The Buffalo Sabres once again had more than a fair share of draft picks in 2023. Who factors in as the biggest steal? Keep reading for more.
Honestly, since I believed there was no way Zach Benson would last until the 13th pick last night, I would theoretically say he was the Buffalo Sabres biggest steal. But at the same time, I want to define a “steal” as a player that most of the league’s 32 teams overlooked, and in reality, only 11 teams passed on Benson.
We also know general manager Kevyn Adams wanted to trade back into the first round, meaning there was someone he liked so much, he was concerned another team would scoop them up. Sort of sounds like a repeat from last year regarding Jiri Kulich, when no one thought the future Sabre would fall to 28th overall. Well, Lance Lysowski of Buffalo News told us who that player was:
Kevyn Adams revealed that Anton Wahlberg is the player the Sabres wanted when they tried to trade back into the first round last night. https://t.co/8rqYjAmAZM
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) June 29, 2023
Buffalo Sabres biggest steal of the 2023 NHL Draft is…
Anton Wahlberg, who will turn 18 on July 4th, looks like an absolute prototype of a professional hockey player, standing at 6’3, and weighing 185 lb. He’s also a versatile player who can play center and wing, and for a kid his size, he is a fast, fast, fast skater.
His productivity wasn’t anything eye-popping, given his 27 points in 32 contests, but the J20 Nationell’s Malmo Redhawks weren’t a high-scoring unit, so if you get him onto a more high octane team come 2024-25 after another presumed year in Sweden, you’re going to see that production pick up. He also played well enough to see ice time for his team’s parent club in the SHL, where he snagged four points in 17 contests.
Overall, Walberg’s productivity for such a low-scoring team, his overall size at such a young age, and his speed should make Buffalo Sabres fans excited. Ditto the fact that he was still there for the taking in the second round.
Source: Sabres select Swedish forward Anton Wahlberg with 39th pick of draft by Lance Lysowski, BuffaloNews.com
(Additional information provided by Elite Prospects Draft Guide and EliteProspects.com)