Buffalo Sabres: Top five picks of the Jason Botterill era
Jason Botterill may not have been a great general manager for the Buffalo Sabres, but he did draft some talent into the organization.
From 2017 until 2019, Jason Botterill headed up the Buffalo Sabres draft hauls. And while there have been plenty of hits and misses, the following five players and prospects have thus far stood out as the best from the Botterill era.
Now, it may be premature to judge the Botterill era picks at this time, since we are only two drafts removed from when he last manned the Sabres war room. That said, we can easily revisit this article two years from today if anything changes between now and then.
But as the 2022 NHL Draft ticks nearer, the following five players stand a head and shoulders above the others in no particular order. Let’s meet them, starting with an All-Star defenseman.
Buffalo Sabres: Top pick of the Botterill era – Rasmus Dahlin, D/2018
There was no one better than Dahlin, who is coming off of his first ever All-Star Game. While he stagnated in Years Two and Three, Dahlin came on strong in 2021-22, playing in 80 games and scoring 53 points (13 goals).
Easily the team’s breakout player, Dahlin also logged a career high in shooting percentage at 7.6 percent, and he recorded 24:01 of average ice time per game, also a career high. But it didn’t stop there. The former contender for the Calder Trophy registered 91 blocks and 121 hits, turning him into one of the game’s most dangerous two-way players.
For 2022-23, look for Dahlin to continue his uphill climb as he enters the prime of his career. 20-plus goals are not out of the question, and yes, he can easily break the 100-plus block and 150-hit milestones. Look for Dahlin to become a household name throughout league spheres next season, if he hasn’t already done so.
Dylan Cozens, C/2019
They call the former seventh overall pick the Workhorse from Whitehorse for a reason. Perhaps no draft pick from the Jason Botterill era has shown more tenacity than Cozens, who became a fixture on the Buffalo Sabres middle lines this past season.
Some in the Sabres faithful are critical of Cozens because of the way he cooled down last season from a scoring perspective. But it doesn’t mean he was an ineffective player. In 79 games, he still scored 38 points and 13 goals, with most of them coming before the All-Star break. If he can score consistently this season, then 50-60 points is a realistic milestone to aim for.
He also has a career face-off win percentage of 46.0, something he will also seek to improve in 2022-23. And odds are, Cozens will get there. His work ethic and tenacity are among the best in the Sabres locker room, and it will translate to success on the ice. Cozens will have his critics, but it’s important to remind everyone he is just 21, so there is plenty of time to grow here.
Jacob Bryson, D/2017
Bryson’s play isn’t eye-popping, so he doesn’t warrant the same type of attention as defensemen like Dahlin, Owen Power, or Mattias Samuelsson. But that doesn’t mean Bryson isn’t a bad hockey player who will probably end up remaining in Buffalo.
He also isn’t the type of defenseman that will score you points or even evolve above a third pairing unless he is playing for an unbelievably bad team. The Buffalo Sabres are no longer that bad team, which will limit Bryson’s ice time to under 20 minutes per game.
Despite this limitations, he has shown steady improvement, and it means he could, in time, turn into one of the better low-tier defensemen in the NHL. But the one big improvement from Bryson has been his aggression, sacrificing the body for 73 blocks and creating 24 takeaways. Again, not eye-popping statistics, but an improvement over his rookie season.
Mattias Samuelsson, D/2018
In 2021-22, no one in the defensive rotation improved more than Samuelsson, next to Rasmus Dahlin, of course. He played in just 42 games last season and broke the 100-hit and 60-block barrier.
Like Bryson, Samuelsson does not score, evidenced by his 10 assists. But he eventually snuck his way onto the first pairing and in the process, ended up logging 20 solid minutes of average ice time per game.
When it’s all said and done, we may look back at Samuelsson and say that he was the second-best pick for the Buffalo Sabres during the Jason Botterill era. Especially if he solidifies his spot on the first pairing as a complement to Dahlin.
And if anyone is making a projection here, it is that Samuelsson, like Dahlin, will also evolve into a core player that will remain in Buffalo for a good portion of his career. Now the question bodes: What will Samuelsson have in store for an encore performance?
Filip Cederqvist, W/2019
A former fifth-round pick, Cederqvist was one of Jason Botterill’s final picks as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres. The budding SHL star just recently signed his entry-level contract with the franchise, and he could be well on his way to North America from Sweden, where he spent the last four seasons steadily improving his game.
Last year, he played for Djurgårdens IF, where he scored 32 points (14 goals) in 49 games. Look for even steadier output this season, whether he stays in Europe or more likely, heads over to Rochester to play with the Amerks.
More. Ranking the last 10 Buffalo Sabres first round picks. light
Cederqvist possesses adequate size at 6’2, 207lb. He will also be 22 by the time October rolls around, making him a more experienced incoming prospect. Overall, Cederqvist may eventually evolve into a top three draft pick from the Botterill era if he continues to hone his game.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Elite Prospects)