3 prospects the Buffalo Sabres may draft with the ninth pick
The Buffalo Sabres hold the ninth pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and recently, NHL.com listed eight potential prospects the team can draft with the ninth pick.
On June 13th, 2022, NHL.com listed who they think the Buffalo Sabres will target with the ninth pick. Of those potential picks, I have listed three of the likeliest candidates in today’s slideshow. But before we get to the good stuff, I’d like to talk about another likely prospect not mentioned.
Since I slated Liiga’s Joakim Kemell to the Sabres in my latest mock, I did not place him in this slideshow as a prospect. But feel free to consider Kemell to be part of this list, too. It just didn’t make sense to list the same prospect in back-to-back articles.
I also feel Kemell, at this point, is the likeliest option to go to the Sabres with the ninth pick. So the following prospects would be the team’s top targets IF Kemell is gone when their pick rolls around.
Who are the Buffalo Sabres likely to grab at nine? Keep reading for more.
The top prospect the Buffalo Sabres can draft with the ninth pick: Matthew Savoie, C/Winnipeg
If NHL.com had it their way, Savoie would be a Sabre, given the results of this mock draft. NHL.com also ranked him the fourth-best skater in North America, and they acknowledged he may not be there when the Sabres draft at ninth overall.
Is it a nightmare scenario if both Kemell and Savoie are gone? Not really. But it would prevent the team from drafting two smaller but intriguing prospects.
Mike Morreale, whose mock draft I linked above, and other scouts compare him to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Brayden Point. Like Point, Savoie’s speed and skating ability stand out. He is also a phenomenal chess piece to use on special teams.
The first overall pick in the WHL’s 2019 Bantam Draft, Savoie solidified his draft status in the league this past season when he recorded 90 points (35 goals) in 65 games. If he is there and Kemell is not, look for the Sabres to snag him. And you can also expect some fast development from this small but speedy prospect.
Frank Nazar, C/USA U-18
Another undersized, yet productive prospect, Nazar has fallen to and even past the sixteenth pick in some mock drafts. However, his production is one massive reason the Buffalo Sabres can consider him at ninth overall if Kemell and Savoie are gone. And even if he is ranked lower overall, it is tough to consider Nazar a reach if he is indeed the ninth pick in the draft.
His speed is just off the charts, with The Daily Faceoff’s Chris Peters stating he averages between one and two breakouts per game. Here is what Peters had to say:
“Frank Nazar is probably one of the most exciting players just in terms of his skating and skill package. The hands, the quickness, I mean, he probably averages about a breakaway or two per game. It’s just amazing how he’s able to slip behind defenses. “The thing about him, the reason why his projections are all over the map, is you’ve got people that really respect the skill and the speed, but he’s not that big.” – via NHL.com.
Stats-wise, Nazar was on fire, having posted 70 points (28 goals) in 50 games played in the USDP. He also followed things up nicely in the USHL, with 35 points (15 goals) in 24 games. Nazar will take his talents to Ann Arbor, where he will team up with Sabres prospect Erik Portillo at the University of Michigan in 2022-23.
Cutter Gauthier, LW/USA U-18
Gauthier has been high on my own list for quite some time. With NHL.com ranking him third among North American skaters, there is also a chance the winger will not be available when the Buffalo Sabres pick.
But if he is there at nine, he can easily fall to the Sabres if they are looking to increase their size at the position. At 6’2, 200lb, Gauthier is larger than either Savoie or Nazar. He also displays a shot fit for the NHL and Craig Button of TSN has compared Gauthier to Max Pacioretty of the Vegas Golden Knights.
While listed as a winger, Gauthier is a versatile player, as he plans to play center when he arrives at Boston College. If he produces well, the Sabres can use his talents in multiple ways should they draft him.
Related Story. Mock Draft 3.0: Buffalo Sabres snag two defensemen. light
Gauthier was stellar in 2021-22 production-wise. Across 76 games in the USDP and USHL, respectively, he recorded 93 points (53 goals). Look for that production to continue.
(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)
Article Source: Potential options with the 9th-overall pick by Jourdon LaBarber