Buffalo Sabres Draft Options: Jakob Chychrun

The Buffalo Sabres need a left defenseman, but has this blueliner lost a little bit of luster?

The 2016 NHL Entry Draft could be the Buffalo Sabres’ ticket to a top-4 LHD. After all, there are three left-handed blueliners who all are projected to be picked within the top 10, and with the Sabres sitting firmly in the number 8 slot, you have to like the team’s chances of drafting one of these defensive prospects.

The problem with this line of thinking, however, is that there are only two LHD that I feel would be a good fit with the Sabres – Olli Juolevi, and Jakob Chychrun. Seeing either one of these fall to the 8th spot would be surprising, but it seems like that scenario is becoming more and more likely for the kid who is the focus of this post, Chychrun.

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When Sabres GM Tim Murray said that he was doubtful he could find acquire a blueliner who could quarterback the power play in the 2016 NHL Draft, I thought he could have been using a Jedi mind trick to convince the 7 teams picking ahead of him to take a pass on Chychrun. After all, numerous scouting reports identify Chychrun’s ability to move the puck and create goals on the power play as a definite strength:

Exhibits a particularly potent shot that works its magic on the power play and on the forecheck. Excellent first pass and uses his vision and awareness to keep the puck moving in the direction of the opposition’s tail or to a teammate with more time and space. (Elite Prospects)

Chychrun has above-average skill, and while he isn’t a dangler, he can evade pressure well and move the puck very effectively on the man advantage. (ABC Sports)

Sounds enticing, doesn’t it? A puck-moving LHD is just what the doctor ordered for these Buffalo Sabres – so why does Chychrun’s stock appear to be falling as we get closer to the draft?

A few weeks ago, it seemed certain that Chychrun would be picked before the Buffalo Sabres would be on the clock, but recent mock drafts have Chychrun getting picked anywhere from 7th to 9th. TSN surveyed ten scouts toward the end of April in order to put together the Draft Lottery Edition of their Top 15 Rankings. Of those ten, one scout had Chychrun ranked in the top four, and four scouts had him in the top ten . . . but six scouts actually had Chychrun ranked 11th or lower. For someone who started the year as the consensus best defender available in the draft, seeing him fall out of the top ten in the eyes of that many scouts is . . . interesting, to say the least.

Next: 2016 Mock Draft: Sabres Get Sergachev

This could be a case of a kid who is closer to hitting his ceiling than everyone else – or it could be a bunch of bored scouts and writers feeling the need to create some pre-draft drama. There is no doubt that Chychrun is solid on both ends of the ice at this stage of his career, but whether or not he can take it to an elite level still remains to be seen. Personally, I am of the opinion that the three top defensemen in the draft – Chychrun, Juolevi and Mikhail Sergachev – are so closely bunched together that scouts will continue to juggle them right up until the draft. If Chychrun does, indeed, fall in the draft, it certainly does not appear to be because of anything he has done.

The Buffalo Sabres would not be criticized if they use the 8th pick on Chychrun, as he is solid on both ends of the ice and has a physical presence. Still, Juolevi appears to be the better puck-moving blueliner, and Sergachev has a massive shot from the point, so it’s really a toss-up when it comes to determining which defensive prospect the Sabres would pick if they even decide to draft a blueliner this early.

Enjoy Chychrun’s highlights from the 2015-16 season even if they are only from the offensive side of the ice, and leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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