The Buffalo Sabres have three picks in the first round of next week’s draft. Who are the likeliest candidates to be selected with the 28th overall pick?
The Buffalo Sabres have draft picks at both nine and sixteen, and many hockey pundits hold a consensus of there being a talent drop-off beyond the first half of the first round. But that doesn’t mean high-quality talent does not exist.
In 2018, Mattias Samuelsson fell to the second round and he’s since become a valuable asset for the Sabres. Ditto for fourth rounder Jacob Bryson, second rounder Rasmus Asplund, and seventh rounder Victor Olofsson. All of whom played key roles on the 2021-22 team.
But, none of the above just made the leap to the NHL. So regarding the players listed below, expect them to spend some time honing their games in a developmental league before they take their talents to the KeyBank Center. That’s assuming the Sabres draft one of the following prospects at 28th overall.
Who will the Buffalo Sabres select at 28? Prospect #1 – Ivan Miroshnichenko, W/Omskie
Recently, scouts like Peter Harling of NHL Rumors have questioned whether Mirsohnichenko will decide to even come to North America. This could be a turn off to some NHL teams, but given the Buffalo Sabres draft capital, it should not worry general manager Kevyn Adams too much.
He also had Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2022, which may further scare teams off. However, NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda stated that he is a complete player when healthy, citing skating and shooting ability, along with relentless physicality.
While Mirosnichenko carries an extra high risk given his bout with lymphoma and uncertainty of where he will play professional hockey, his unwavering talent is too rich to pass up. He plays with a dangerous combo of power and speed, and opponents need to account for him at all times on the power play, which is his specialty.