The Buffalo Sabres are missing the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, meaning they will put their energies into the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Owen Power will take the ice for the first time in his NHL career on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Power, the first overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, will give Buffalo Sabres fans a reason to keep paying attention to the current season rather than start talking about the draft for the immediate future.
However, general manager Kevyn Adams and scouts across the organization are already hard at work preparing for the draft. And the Sabres have a lot of draft capital, with three first-round picks that may help the organization continue to turn things around.
What should the Buffalo Sabres do with their top draft pick?
Now, before we start talking in-depth about the NHL Draft, I’m going to take a page from Die By the Blade’s Austin. In a recent article, Austin made it clear he is “going to be wrong” regarding his projections.
I’m in the same boat as Austin when it comes to the NHL Draft. I will also be wrong, so feel free disagree with me on everything draft-related. But, it’s also a lot of fun to cover the draft and make bold predictions from now until July 7th.
So, with the Sabres front office gearing for the July draft, how should they consider spending their top selection? It really depends on where they fall in the draft lottery.
Whether the Sabres win the draft lottery and snag the first overall pick or select between 11th and 16th, they need to choose the best overall player. Regardless of need. It doesn’t matter if that best player is a center, winger, or even a defenseman, they need to draft another potential game-changer.
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While the Sabres could definitely use early picks on wingers and goaltenders, the team still struggled in 2021-22. So for the purposes of the upcoming draft, expect me to stress the need for selecting the best players available as opposed need.