This 14th-overall pick was a little off the board, as he was projected to be selected at 21st overall in the THW Mock Draft. WebFor Miller, the Sabres sent a second-round pick in 2021 which was originally acquired by Buffalo from St. Louis in the Ryan O'Reilly trade and a 2022 fifth-round selection to The team is in a much better position than people expected, especially after getting Tuch and Peyton Krebs in the Eichel trade. The left-winger from Stockholm spent time in various leagues in 2020-21, with most of his time spent with Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). The Sabres overachieved this season, thanks to a mix of breakout performances from youngsters such as Tage Thompson and veterans such as Kyle Okposo and Craig Anderson playing above expectations. He is committed to playing for the University of New Hampshire starting in the 2022-23 season. That should tell you the Sabres arent eager to dip into their top-end resources to make a trade. Will the Sabres be big spenders in free agency? The team will likely have brought in contributors via trade and free agency, too. Restricted free agents: Cozens, Mittelstadt, Ruotsalainen, Asplund, Quinn, Peterka, Krebs and Rousek; defensemen Dahlin, Power, Jokiharju, Johnson, Bryson, Samuelsson and Laaksonen; goalie Luukkonen. The influx of youth is projected to slow considerably in 2023-24 before picking back up in ensuing seasons. So how will they spend it? The team is in a much better position than people expected, especially after getting Tuch and Peyton Krebs in the Eichel trade. Read more here: Seven years later, Adams has a similar collection of picks but has already shown a different demeanor than Murray. SALARY. In a sentence, Rosen projects as a middle-six NHL winger. He was also electric in the postseason, putting up five goals and 10 points in 14 games. Theyll all have learned on the job. It appears general manager (GM) Kevyn Adams prioritized skill and speed with his picks. Follow Matthew on Twitter @MatthewFairburn, (Photo by Mark Blinch / NHLI via Getty Images), (Photo: James Guillory / USA TODAY Sports). Jack Campbell and Braden Holtby are also among the experienced veterans with expiring contracts this summer. Its looking like Buffalo had genuine interest in Jakob Chychrun but the package Ottawa put together was better than Adams best bet with the defenseman traded earlier today for a conditional 2023 first-round draft pick (top five protected), a conditional 2024 second-round selection (from the Washington Capitals), and a 2026 second-round pick. Kisakov projects as a bottom-six NHL winger. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Predators The additions of Power and Quinn alone would be tantalizing, but Krebs and Peterka could also make an immediate impact. As the draft and free agency get closer, here are a few pressing questions that will define this offseason for Adams and the Sabres. The veterans such as Tuch and Mittelstadt will be only 28 and 25, respectively. Outside of that top tier of prospects, the Sabres also have Isak Rosen and Noah Ostlund, first-round picks in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Thompson and Bjork are scheduled to be UFAs unless they negotiated long-term extensions. The teams spending habits this offseason might not signal anything about an internal budget but rather would say something about how Adams and Granato view this team for next season. But this was a team most predicted to finish with the worst record in the East, fighting for last place in the league. Portillo is a 22-year-old goaltender from the Univesity of Michigan who was selected by the Sabres in the [] He is looking to crack Russias lineup at the U20 Worlds this upcoming season. They also own the Golden Knights' and Panthers' first-round selections. How far would a player like Danila Yurov have to fall in the draft before the Sabres would be comfortable taking him? We know our game. Jerry Forton, director of amateur scouting for the team, is not concerned about Power taking either avenue. Most of his time was spent in the SuperElit, where he put up seven goals and 21 points in 18 games.With the 161st overall pick, we select William von Barnekow-Lofberg!#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/4NZbMbUeMu Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 24, 2021, With the 161st overall pick, we select William von Barnekow-Lofberg!#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/4NZbMbUeMu. Olivier Nadeau, RW (No. Corey Pronman grades how the team performed at the 2021 NHL Draft, and details what to The team also is set to have three of its defensemen hitting the market as well, leaving gaps on the blue line. According to Natural Stat Trick, Power led the Sabres with three turnovers. Craig Anderson was a strong presence in the locker room last season, but hes undecided about his NHL future and just turned 41 in May. Follow John on Twitter @BuffaloVogl. Quinn opened his Amerks season with nine goals and 18 points in 14 games. 