Buffalo Sabres Draft Picks: Breaking down Rounds Two through Four

Round 4: Mats Lindgren, D/Kamloops

In the fourth round, the Buffalo Sabres took Mats Lindgren. Judging from his productivity, in which he scored 44 points (five goals) in 68 games, the draft’s 106th overall pick projects as an incredible two-way prospect.

Lindgren is an exceptional threat in the neutral zone and he uses his tremendous skating ability as a way to generate ways to get open and pass the puck off to a teammate or take it himself into the offensive zone. With excellent on-ice vision, it is not uncommon to see him locate a teammate deep in the offensive zone and make a play.

His shot still needs polish, but other than that, he has a great offensive mind. And while Lindgren possesses strong defensive skills, he still lacks in certain areas. He can keep the play in front of him and force attackers to change lanes, but he can also lock his eyes onto the puck carrier, which occasionally leads him to getting caught out of position.

Overall, Lindgren is a solid choice who displays a jack-of-all-trades type of game. If he can improve the little things, he can eventually work his way into an NHL lineup. But, thee are bad habits, like puck watching, that he needs to break. Grade: B.

(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)