Buffalo Sabres: What will Kevyn Adams do with the 28th pick?

With the Tampa Bay Lightning sweeping the Florida Panthers, the Buffalo Sabres landed the 28th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. 

Now that we know where the Buffalo Sabres will pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, it is now time to speculate what they will do with that final pick in the first round. Looking at the my previous mock draft, I had the Sabres taking forwards. There were two reasons behind this:

1. The Sabres aren’t as deep at forward as they are in the defensive rotation at the NHL level.
2. Their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, will see the likes of J.J. Peterka and Jack Quinn go. They will also see Arttu Ruotsalainen, barring anything unforeseen, return to Europe.

However, the Sabres got potential newbies joining their AHL ranks next season in forwards Josh Bloom, Alexandr Kisakov, and Olivier Nadeau. Nothing is set in stone, but it may change Kevyn Adams’ draft strategy.

What are the Buffalo Sabres plans with the 28th overall pick?

One player whose name has been thrown around is Ryan Chesley, who committed to play college hockey at the University of Minnesota. Chesley, a right-hand defenseman, displays solid size at 6’0, 194lb. And at age 18, he still has time to grow into his frame.

He also shows traits as a two-way player, which places him in a category similar to Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. However, some scouts stated his efficacy as a two-way player is limited, so at this point it would be tough to project Chesley to put up the same type of offensive production as Dahlin or Power, should the Sabres select him.

Scouts also praised his hockey IQ and his ability to see the entire ice when in possession of the puck. He puts himself in position to make a solid pass to teammates, which further augments his offensive ability.

Defensively, he can disrupt plays, either through his positioning or by landing a body check. You see guys like Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson on opposite sides of the spectrum style-wise. Chesley fits right in the middle. Think of him as a jack of both trades.

Article Source: MyNHLDraft.com.