53): Kisakov was a top scorer at the Russian junior level and a main reason his MHL team won the league title. But if you just look at recent history withCale Makarand (Zach) Werenski andCharlie McAvoyandQuinn Hughes, all these players went back for their second year, dominated in college, and it made their transition to theNHLvery seamless. Certain decisions you can make in the short-term that maybe would push you a little bit further along, it may come back to haunt you a little bit later. The LA Kings have bolstered the goaltending pipeline for the future, with the acquisition of the rights to goaltending prospect Erik Portillo from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2023 third-round draft selection. University of Minnesota defenseman Ryan Johnson and University of Michigan goalie Erik Portillo could be used as trade chips as well and would make the value of a mid-round pick in Portillos case and possibly a second or third-rounder in Johnsons case. He will endear himself to coaches with his effort to go with his skill. Vladislav Gavrikov, Dmitry Orlov, Mattias Ekholm, Jake McCabe, Luke Schenn, Jack Johnson and Kevin Shattenkirk are among the defensemen who have already been traded. At 26 years old, hes at an ideal age to settle into that role long term. Select Team By this point in the draft, the players selected are usually five to six years away from establishing themselves as NHL regulars. We know what we have to do to be successful. With the Predators in sell mode, its worth checking in on Dante Fabbro, a 2016 first-round pick who has struggled some in his fourth season with Nashville. The next one is on the road against the Bruins on Thursday. Bruins He was a standout in the Russian Junior Hockey League (MHL), putting up 25 goals and 51 points in 61 games for Krasnaya Armiya Moskva. Following the trade of Jack Eichel to the Las Vegas Knights, here is the status of the Buffalo Sabres' draft picks for 2022: From Vegas, top 10 protected (in Eichel trade, see note below), From Florida, top 10 protected (in Sam Reinhart trade). This So, who did the team draft? 188 overall. Sign up for our regular 'Sabres Newsletter' for all the latest. Example video title will go here for this video. The Sabres first-round pick should be off limits unless its at least top 10 protected. It would mark the first time that a first-overall pick didnt play in the NHL the following season since Erik Johnson in 2006-07. Draft picks touted as future Sabres during the past decade are toiling in the ECHL or out of hockey completely. That turned out to be the case, but this team is obviously in a much different position in the playoff race than it was a year ago. Defensively hes solid enough due to his reach and physicality. This is a growth opportunity. Building the team that way turned out to be a disaster. He needs to work on his speed if he wants to play at the professional level. He and fellow 2021 second-rounder Aleksandr Kisakov may be ready to test their skills in the NHL by then. A sports reporter since 1998, he has covered the Sabres for 20 years. Stillman could provide some useful minutes on the third pairing once hes up to speed. The last time the Sabres had three first-round picks in one draft was 2015. Stiven Sardaryan was selected at 88th overall, marking the first time the team took three Russian-born players in a single draft since 2003. The Jeff Skinner contract is still an issue, as he is set to make $9 million over the next five years despite never being a $9 million a year kind of player. 9 overall in the draft. #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/Tcv0HXnJRi. Powers offense comes from a great first pass and an ability to find seams in the offensive zone well. Sabres 2021 NHL Draft picks: Grades, fit and full scouting reports. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams speaks to the media at the opening of training camp at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. 159): Marjala was a productive and important player for Quebec. Sabres trade away goaltending prospect for Kings 3rd rounder, Game Thread: Sabres vs. Blue Jackets | Game 59, Sabres Look To Make It Four Straight, Host Blue Jackets, Sabres Acquire Defenseman Riley Stillman from Vancouver, Sabres Sign Goalie Michael Houser to NHL Contract, DBTB Open Thread - Week of 2/27 | NHL Trade Deadline Week. The club seems to be headed in the right direction aftera disastrous past few seasons in upstate New York. He has a cap hit of $2.4 million and is a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Maple Leafs Matthew Fairburn is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Buffalo Sabres. He is known as a power-play specialist, that plays a quick passing game rather than overhandling the puck. The undersized forward will need to add some size before making the jump to professional hockey. That would put them out of the running for Arizona defenseman Jakob Chychrun unless the Coyotes decide to reduce their asking price. But free agency wont fix every problem on the roster. Corey Pronman is the senior NHL prospects writer for The Athletic. Believe it or not, the 2021-22 campaign was an extremely successful one for theBuffalo Sabres. Owen Power and