It seems like every year, there is one day that fans of the Buffalo Sabres always circle on their calendars, the NHL Draft lottery. This is the tenth consecutive year that the Sabres have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So once again, Buffalo will sit tight and hope for the best result possible in the draft lottery.
The Sabres entered the offseason with the worst regular-season record, so they are rewarded with the best odds in the 2021 NHL Draft lottery that takes place on Wednesday, June 2nd. They have a 16.6% chance at the first overall pick, a 15.0% chance at the second overall pick, and a 68.4% chance at the third pick. The lowest the Sabres could possibly be picking is at third overall.
Despite how bad the Sabres have been recently, they never seem to have any luck when it comes to the draft lottery. Buffalo has only held the number one overall pick three times in the entire history of the franchise. The most recent being in 2018, when they selected Rasmus Dahlin.
Since the 2014-2015 season, Buffalo has finished last in the league three times, but they have only gotten the number one overall pick once in that time. Although, the Sabres have had good luck drafting after the number one overall pick, selecting players such as Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel in years that they did not win the draft lottery.
But after the season the Sabres just put their fans through, they need something they can hang their hat on. Although this year’s draft class may not be the strongest one in recent times, it would be nice if Buffalo can enter the draft and be able to select the best player available.
There are lots of questions in Buffalo going into this offseason, but if they could acquire the number one overall pick in the draft, that would be a positive start.