Buffalo Sabres Draft Options: Alexander Nylander

Is the Swedish phenom enough to entice the Buffalo Sabres to move up in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft?

The Buffalo Sabres are in tricky territory when it comes to the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Sure, they will probably be able to draft a solid player with the 8th overall pick – we all know that Rasmus Ristolainen was the 8th overall pick, and he is working out quite nicely! – but there is a legitimate concern that the best forwards in the draft will all be gone before Buffalo gets a chance to use that pick.

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As a result, we have discussed the idea of the Sabres trading up to the 4th spot, as well as the Sabres trading down in order to grab an extra first-round pick.  Moving up to 4th would give the Sabres a chance to draft Matthew Tkachuk or Jess Puljujarvi, both of whom project to go within the top-5.

A slightly more subtle move might be for the Sabres to try and move up to 5th or 6th, thereby giving themselves a legitimate shot at either Pierre-Luc Dubois or Alexander Nylander.  I’ll focus on Dubois in a little bit, but today we’ll look at Nylander.

When you take a look at the scoring options that Buffalo had on the left side of the ice in 2015-16, you’ll notice Evander Kane’s name, and then . . . meh.   Yes, Tyler Ennis spent most of the season on IR, and sure, Marcus Foligno and Matt Moulson topped 20 points . . . but excuse me if I am little unimpressed with the core of left-wingers that the Sabres have assembled thus far.   For all the talk about how Buffalo needs help at the blueline, this team needs scoring on the left side of the ice, badly.

And for all the talk about the Sabres needing scoring on the left wing, if you look at their roster, you will notice there are only two right-wingers listed: Brian Gionta, and Hudson Fasching.  Granted, Sam Reinhart played right wing alongside Jack Eichel, and the Sabres would be nuts to break that line pairing up next season, but even with Reinhart playing the wing, the Sabres still are thin on the right side.  Add to this discussion the fact that Gionta has to be just 1-2 years away from retiring, and you have a legitimate reason for the Sabres to draft a right-handed forward this draft.

Which brings us to Alexander Nylander, the brother of Toronto Maple Leaf center William Nylander.  A slick skater with a sick set of hands, Nylander is a right-handed shot who has been playing on the left wing, making him an extremely versatile player for the Sabres to consider.  He can hurt the opposition in numerous ways, as he is described as having a heavy shot, excellent vision, and the ability to hold his own in front of the net long enough to get those hands on the puck, however it may get there.

Don’t take my word for it – check out the glowing praise that The Draft Analyst had to say about Nylander:

He’s an excellent skater with a deadly shot, but he can score goals from in close thanks to a ridiculous set of hands. Nylander is able to make smart decisions as he maneuvers through traffic, and his ability to stickhandle in and around a dense field of sticks and skates while knowing exactly where his linemates will be makes him an indefensible threat on the rush. He’s impossible to prepare for, as he can beat you with his playmaking or his heavy shot. And much like his aforementioned brother, Alexander loves to hang onto the puck for what may seem like an eternity, but is done in a sensible fashion without trapping himself into a corner. He can play either side of center ice, and kills penalties, so don’t you dare consider him a one-trick pony. Nylander should be considered one of the draft’s best goal scorers, but his ability to thread the needle and play selfless hockey makes him one of the few two-pronged threats available for 2016.

Hmmm: “one of the draft’s best goal scorers.”  Chew that one over in your mind for a bit.

Nylander was a force to be reckoned with skating for Sweden’s top line in the 2016 WJCs, and he impressed in the OHL, putting up 28-47-75 with the Mississaugua Steelheads in 57 games.  He is expected to go anywhere from 5th-7th in the upcoming draft.

And hey – if it means anything to you, Nylander also performed pretty well at the 2016 NHL Combine, racking up a few top-10 finishes (which is more than front-runner Auston Matthews can say).

Clearly, if the Buffalo Sabres are hoping to acquire a born-scorer to slot in on the right side of the ice, holding onto the 8th pick will not work.  Flipping spots with Arizona (7th) doesn’t work, so the Sabres would have to look at dealing with Edmonton (already covered), Vancouver, or Calgary.   Of those two, it would behoove the Sabres to work out a trade with the Canucks far more than trying to hammer out a deal with Calgary.  For starters, the Sabres are pretty much guaranteed to be able to grab Nylander (or Dubois) at the 5th spot.  It also doesn’t hurt to consider that Vancouver does not currently hold a pick in the second round of this year’s draft, so offering them the 8th and 38th pick in the draft is an avenue the Sabres could explore.

Next: Sabres Draft Options: Trading No. 8 To Anaheim

Admit it: discussing what the Buffalo Sabres can do in this year’s draft is probably going to wind up being more fun than the draft itself.  Buffalo has plenty of options, and waiting for a solid pick at the 8 spot is not the kiss of death.  Still, there are some gifted young scorers waiting to be picked in the top 6, such as Alexander Nylander, so you expect GM Tim Murray to do everything in his power to slide up.  If Nylander was not on your radar, check out his 2015-16 OHL highlights – pretty sure you’ll be plased with what you see.