Devon Levi are dominating the NCAA. That kind of reliability would help take the pressure off Luukkonen. Okposo, Girgensons and Olofsson are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. His production is not a cause for concern, as when played against in peers in the Sweden U20 league, he dominated. With Portillos exit from the organization the path is Not a lot of lessons Those are valuable assets not just for the way they could deepen the prospect pool but because they could be used as trade chips in the offseason. The Buffalo Sabres will have three first-round selections in the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft. Believe it or not, the 2021-22 campaign was an extremely successful one for theBuffalo Sabres. A future defense structured around Rasmus Dahlin and Power will soon be among the NHLs best. Rosen has impressive speed and is able to make a lot of his skilled plays through defenders and to teammates while on the move. Blackhawks The Sabres acquired a 2023 3rd-round pick for goaltender prospect Erik Portillo in a deal with the L.A. Kings on Wednesday. In Round 1, the Sabres selected three centers: Matt Savoie (9th overall), Noah Ostlund (16th overall) In fact, one of the teams first moves of the offseason was to trade for goaltender Ben Bishop, who isnt going to continue his career because of a knee injury. Hes OK off the puck, but he doesnt shy from making plays to the net. But he could be useful now and in the future if signed beyond this season. Nadeau, drafted a round after Bloom, is among the leaders in the high-scoring Quebec junior league with 12 goals and 25 points in 18 games. 14): Rosen hasnt popped yet at the pro level, but as a junior, between the J20 and international level, he looks like a dangerous scorer at wing. His skating is the major knock, with a heavy stride that concerns scouts. The good news for the prospects is no one will block their path. After handing out a bunch of one-year deals last summer, there are a number of Sabres hitting free agency in 2022. The 26-year-old Ristolainen has one year remaining on a six-year, $32.4 million contract, which is being fully picked up by the Flyers. He played under Granato at the United States Development Program and has not played up to his $3 million salary. Powers offensive toolkit wont jump out immediately to you, but a 6-foot-6 defenseman who can skate at the NHL level and move the puck well is a major asset. When Adams selected Quinn ahead of other Unlike Power, the 2019 first-round pick would benefit from a season in Rochester before debuting with the Sabres. Another skilled undersized forward is added to the system.With the first pick of day two, we welcome Prokhor Poltapov to the Sabres!#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/0jw1iEFZNa Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 24, 2021, With the first pick of day two, we welcome Prokhor Poltapov to the Sabres!#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/0jw1iEFZNa. Restricted free agents: forwards Cozens, Bjork, Thompson, Asplund and Ruotsalainen; defensemen Bryson, Samuelsson and Laaksonen; goalie Luukkonen. Lets meet the Sabres draft class of 2021. They can get closer to the salary cap floor without spending the money. The coaching staff is integrating Krebs as the center for the wingers following his arrival in the Jack Eichel trade. Just because they have the cap space doesnt mean theyll be throwing it at the top unrestricted free agents. His status doesnt impact whether or not I think the Sabres should or should not draft a center at the top of this draft. Its never hurt a player to go back for a second year in college, Forton said. The Sabres recently signed 2021 draft pick Aleksandr Kisakov to an entry-level contract. Route 33 East reopens to traffic, more than 13 hours after accident, Buffalo firefighter dies in Main Street fire downtown, Winter storm to bring more snow and ice to WNY Friday, wasn't the deal many Sabres fans have wanted. After signing Dylan Larkin to a massive extension Wednesday, the team signaled to fans that the rebuild is over. Buffalo Sabres: Bright future is why a blockbuster is unnecessary So far in 2022-23, the Buffalo Sabres have exceeded most everyones expectations given their spot in the wild card race, but this is just the sabrenoise.com - Sion Fawkes 11h Read more on sabrenoise.com Buffalo Sabres Ice Hockey NHL Buffalo Sports Sports MORE:NHL playoffs schedule 2022: Full bracket, dates, times, TV channels for every series. #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/5zQUuT9DW0. The Sabres have a ton of cap space to use in their future, but with so many young players coming through, eventually they will need to get paid. It turned out to be the best move of all, not to make any big moves, Granato said. Coming out of the All-Star break, the Sabres played at an 88-point pace. The team also is set to have three of its defensemen hitting the market as well, leaving gaps on the blue line. Poltapov projects as a middle-six winger who will be able to score and agitate with his physicality in the NHL. So if they want to continue that approach for another year, giving Okposo the captaincy in the short term might make the most sense. His partner, Jokiharju, struggled just as badly. (Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig / USA TODAY Sports). 