Buffalo Sabres: Why Kevyn Adams should not trade up

There are several enticing players in the 2022 NHL Draft who could motivate Buffalo Sabres general manager to trade into the top five. 

Compared to other teams, it is far more realistic for the Buffalo Sabres have all options on the table in July’s upcoming draft. With three picks in the first round, general manager Kevyn Adams can leverage those picks to pull of a blockbuster trade to move up and snag a top-five player.

But is it really worth doing so? When you look at the Sabres roster there is young talent everywhere, so why not trade up and take the quality over quantity route? Especially with a plethora of young players from the 2021 NHL Draft, signing entry-level contracts.

There are a few reasons. But the top reason is that this draft is simply too deep at forward, which is the position everyone believes Adams will target with his first pick. So deep that Adams can land two potential game-changing forwards with his first two picks – ninth and sixteenth.

The Buffalo Sabres could be one playmaker away, but it does not mean they should trade up

It’s no longer a secret the team is on the rise. And while trading up to be in position to draft someone like Logan Cooley or Frank Nazar doesn’t hurt things, it also means giving up the opportunity to go after someone like Marco Kasper, Brad Lambert, Rutger McGroarty, or Jimmy Snuggerud. All of whom are projected to be selected between sixteenth and twenty-first.

They also have productive options like Joakim Kemell, Matthew Savoie, Cutter Gauthier, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki who may be available with the ninth pick. Overall, there are just too many names listed above to trade up for.

The best case scenario in this one is for Adams to stay put and let the draft come to him. There is just too much talent. Too much productivity for Adams to pass up. While I wouldn’t be too bent out of shape if Adams moved into the top five, the sheer level of talent available in this draft does not make it worthwhile.