5 blueliners the Buffalo Sabres can draft AFTER the first round in 2023
The Buffalo Sabres met with several defensemen that they can take in the mid-to-late rounds of the 2023 NHL Draft. Here are five that jump out.
The Buffalo Sabres prospects pool is thin at defenseman, so you can expect the Blue and Gold to stock up on at least a few during the 2023 NHL Draft. In Round 1, look for general manager Kevyn Adams to take who he feels is the best player on the board before he starts to roll with team need, and defense is by far the unit he needs to address.
The Sabres specifically need to fill the pool with right-handed defensemen, four of which are listed below. So who were a few defensive prospects the Sabres met with at the NHL Combine last week that they may consider after the first round? Here are five names.
5 defensemen the Buffalo Sabres can draft following Round 1
1 – Etienne Morin, LHD
An offensive defenseman, Etienne Morin put up 72 points, 21 goals, and 51 assists for the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. Morin is also a workhorse, sometimes hitting the ice for 30 minutes in a single game, so it shouldn’t be a problem if he’s asked to play for long stretches.
The downside with Morin, however, is his defensive game. And should the Sabres take him in the second or third round-Elite Prospects has him ranked 71st-he will need to hone more than a few skills when he’s in his own zone.
2 – Oliver Bonk, RHD
The Elite Prospects 2023 NHL Draft Guide compared Oliver Bonk to Jake McCabe, so that may pique your interest. And if the Buffalo Sabres took the 6’1, 176 lb OHL product, they are getting a blueliner capable of shutting down opponent after opponent. Sounds like a smaller version of Mattias Samuelsson, right?
The Blue and Gold also need to find long-term fixtures for their bottom three, and Bonk could eventually project to play there at the next level. He needs to add obvious size, but once he fills the frame, Bonk would be preventing a lot of breakaways and odd-man rushes that the Sabres grew notorious for allowing last season.
3 – Gavin McCarthy, RHD
If the Buffalo Sabres are looking for one of the NHL Draft’s hardest hitters in the middle rounds, Gavin McCarthy could be their guy. Though effective in transition, McCarthy is one of those high-upside prospects who still needs to learn how to polish his game, so you can expect him to play his next few seasons doing so at Boston University.
But like Bonk, McCarthy could eventually develop into a bottom three blueliner, preferably one on the third pairing. If Adams believes McCarthy’s potential is worth the risk, then he needs to take this potential-laden prospect.
4 – Jakub Dvorak, RHD
Elite Prospects has Jakub Dvorak clocking in at 6’5, 209 lb, so he’s the one prospect on this list who already features ideal size for a future NHL defenseman. However, like McCarthy, Dvorak could be a mid-round selection based on his potential-Elite Prospects has him ranked 97th overall.
Playing to his raw strengths is one major aspect that Dvorak needs to improve on. Right now, the towering defenseman gravitates more to offense than defense, and that script needs to be flipped. That said, Dvorak will need to completely refine his game before he’s even remotely ready to come to North America.
5 – Sawyer Mynio, RHD
Sawyer Mynio will be one of those players the Buffalo Sabres would opt for in the latter rounds of the 2023 NHL Draft. He would be nothing more than a flier, but if the Blue and Gold met with him, there is obvious interest here.
As it stands, Mynio is playing for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, and the 18-year-old wouldn’t be eligible for AHL play until the 2025-26 season. For yet another ultra-raw prospect like Mynio, that’s a good thing, as it will give him plenty of time to hone his skills.
Hot. 6 prospects Sabres met at the 2023 NHL Combine. light
Whether the Buffalo Sabres take one of the above blueliners or if they go in a different route, expect general manager Kevyn Adams to key on adding much-needed depth to the unit in the prospects pool. It will be interesting to see how many defensemen he adds to the system on draft day.
Source: What we’re hearing about the Sabres’ offseason after the NHL Scouting Combine by Matthew Fairburn, TheAthletic.com
(All statistics and information provided by 2023 NHL Draft Guide by Elite Prospects via EliteProspects.com)