The Buffalo Sabres and the other 31 NHL teams are just DAYS AWAY from the 2022 NHL Draft. Here is how it is shaping up for Kevyn Adams and company.
In this penultimate mock draft, we are doing things a little bit different. As you know, the Buffalo Sabres hold the ninth, 16th, and 28th picks, so we are selecting players based on their ranking as seen in the 2022 TCB NHL Draft Guide from The Charging Buffalo.
Therefore, whoever they ranked as ninth, 16th, and 28th, we will mock to the Sabres. And if such a draft occurs in the first round, it will be one amazing haul regarding the first three picks. So who am I projecting the Sabres to take as the 2022 NHL Draft dawns upon us? Let’s meet the prospects.
Mock Draft 4.0: With the ninth pick, the Buffalo Sabres select Frank Nazar, C/W/USDP
Nazar is rather slim, standing at 5’10 and just 174lb. But at age 18, he has plenty of time to allow his frame to match his on-ice production, in which he scored 70 times, including 28 goals and 42 assists in 56 games.
The University of Michigan commit boasts a high-energy mentality and he is routinely one of the fastest players on the ice. Nazar plays well in all three zones and when seemingly pinned deep, he gets ultra-creative with the puck, literally flipping it around opponents before zooming past them to regain possession.
Nazar does the same offensively, as there are times he will have one or two opponents in his face and he still makes an accurate pass. Throw in the ability to read opponents and trust his instincts, it’s easy to see why Frank Nazar is such a highly-rated prospect.
Hardly anyone in the 2022 Draft positions themselves better than Nazar, which allows him to force opponents to improvise as he closes off would-be passing lanes. It’s not uncommon to see him log a takeaway here and use his speed to evade opponents, take the puck into the neutral, and even the attacking zone.
One adjective to define his defensive game is disruptive while many describe him as an offensive playmaker. Nazar won’t see the NHL ice for at least a year and most likely longer, but his upside makes him a shoo-in to develop on the fast track.