes this off-season including a new coach in Dallas Eakins. The Oilers are said to be open to trading the pick.

Team President Kevin Lowe said, 'Because the draft is deep, as you move along, if someone offered us something we felt could fit in with our group, a different age and a certain type of positional player we need, we wouldn’t be opposed to moving the pick.'

"A big center," according to Jason Brough of Prohockeytalk.com, "as well as a goalie to push Devan Dubnyk" are said to be pieces the Oilers are looking for.

Sitting in the 9th slot is the New Jersey, the host city for the draft this year.

The Devils have a lot of roster holes to fill and have a 28th-ranked prospect pool, yet only have four picks in the draft this year. In addition, they forfeited their first round pick next year as a penalty for the Ilya Kovalchuk signing in 2010.

Although GM Lou Lamoriello hasn't mentioned trading their first round pick, there are a few scenarios where the Sabres may be able to move into that 9th slot.

First off, it's being said that the Devils are interested in picking a scoring forward at #9. Baker has New Jersey selecting fast-rising Bo Horvat in that spot.

The Devils might be interested in the Sabres 16th overall pick and a player, either a roster player or an NHL-ready player that's in the minors right now. Do the Sabres have a "scoring forward Lamoriello might be interested in?

Or could he drop down to the 16th slot and find that type of player while adding an additional 2nd-rounder in this draft and maybe even add one of the Sabres three 2nd-rounders next season.

In Dallas, head scout Les Jackson doesn't seem to see a ton of value in having the 10th pick and is said to be open to moving down.

Perhaps the reason for Jackson's luke-warm reception to drafting there starts with the probable best player available at #10.

The Stars have organizational depth at defense and if the 2013 draft unfolds the way most think, impact forwards will be gone leaving Dallas looking at a defenseman as the best player available.

Dallas also has a new GM that grew accustomed to picking in the latter half of the first round (or mostly starting in the second round) in Jim Nill.

Nill was the director of amateur scouting with Detroit. In his 15 years with the organization, the Wings never missed the playoffs and never drafted higher than #19 (Jakub Kindl, 2005.)

Dallas also has nine picks in the draft this year including a second first-rounder acquired from Boston and an extra second-rounder.

With that kind of organizational depth, and those many picks, using the Sabres 16th pick and an additional second rounder probably wouldn't be that appealing to Nill.

They would probably be leaning more towards a roster player or a forward prospect on the cusp of the NHL in a trade down scenario.

There's also the possibility that they would move that pick straight up for a upper-level roster player.

Which leads us to the next segment:  Loading up with a third first-rounder in a deep 2013 draft.

2013 NHL Draft Part 5--The LA Kings model

The 2013 NHL Draft will be upon us soon. The Buffalo Sabres, for the second season in a row, have four picks in first two rounds. They have the #8 and #16 in the first round, #38 and #52 in the second.

Many believe that the team should do anything they can to get into the top-3 this year to land a "franchise player." Sabres GM Darcy Regier is actively trying to move up, but going from 8th into the top-3 is nearly impossible, and as we have seen, not many picks in the 4th-6th spots get moved.

Chances are the Buffalo Sabres will be drafting somewhere around #8.

The following series looks at past drafts from 1979-2003, bookending what are widely considered the best drafts ever over that 25-year span, and what that might mean for the Sabres in this year's draft.



There's not a hockey person on this planet who will disagree that having two superstars on a team dramatically increase the odds of hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Two teams who were bad at the right time and lucky enough to grab elite top-three picks two years running were Pittsburgh and Chicago.

The Penguins actually stunk four years in a row to collect four consecutive top-two picks:  Marc-Andre Fluery (1st overall, 2003,) Evgeni Malkin (2nd, 2004,) Sidney Crosby (1st, 2005) and Jordan Staal (2nd, 2006.)

The Blackhawks managed to land three top-three picks during a stretch of four years:  Cam Barker (3rd, 2004,) Jonathan Toews (3rd, 2006) and Patrick Kane (1st, 2007.)

Both teams hoisted the Cup in the era between lockouts:  Pittsburgh, 2009; Chicago 2010, and both made it to their respective conference championships this year with the Blackhawks advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals beginning on Wednesday.

Prior to the 2013 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres have not had a pick higher than #12 and when it comes to team-building, right now the Sabres are neither the Penguins or the Blackhawks.

But the two other conference finalists this year took different approaches that involved fewer years of "suffering."

The Boston Bruins (2011 Stanley Cup winners) and LA Kings (2012 Stanley Cup winners) both made it to their respective conference finals with the Bruins advancing to meet the Blackhawks for the 2013 Stanley Cup.

