Do the Buffalo Sabres have the NHL’s strongest prospect pool?

The Buffalo Sabres have not seen a postseason berth in 11 seasons. But that may be changing given the true extent of their prospect pool. 

The Hockey News came out today with a tremendous article by Tony Ferrari regarding the Buffalo Sabres prospect pool. And Ferrari started out with this as the following statement:

"It might be time to start taking the Buffalo Sabres seriously. – via The Hockey News."

Ferrari also praised general manager Kevyn Adams for the way he handled situations regarding players who had grown impatient with the persistent losing and had wanted to get out of Buffalo. Players like Jack Eichel, who so far, has been on the losing end of the deal.

The article also projected that the Sabres can indeed become a playoff contender in the near future. And at the very least, that they can at least compete every time they step onto the ice. Ferrari cited upstart talents like Tage Thompson, Peyton Krebs, and Rasmus Dahlin as a few of many reasons that this is possible.

Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News had some outstanding things to say about the Buffalo Sabres and their exciting prospect pool

While all of the above statements would be a ringing endorsement for any NHL franchise, what makes Ferrari so high on the Sabres and their long, intriguing list of prospects? One reason is the immense depth general manager Kevyn Adams has built in both his own drafts and keeping notable players from the Jason Botterill era.

Of course, Ferrari cited big names ready to emerge at the NHL level like Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka. But Ferrari also mentioned top draft picks Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund, and Jiri Kulich, providing further praise for the ninth, 16th, and 28th picks of this month’s draft.

And dare Ferrari mention it? Yes, Ferrari also praised depth at goaltender, and even stated Erik Portillo’s name in the same sentence as 41st overall pick Topias Leinonen, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Devon Levi.

Overall, Ferrari was beyond appraising of the Buffalo Sabres prospect pool. Here is how they summed everything up:

"“To say that the Sabres have a strong prospect pool would be an understatement. They have quickly built up one of the strongest prospect pools from top to bottom, both in terms of star power and depth.” – Tony Ferrari via The Hockey News"

So just how strong is the pool and is it the best in the NHL? Let’s explore this topic in deeper detail.