193): Tyson Kozak has good puck skills and vision. WebThe Buffalo Sabres have acquired a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft (14th overall), a second-round pick in 2023, and defenseman Robert Hagg from the Philadelphia Flyers in Rosen is very creative with his one-on-one play, showing the ability to beat defenders clean with consistency. A graduate of the University of Missouri, he previously covered the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills for The Athletic. Ville Husso will also be available. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. 1): Power had a great freshman season as one of the best defensemen in his conference while also one of its youngest, and played a key role for Canada in its gold medal run at the world championships. Poltapovs game has a lot of pace and energy in it. Tuch looked and sounded like captain material from the moment he arrived in Western New York as part of the Eichel trade. His lethal shot was on display many times, including this one-timer on the power play.With the 14th overall pick, we select Isak Rosen!Welcome to Buffalo, Isak #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/wM4U0WgCW5 Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 24, 2021, With the 14th overall pick, we select Isak Rosen!Welcome to Buffalo, Isak #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/wM4U0WgCW5. The Sabres have a ton of cap space to use in their future, but with so many young players coming through, eventually they will need to Stiven Sardarian was high for me, but hes one of the most skilled players in the class so I respect the bet. This draft could present another opportunity to establish that connection with Russian players and get prospects at a discount in this draft. Theres more help on the horizon in 2025-26 if the Russian brigade comes to North America. The Sabres recently signed 2021 draft pick Aleksandr Kisakov to an entry-level contract. The Panthers' pick will be at the bottom of the first round. Tim Murray used the first selection to take Eichel and then dealt the two late first Rather than spending this year with the Amerks, the forward will spend the 2022-23 season in Rochester before making the move to Buffalo. #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/83QgDlkxZ2 Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 24, 2021, Welcome to Buffalo, Aleksandr! He works hard enough off the puck and killed penalties for Portland. Marjala is a skilled two-way winger that will take some time to develop. It was a smart move because the team wasn't going to be competing for a Cup and still in rebuild mode. He is great on the power play and can create chances at even strength with his stickhandling and vision. Josh Bloom, LW (No. Nikita Novikov, D (No. But the organization seems to be in a The Buffalo Sabres gave up their 14th pick and a 2023 second-rounder for defenseman Robert Hagg. This Itll be a young group, but one loaded with skill. The players will also be in their prime. Theyll have likely signed Cozens, Asplund and others to multiyear deals prior to this summer, but well list them as RFAs in case they negotiated only one-year contracts. He responded by saying, it would be an honor to play for them and to get drafted by them. Select team AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. He also suited up for two games with the Redhawks and will look to take a bigger step forward next season. Returning: forwards Skinner, Tuch, Mittelstadt, Quinn, Peterka and Krebs; defensemen Dahlin, Jokiharju and Power. In 22 games with Leksands, he only produced one assist playing against grown men. The team traded Bloom and has other recent draft picks at forward like Viktor Neuchev, Prokhor Poltapov and Aleksandr Kisakov who could be appealing to teams. With the final pick of the fifth round, the Sabres selected Viljami Marjala from Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. James van Riemsdyk would fit as a goal-scoring power forward with playoff experience, but other teams could be vying for his services and hes a rental as an unrestricted free agent after the season. By virtue of our age, by virtue of our young skill, were not in a situation where were desperate to make a big move. Here's some insight into how the Sabres look heading into the offseason. The Sabres are now a promising destination and the team has the money to make a potential big splash in free agency. Adding the 6-foot-6 Power and the 6-foot-4 Samuelsson greatly transforms the Sabres blue line. Still, Granato seems to think its wise not to stray too much from that. The defense would be even younger with Bryson as the old-timer at age 24. The Sabres' long-term depth on the wing likely led Adams to part with Bloom, a third-round draft pick in 2021 who is averaging over a point per game in the Ontario Senators Viljami Marjala joins the Sabres!