The Boston Bruins were built mainly outside of the draft, which is a route that Buffalo will eschew for the time being.

Of their top-nine forwards, only David Krejci (#63, 2004,) Patrice Bergeron, (#45, 2003,) Milan Lucic (#50, 2006) and Brad Marchand (#71, 2006) are homegrown.

The rest of the team was built via trades and free agent acquisitions, including their goaltenders, Tuuka Rask, who was picked up from Toronto in a 2006 trade and 2011 Conn Smythe winner, goalie Tim Thomas, a free agent signing in 2005.

They missed the playoffs the first two seasons after the 2004-05 lockout and had two top-ten picks--Phil Kessel (#5, 2006) and Zach Hamill (#8, 2007.) Both were traded.

The Los Angeles Kings present an interesting model to use as a guide for the Sabres as they rebuild via the draft. Their roster has four top-nine forwards, 2012 Conn Smythe winner--goalie Jonathan Quick--franchise defensman Drew Doughty and emerging defenseman Slava Voynov all drafted by the team.

A look back at how Los Angeles built their Cup-winner, has the Kings making the playoffs three straight seasons beginning in 1999-'00, but never making it past the second round getting bounced in the first round twice.

The next three seasons saw them miss the playoffs, yet the team ended up drafting outside the top-10. Their picks:  Dustin Brown 13th, 2003; Lauri Tukonen 11th, 2004; Anze Kopitar 11th, 2005.

GM Dave Taylor was fired after the 2005-06 season and was replaced by Dean Lombardi who began cleaning house and starting a two year drive to the second worst record in the league in 2007-08.

Lombardi's first pick was outside the top-10--goalie Jonathan Bernier 11th, 2006. While bottoming out the Kings landed two top-five picks in consecutive years:  D Thomas Hickey (4th, 2007) and Doughty (2nd, 2008.)

From there, their ascension to the Stanley Cup began.

To augment his young group of homegrown talent, Lombardi acquired Cup-winners Rob Scuderi and Justin Williams in 2009, along with Willie Mitchell in 2010. They made the playoffs in both those seasons, but were bounced in the first round each time.

With it's homegrown core and a few wily veterans anchoring the team, Lombardi then tapped into the 2003 draft to land two key forwards that would help propel them to the 2012 Cup.

In the 2011 off season, the Kings acquired gritty two-way forward Mike Richards (24th overall, 2003) then traded for sniper (and Richards' friend) Jeff Carter (11th, 2003) in December. Both were drafted by, and played for Philadelphia (with Carter being traded to Columbus in the 2011 off season.)

The Kings had a great mix of skaters in front of goalie Quick with three 2003 first round draft picks at the fore of their Stanley Cup season--Brown, Richards and Carter

Would the Kings have won the Cup without those final pieces, Richards and Carter?

Possibly.

But the fact remains:  with the 2003 draft possibly being the best draft class ever, having three from that class significantly increased the top-end talent on the team.

How does that relate to the Sabres this off season?

Buffalo has drafted outside the top-10 dating back to 2004. They have a top-10 pick this year for the first time since 2003 and have two picks in the draft:  #8 and #16. Both picks in a deep draft could be top-end anchors as the team rebuilds for the future.

But, sometimes it may be good to be greedy and if it's true that either Ryan Miller or Thomas Vanek are on the trade block, there's no reason that they shouldn't be able to garner another team's 2013 first round pick in the deal (provided they have one.)

It took the LA Kings eight years to tap into the deep 2003 draft and assemble three key pieces to their Championship season. It took some star-alignment as well in that both Richards and Carter were available.

It also took some prime assets to get those two, like Jack Johnson (3rd overall, 2005,) Brayden Schenn (5th overall, 2009,) Wayne Simmons (61st, 2007) and a first round pick (2013.)

In looking at the 2013 draft, even the most pessimistic prognosticator has the top-10 as top-notch and most believe that strength stretches all the way down to the 20th pick or so.

In a worse-case scenario, if two picks in the top-16 are good, two in the top-10 would be even better. In a best-case scenario, if two top-20 picks are good in a deep draft, three is even better.

Move up or load up?


Next:  Using the 16th overall pick to get into the top-10

2013 NHL Draft Part 4--Moving up the ladder, a look at the 4th thru 6th picks

The 2013 NHL Draft will be upon us soon. The Buffalo Sabres, for the second season in a row, have four picks in first two rounds. They have the #8 and #16 in the first round, #38 and #52 in the second.

