Bryan Murphy is an NHL content producer at The Sporting News. After signing Dylan Larkin to a massive extension Wednesday, the team signaled to fans that the rebuild is over. Itll be a young group, but one loaded with skill. MORE:NHL Mock Draft 2022 2.0: Canadiens take Shane Wright with No. Islanders The Sabres pool of goaltender prospects is strong. The same goes for college forwards Aaron Huglen and Stiven Sardarian. He pressures puck carriers well and kills penalties. The Sabres will be without Alex Tuch for multiple weeks. Jack Campbell and Braden Holtby are also among the experienced veterans with expiring contracts this summer. Flyers "If you want to be mad Eichel is an ex-Sabre, this one lies squarely at the feet of Terry and Kim Pegula, as well as Dan Bylsma, Phil Housley,, Jack Eichel, the disgruntled 25-year-old star center whose desire to undergo surgery on a herniated disk in his neck was blocked by the Sabres, In addition to acquiring draft choices in 2022 (first round, albeit top 10 protected) and 2023 (second round), Buffalo added power forward Ale, The selection of the 18-year-old from Boston University with the No. After multiple seasons of racing to the bottom of the standings to improve draft position, Murray thought the team was ready to contend and flipped picks for veterans. 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 That has put Jack Quinn on the top line and given Vinnie Hinostroza another opportunity in the NHL lineup. As Sabres fans have learned, player development is rarely a straight line. Will the Sabres be big spenders in free agency? However, he is an exciting prospect that is dynamic at creating scoring chances. Its never hurt a player to go back for a second year in college, Forton said. He can pass pucks up the ice well and has some blue line poise. Hes not that big or quick, but he projects to play at higher levels because of how hard he works. Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams on Locked On Sabres: Open to acquiring goalie? Read more here: 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 please report any problems or errors - comments welcome. Stiven Sardarian was high for me, but hes one of the most skilled players in the class so I respect the bet. Round Player Pos Drafted From GP G A Pts PIM; 2022 Entry: 9: 1: Matthew Savoie: C: Winnipeg Ice [WHL] 2022 Entry: 16: 1: Noah Ostlund: C: Djurgardens Jr. [Swe-Jr] 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. NHL Mock Draft 2022 2.0: Canadiens take Shane Wright with No. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. I liked the Nadeau pick the most because of how low he went, and I am very excited to see Power and Rosn develop into core team members. He was ranked 24th overall by Patrick Bacons NHL equivalency model, as he has a 32 percent chance of becoming an NHL player. By this point in the draft, the players selected are usually five to six years away from establishing themselves as NHL regulars. 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. So, to keep bringing in people to bump them out and they dont get that experience means they dont develop and it may stunt their development.. Marjala can make plays through defenders but lacks the quickness to execute those kinds of plays on the move. So how will they spend it? He does fit the profile of a young player who could have untapped potential. Heres what the roster could look like, with restricted free agents noted with an asterisk: If the Sabres prospects progress as expected, the team may not have to add any forwards next summer. 1 pick. the Blues' first-round pick (No. It was Isak Rosn. The crease finally gets a crowd. William Von Barnekow Lofberg, C (No. 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. Isak Rosen is poised to pace Swedens junior team. MORE:Who are the best teams in NHL history to miss the playoffs? But the present situation between the pipes is a concern. Follow Matthew on Twitter @MatthewFairburn. I think Kevyns been really consistent with that and I think our teams been consistent with that as a result., (Photo: Stephen Brashear / USA TODAY Sports). Penguins This is in preparation for the 2022 World Junior Championship in December, which Rosn is expected to be a primary contributor in. But here are a few noteworthy names still left on the market if the Sabres choose to make a bigger deal. Try a week on us. That seems to be in line with what the Sabres have targeted. The Sabres sent goaltender Erik Portillo to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2023 third-round draft pick. #LetsGoBuffalo | @UMichHockey pic.twitter.com/u15fjFw6co. Copyright 2005-2023 Frank Marousek - All rights reserved. BUFFALO, N.Y. The Buffalo Sabres trade deadline conundrum was on full display in their 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. He has a cap hit of $2.4 million and is a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Before the draft, he was asked by TSN about the possibility of playing for the team. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Poltapov also played for Russia at the U18 World Junior Championships (WJC-18) and produced seven points in the tournament. The Sabres may have to look outside the organization for extra help up front, though they hope secondary prospects Brett Murray, Linus Weissbach and Matej Pekar become NHL players. There will obviously be growing pains, but the first steps forward arent far away. As the draft and free agency get closer, here are a few pressing questions that will define this offseason for Adams and the Sabres. That seems like a trade Adams is more likely to consider in the offseason when the market is different and he has more clarity on the roster. After handing out a bunch of one-year deals last summer, there are a number of Sabres hitting free agency in 2022. He will be an intriguing prospect to watch develop, as the 161-pound winger needs to add some size. 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. There are only five guys inked for 2023-24. Marjala is a skilled two-way winger that will take some time to develop. Nikita Novikov, D (No. 1 status. Adams also has to budget for the future contracts of players like Thompson, who is a restricted free agent after next season. The Sabres made a lower level trade yesterday adding Riley Stillman from Vancouver for prospect Josh Bloom. The former Florida Panthers draft pick came to Buffalo as part of the Sam Reinhart trade and could be a nifty goaltending piece in the future. Okposo, Girgensons and Olofsson are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. Rosn is currently playing games for Sweden at the World Junior Summer Showcase. 