#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/OyI8Ge4bXR. Here's what fans had to say about the Eichel trade. The Sabres have acquired defenseman Riley Stillman from the Vancouver Canucks. The Sabres also have potential captains in Cozens and Dahlin. Buffalo has been in a very long rebuild. The left-winger from Finland had a respectable rookie season, putting up five goals and 27 points in 30 games for the Remparts last season. We didnt come out and play well enough in the first two periods to win a game. Owen Power, the No. Parting with either one should only be considered if the return is significant. The LA Kings have bolstered the goaltending pipeline for the future, with the acquisition of the rights to goaltending prospect Erik Portillo from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2023 third-round draft selection. The Sabres hope at least one of the goalies will have ascended to No. Nearly all the future Sabres will be in town. Oilers Cozens, Krebs and Quinn will be 23. Here is how the draft protection for the top-10 pick will work, per ESPN. Owen Power is a projected all-star, the only one in the draft for me as of now, which by itself could make the Sabres the biggest beneficiaries of this draft. WebA new contract for winger Victor Olofsson is atop general manager Kevyn Adams priority list ahead of a draft in which the Sabres own picks 9, 16 and 28. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. There are only five guys inked for 2023-24. WebThe Sabres are more likely to move a pick or two in a later round, perhaps as early as the second, to add help for their roster. Time to move on, Buffalo Sabres trade Jack Eichel to Vegas Golden Knights, Sabres' depth, talent at forward strengthened by adding Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, Eichel memories: A look back at the Buffalo career of Captain Jack after trade to Vegas Golden Knights, 'Vegas Baby:' Jack Eichel exits Sabres in latest blockbuster move by GM Kevyn Adams, Former Buffalo Bills QB Frank Reich at NFL combine. Viljami Marjala, LW (No. Power will be 21. Rousek, who signed with the Sabres last spring, had his timeline pushed back by season-ending knee surgery. Follow Matthew on Twitter @MatthewFairburn. If Anderson returns, thats not enough to solidify the position for Buffalo. In 50 games for Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, he produced nine goals and 30 points for the team. The Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs have been rivals since the Sabres admission to the NHL in 1970, not only because they are close geographically but because the seeds of the Buffalo franchise were sown by former Leafs coach and GM George Punch Imlach, who led Toronto to their last four Stanley Cups in the mid-1960s The downside of the Sabres overachieving this season is that their first-round pick isn't as high as anticipated. The new RFAs for 2024-25 are scheduled to include Power, Quinn, Krebs, Peterka, Mittelstadt, Dahlin, Jokiharju and Johnson, so the Sabres better have plenty of cap space available. Instead, Buffalo is looking like it will pick around No. Trust me, Buffalo, it's a great time to be a Sabres fan. Rosen has underwhelming counting stats with only two points in 24 career SHL games, but playing within his age group his production matches his skill level. The Sabres Big Board: Final 2022 NHL Draft Rankings Austin gives his final rankings ahead of next weeks draft. MORE:Who are the best teams in NHL history to miss the playoffs? We dont want to boot somebody out to take that ice time away from a growth opportunity unless its impactful and it doesnt jeopardize our progress. Another Trade, Insiders! That has put Jack Quinn on the top line and given Vinnie Hinostroza another opportunity in the NHL lineup. Tony Ferrari takes a deep dive look at the team's prospect pool. Will the Sabres be big spenders in free agency? Copyright 2005-2023 Frank Marousek - All rights reserved. Red Wings An award-winning journalist, he has also covered minor-league hockey in Georgia, Auburn University football and taught copy editing at Buffalo State College. There was the expectation that the Sabres could potentially battle for the No. 2 in the prospects rankings. Portillo has also started all 14 of Michigans games, posting one shutout and a .918 save percentage. Its tough to envision the Sabres adding a center considering the top two centers are locked in, and Peyton Krebs and Tyson Jost have impressed the coaching staff while playing in the middle. Novikov is a big defenseman who is a decent skater for a guy his size, even if hes not overly quick. Adams also has to budget for the future contracts of players like Thompson, who is a restricted free agent after next season. In one draft was 2015 brought in contributors via trade and free agency before making the jump professional... Peyton Krebs in the Jack Eichel trade because they have the cap space doesnt mean theyll be throwing it the... Picks: Grades, fit and full scouting reports the salary cap floor without spending the money Photo Timothy... 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