Many believe that the team should do anything they can to get into the top-3 this year to land a "franchise player." Sabres GM Darcy Regier is actively trying to move up, but going from 8th into the top-3 is nearly impossible, and as we see here, not many picks in the 4th-6th spots get moved.

Chances are the Buffalo Sabres will be drafting somewhere around #8.

The following series looks at past drafts from 1979-2003, bookending what are widely considered the best drafts ever over that 25-year span, and what that might mean for the Sabres in this year's draft.


In looking at 25 drafts from 1979 to 2003, having a pick in the 7-9 area of the draft wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Hall-of-Famers and All-Stars were there for the pickin' in those slots, especially in deep drafts or those with a strong top-9.

Moving up in the draft obviously increases the odds of landing an impact player (HOF, All-Star.) Just how much will be looked at today.


The #4-6 picks yeild quality in nearly all draft classes.

The Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning had the three worst records in the NHL last season and own the first three picks in the 2013 NHL draft. Seth Jones, Nate MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin had stellar junior seasons displaying superstar/elite talent and it would seem as if those three players will go to those three teams.

The consensus for this year's draft is that the first four or five picks all would garner 1st-overall pick consideration in last year's draft and that as many as eight players could be NHL-ready for the 2012-13 season.

The jury's still out on just how deep this draft is, but even the pessimist believes that there's a "deep top-ten" this year even though they see just an "OK first round."

With obvious strength in the top-three it would be hard to imagine any of those teams moving out of that slot, so it's the 4th thru 6th picks where things can get interesting.

Teams in that range are in various team-building stages and are looking to add an impact player there. They're also in a very good position to move up into the top-three if they have a trading partner, the assets to do so and are willing to make a "knock your socks off" type offer.

Or, if they think they can get the same type of player a few picks lower, they can trade down and get an extra pick.

It depends upon the team, where they are in their team-building process and how the previous season unfolded.

Teams in that range might be solid and consistent team like Nashville (4th-overall pick) but had an off season. Or they could be like the Calgary Flames (6th) who are in full-fledged rebuild mode.

The Carolina Hurricanes have the fifth pick and they have strength in some areas yet big holes in others.

All three of those teams in the 4-6 spots can find an impact player to fill their need in the draft this year.

Nashville needs scoring. Alexsander Barkov, considered by some as a top-three talent this year, is a big center who can put the puck in the net and will be there at #4 unless one of the top-three drop. In any scenario the Preds will be getting an impact player who's NHL-ready if they stay put.

If Carolina wants impact on defense, one of three d-men will be there for the taking. Or if they want a power forward on the wing, Valeri Nichushkin, who's also said to be NHL-ready, should be available.

And as Calgary begins their rebuild, there will be a number of players to chose from at #6 including big, highly regarded centerman, Sean Monahan, "the forgotten man," according to The Red Line Report's Kyle Woodlief (USA Today.)

Those picks in the 4-6 range have routinely provided an elite/impact player with significant upside, especially in a deep draft.

In the five drafts we've focused upon (1979, 2003, 1983, 1988, 1990) those 15 picks in the 4-6 range yeilded two HOF'ers (Mike Gartner, 1979; Steve Yzerman, 1983,)  one sure fire HOF'er (Jaromir Jagr 1990,) and six All-Stars.

Only one year--1988--would be considered a bust in that draft range with Darrin Shannon (#4, Pitt) playing more than 500 NHL games (506.).

The chances of landing an impact player (HOF'er, All-Star) is 60%.

Additionally, between 1979 and 2003 that 4-6 range yeilded four more HOF'ers:  Larry Murphy, Paul Coffey (1980,) Ron Francis (1981,) Scott Stevens (1982) and one future HOF'er in Peter Forsberg (1991.)

All totaled, those 25 draft years from 1979 to 2003 yeilded six HOF'ers plus 20 All-Stars to date for a total of 26 impact players in the 4-6 range. A 35% chance overall for a team to land an impact player in those spots.

Comparing the 4-6 range with the 7-9 picks, both ranges yeilded a 60% chance of landing an impact player in the five drafts encapsulated in this series.

The odds of landing an impact player overall using the 1979-2003 draft classes increase from 24% in the 7-9 range to 35% in the 4-6 range.

Maybe because of that, most teams retain those picks.

Looking at those 25 years, the 4-6 pick has changed hands seven times-1980, 1981, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002--or 9% of the time.

Recent draft history shows even a lesser chance of a team moving out of the 4-6 slots. From 2004-2012 those picks have changed hands twice--2004 and 2008--or 7% of the time.

For the Sabres and GM Darcy Regier, chances are that the 1-4 spots this year are off limits, a severe overpayment will be necessary to move into the 5 and 6 slots, and the 8th pick should be just as good as the 7th pick.