88): Stiven Sardaryan is one of the most purely skilled players of the first-year draft-eligibles, showing elite one-on-one ability and creativity. They are in an interesting spot because they have multiple first-round picks and can afford to take chances where other teams might not be willing. He needs to work on his speed if he wants to play at the professional level. When the team has developed into a contender, thats when spending to the cap makes more sense and ownership will need to show a willingness to open the checkbook. Example video title will go here for this video. There is light at the end of the tunnel. 1 overall; the expansion Seattle Kraken select at No. They can get closer to the salary cap floor without spending the money. In Round 1, the Sabres selected three centers: Matt Savoie (9th overall), Noah Ostlund (16th overall) Nadeau played for Shawinigan Cataractes in the QMJHL, scoring 13 goals and 45 points in 34 games. The influx of youth is projected to slow considerably in 2023-24 before picking back up in ensuing seasons. In 22 games with Leksands, he only produced one assist playing against grown men. So how will they spend it? 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). Try a week on us. The Sabres recently signed 2021 draft pick Aleksandr Kisakov to an entry-level contract. GM Kevyn Adams has 10 draft picks to work with this summer most importantly, three first-round picks. Prior to The Athletic, he also covered the Bills for Syracuse.com. How far would a player like Danila Yurov have to fall in the draft before the Sabres would be comfortable taking him? Nearly all the future Sabres will be in town. Flames The experience we can allow our young guys to immerse in right now, competing for a playoff spot, means these young guys will be better next week than they were this week because theyre playing more intense hockey than theyve ever experienced. The defender from Mississauga had an outstanding season with the University of Michigan, putting up 16 points in 26 games. He also suited up for two games with the Redhawks and will look to take a bigger step forward next season. 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. 2 pick in the NHL draft was supposed to mark the end of the suffering, th. Kisakov projects as a bottom-six NHL winger. He is committed to playing for the University of New Hampshire starting in the 2022-23 season. The right-winger from St. Petersburg is a power forward that can drive to the middle of the ice and score in the perimeter. 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. Vegas' pick is much higher than expected with the team missing the playoffs, so that's a bonus for Buffalo. * If Vegas does not pick in the top 10 Vegas will send its first-round pick in 2022 and second-round pick in 2023 to Buffalo and Sabres will send their 2023 third-round pick to Vegas. Theres more help on the horizon in 2025-26 if the Russian brigade comes to North America. Olivier Nadeau, RW (No. That means Adams will need to be willing to adjust on the fly depending on how the board falls. The downside of the Sabres overachieving this season is that their first-round pick isn't as high as anticipated. Will the Sabres be big spenders in free agency? Portillo is a 22-year-old goaltender from the Univesity of Michigan who was selected by the Sabres in the [] Jack Quinn is one of the AHLs best scorers. He also played in the MHL in 2020-21, where he scored 36 goals and 73 points in 71 games for MHK Dynamo Moskva. Kings The next one is on the road against the Bruins on Thursday. He responded by saying, it would be an honor to play for them and to get drafted by them. 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. Rosen didnt get a shot grade but he shows flashes of an above-average shot. Follow Matthew on Twitter @MatthewFairburn, (Photo by Mark Blinch / NHLI via Getty Images), (Photo: James Guillory / USA TODAY Sports). As encouraging as the end of the season was, general manager Kevyn Adams now needs to make the right moves to keep this team heading in the right direction while avoiding mistakes that derailed past rebuilding efforts. Meet the Sabres 2021 Draft Class Owen Power. The Sabres possess 14 players drafted in the first or second round since 2017. The Sabres are now a promising destination and the team has the money to make a potential big splash in free agency. (Photo of Jack Quinn: David Kirouac / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). With Adams emphasizing culture during this build, getting this decision right is important. 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 young defense continues to get stronger with the addition of Johnson. Trust me, Buffalo, it's a great time to be a Sabres fan. Another Trade, Insiders! CAP HIT. Trading for a goalie of that caliber would require giving up assets, so the Sabres would want to make sure its a player who can fit for more than just a year. #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/5zQUuT9DW0. Thrashers He can wind pucks up through the neutral zone with speed, and often takes it wide and drives right to the net. 1 because that's what everybody says," said one NHL scout. Ottawa is just two points behind the Sabres in the push for a wild card playoff spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference. The Buffalo Sabres went in to the 2017 NHL Draft with six picks, including the #8 overall selection, and a brand new GM in Jason Botterill. Aleksandr Kisakov, LW (No. 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 LA Kings have bolstered the goaltending pipeline for the future, with the acquisition of the rights to goaltending prospect Erik Portillo from Arrivals: forwards Isak Rosen, Josh Bloom and Olivier Nadeau; goalies Erik Portillo and Devon Levi. This appears to be another player that could have been selected higher, as he was ranked 96th on the FC Hockey draft board. 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