Buffalo Sabres Links: NHL Draft, Free Agency

Eight more days, Buffalo Sabres fans.

Just eight more days until Jack Eichel (likely) becomes a member of the Buffalo Sabres. What happens from there, we can’t know for certain, but it’s definitely exciting to think that after months of talking about the possibility of Eichel joining the Sabres organization, it’s incredibly close to becoming a reality.

Of course, a lot can happen between now and then. Will the Buffalo Sabres buy out Cody Hodgson? There’s also been trade talks about the Ottawa Senators’ goaltenders, one of which the Sabres could be interested in.

Who will – and won’t – be a member of the Sabres organization anymore when draft weekend rolls around?

For a little bit of further reading on the draft, here’s two links from NHL.com.

First up, a piece about Noah Hanifin and Zachary Werenski. The duo could become the first pair of college hockey defensemen to be drafted in the top 10 since 1991, when Scott Lachance and Aaron Ward were selected with the fourth and fifth picks.

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Another defenseman who could be picked up in the first round, albeit not likely in the top ten, is Everett Silvertips blueliner Noah Juulsen.

Juulsen was ranked 22nd by Central Scouting when all’s said and done, so he could end up falling to the second round — we’ll see how it goes.

Less than a week after the 2015 NHL Draft comes two of the biggest words of the summer: “free agency.”

There are undoubtedly some big-name players available this year, but there are also some overrated players open to free agency. [Bleacher Report]

Who would you like to see the Buffalo Sabres go after? Would any of the players named in that piece, such as Mike Ribeiro, Stanley Cup Champion Antoine Vermette, or Mike Green, appeal to you? How about Devan Dubnyk, who was nominated for both the Vezina and Masterton trophies after this season?

Elsewhere, the folks at Bleacher Report also look at every NHL team’s biggest need this offseason.

Spoiler alert: the Buffalo Sabres need to find themselves a starting goaltender before October rolls around. Obviously.

Finally, two pieces of more fun or entertainment-related news this morning.

First, some details that have been released about NHL 16. [Gotta Be Mobile]

And for all those Internet-savvy folks…. hallelujah, it looks like we’re finally getting a hockey emoji… eventually. Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll still have to wait for some updates from the folks at Apple, Google and Microsoft in order to be able to *use* it — but it’s on the way. [CBS Sports]

Next: Is Nash Worth Trading For?

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