Buffalo Sabres Draft Prospect: Paul Bittner

If you’re reading this you’re probably aware that the Buffalo Sabres own the 21st and 31st overall picks in this Friday’s draft. One of the biggest needs in the Sabres prospect pool is left wing. According to Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, William Carrier is currently the teams best left wing prospect. Carrier was a former 2nd round pick of the St. Louis Blues and came over to Buffalo in the Ryan Miller trade.

Past him left wingers include Dan Catenacci, and Gustav Possler. Not highly thought of prospects. The Sabres left wing prospects average size is 6 feet tall and 195 pounds. Not very big. Paul Bittner would give the Sabres size at the left wing position if they choose to select him in the NHL Draft.

Paul Bittner is 6 foot 4 and is projected to play in the NHL at 220 pounds or so. He played for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. Bittner is the definition of a power forward. He uses his size to create space for teammates, crash the net, and just overwhelm his opponents.

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The first thing you notice when watching Bittner is how aggressive he is on the forecheck. You just cannot get rid of him as an opposing defenseman. He’s not some goon either. Although he’s huge, he is a very good skater. Bittner also has a great shot and has great hands around the net. Central Scouting President Mark Seidel compared him to Chris Kreider. You can read more of Seidel’s analysis of Bittner here.

Last year with the Winterhawks Bittner had 71 points in 66 games, 34 of which were goals. In 17 playoff games he had 4 goals and 8 assists. Not bad. Bittner played on a line with WHL MVP Oliver Bjorkstrand and Winnipeg Jets prospect Nic Petan. Some fans may remember Petan for playing on the Canadian World Junior team this last December. Bittner did a great job on that line being the muscles, doing the dirty work, and opening up space for his skilled linemates.

One of the only issues with Bittner is he is inconsistent. He tends to disappear for long periods of time. There are times where he goes bananas as well. Bittner reminds me of Marcus Foligno in that way. He’s either an animal or a ghost. Another issue with Bittner is his defensive game. He’s shown a lack of commitment at the junior level to his two way game. In his own end he can show a lack of aggression that he shows in the offensive zone. However, he’s young and those are things that can be improved.

Bittner was the 26th ranked North American skater by Central Scouting. Mock drafts have him going as early as the 15th pick and as low as the 33rd pick. This makes it interesting for the Sabres. If they want to take him at 21 he will likely be there. If Tim Murray really wants Bittner he could also get bold and see if he can wait until 31 to get him. I would bet he would not be available at 31, but there’s a chance. Murray could also get creative and either trade down from 21 or trade up from 31. All in all if they want Bittner, they will have several opportunities to do so.

Bittner would fit in perfectly with the Sabres for the future. While there is a lot of talent in the prospect pool, what there isn’t is a pure power forward. Bittner fills in two needs for the Sabres: left wing, and size. He would immediately become the best left winger in the prospect pool. Bittner would figure in on either the 1st or 2nd line for the future. A potential line of Bittner, Evander Kane, and Jack Eichel would be both super talented and uber physical. Tim Murray is building his team with size and speed, Bittner is ideal.

Next: Buffalo Sabres Trade Options: Price for Sharp too high

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