Buffalo Sabres: Can the 2021 and ’22 drafts rival the 1982 and ’83 drafts?

The 2021 Draft

Notable Selections: Owen Power, Prokhor Poltapov, Josh Bloom, Olivier Nadeau

First, let’s get the Captain Obvious moniker out of the way: It is way too early to grade this draft and it will be a minute before we know exactly how it compares to the 1982 campaign. Therefore, I have only listed four prospects who absolutely excelled last season, but you can catch a full analysis on the 2021 draft via a link in the final slide.

Anyway, let’s start with the man of the hour, Owen Power. There wasn’t a busier prospect in NHL spheres in 2021-22, as Power played in 33 games with the Michigan Wolverines, scoring 32 points (three goals) in those contests. He snagged two points (one goal) in five games at the 2022 Olympics.

Finally, Power made his long-awaited NHL debut with eight games remaining in the 2021-22 season, scoring three times (two goals) in eight games. While it is far fetched to believe Power can be the next Phil Housley, the cosmos are the limit from a potential standpoint. Especially given his mostly up eight-game sample size in 2022.

Unlike Power, Prokhor Poltapov did not see success in Russia’s highest level of professional hockey, the KHL. Nor did he fare much better in the VHL. However, he had limited ice time in both leagues. Down in the MHL, he played well, scoring 15 times (five goals) in 13 games. He had an encore presentation in the playoffs, with 18 points (seven goals) in 19 games.

Encouraging Mid-Rounders

Of all the draft prospects last season, Olivier Nadeau was the most encouraging. Outside of Owen Power, of course. Next Dave Andreychuk? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but Nadeau showed he can become a force at the next level, given his 78 points and 35 goals in just 65 games at the QMJHL level.

Finally, we got Josh Bloom, who despite taking an entire season off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, rallied for 61 points in 67 games. 30 of those 61 points went for goals, and Bloom was rewarded with a practice run with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.

If Power makes a jump in his rookie season and Poltapov sees more ice time in the KHL and produces, the Buffalo Sabres could make a few parallels to the 1982 class. Not saying Power and Poltapov are Housley and Andreychuk, but I am saying that they can evolve into great players at the NHL level, assuming Poltapov comes to North America.

The 1982 Draft only saw solid returns from four prospects. And right now, Nadeau and Bloom appear to be our frontrunners. But let’s not count out two prospects not mentioned in this article: Isak Rosen and Aleksandr Kisakov.