Which means that Buffalo will probably start the 2013 draft with #8. And even though the 8th pick normally doesn't produce a superstar, elite talent can be had there. That pick, along with a second first rounder (#16,) should add two significant pieces to the Sabres "new core."

Two is good, but adding a third 1st-round pick in this year's draft might even be better.


Next:  The LA Kings model

2013 NHL Draft Part 3--There is quality at #8, dependent upon the class

The 2013 NHL Draft will be upon us soon. The Buffalo Sabres, for the second season in a row, have four picks in first two rounds. They have the #8 and #16 in the first round, #38 and #52 in the second.

Many believe that the team should do anything they can to get into the top-3 this year to land a "franchise player." Sabres GM Darcy Regier is actively trying to move up, but going from 8th into the top-3 is nearly impossible, and as we'll see later, not many picks in the 4th-6th spots get moved.

Chances are the Buffalo Sabres will be drafting somewhere around #8.

The following series looks at past drafts from 1979-2003, bookending what are widely considered the best drafts ever over that 25-year span, and what that might mean for the Sabres in this year's draft.


In Part-2 of this series we looked at five draft classes over the course of a 25-year period that stood out above the rest. Although varying in depth, one common thread running through them all is quality down to the eighth pick.

If the 2013 draft class is as good as many are saying it is, it puts the Sabres in a decent spot with the opportunity to land an upper-eschlon talent with the eighth overall pick.


A deep draft class could make for a strong pick at #8

It takes a solid scouting departement to land an elite player at 8th overall although having a strong, deep draft class to select from tends to make it a bit easier.

The five drafts encapsulated in the previous installment have produced some impressive picks in and around #8. Looking at the 7-9 picks from those five drafts here's what they offered:

• 1979:  HOF Ray Bourque (8th)
• 2003:  All-Stars Ryan Suter (7th) and Dion Phaneuf (9th)
• 1983:  All-Star Russ Courtnall (7th) and HOF Cam Neely (9th)
• 1988:  All-Star Jeremy Roenick (8th) and probable HOF'er Rod Brind'Amour (9th)
• 1990:  All-Stars Daryl Sydor (7th) and D Derian Hatcher (8th)

Two HOF'ers in Bourque and Neely, a probable HOF'er in Brind'Amour, two US HHOF'er in Roenick and Hatcher, perenial All-Star Suter, and a multi-Cup winner in Sydor.

Not too shabby a group.

At #8, and with a draft-class this year that's said to be in the mix with some of the deepest in history, the Sabres should be able to do well in that spot. Using the previously mentioned five draft classes, the Sabres have about a 60% chance of landing an impact player in the eighth spot should they not be able to move up.

Take away depth in draft, though, and the odds of landing an impact player drop considerably.

Looking back historically at the other drafts between 1979 and 2003, there were all-out busts in the #7-9 spots three times:  1989, 1992, 2000.

Three other drafts produced at least one serviceable player:  1980 (Mike Bullard,) 1987 (Luke Richardson,) 1999 (Taylor Pyatt.)

Draft classes with at least two serviceable players include: 1982, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1998.

There have been seven classes with one at least one All-Star coming in picks #7-9 including:  1984 (Shayne Corson,) 1993 (Jason Arnott,) 1995 (Shane Doan,) 1996 (Ruslan Salei,) 1997 (Sergei Samsonov, Nick Boynton,) 2001 (Mike Komiserak) 2002 (Joffrey Lupul)

There were two HOF'ers in that 7-9 range, Grant Fuhr (1981,) and Brian Leetch (1986.)

Twenty draft classes, 60 picks, two HOF'ers, eight All-Stars.

The odds of landing an impact player outside of the "top-five" classes used in this series:  6%.

To encapsulate. The odds of landing an impact player in a deep draft with quality stretching down to at least the 9th pick is 60%. In weaker draft classes that percentage drops to 6%.

All-in-all over the course of all 25 drafts from 1979-2003, the 7th-9th slots have produced four HOF'ers and 14 All-Stars--a 24% chance (18/75) of landing an impact player in those spots.


If the perceived depth of this class holds true, the Sabres should be able to find themselves an impact player with the 8th overall pick.

Many are looking at the top six or seven players this year to be in that "elite" classification which makes the odds of landing an impact player in the 4-6 range this year even higher.

The Sabres are said to be interested in trading up in the draft. Moving into the top-3 would be ideal, but perhaps they may only be able to get to the 4-6 range.


Next:  Moving up the ladder, a look at the 4-6 draft slots.