The Buffalo Sabres have their hands full in their second-round postseason battle with the Montreal Canadiens, who've dominated the past two games to claim a 2-1 series lead, but general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is also preparing for a busy offseason.
Among the marquee tasks on his to-do list? The 2026 NHL Draft, which is set to take place at the KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo beginning June 26.
Corey Pronman of The Athletic released his first mock draft of the year on Monday morning. He projected the Sabres will select Swedish defenseman William Hakansson with the No. 29 overall pick.
"He moves very well for his size, plays the body aggressively and excels at killing plays defensively," Pronman wrote. "While his offensive ceiling and puck play are limited, his high-end compete level and physical tools project him as a highly dependable everyday NHL defender, and Buffalo has plenty of guys who can slot onto a power play."
It was a hectic 2025-26 season for Hakansson, an 18-year-old left-shot blueliner who split time between three teams — Lulea HF, Lulea's U-20 junior squad and Almtuna IS — as well as representing Sweden at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The 6-foot-4 defender's strong play at the World Juniors helped elevate him into the first-round conversation as he took on a shutdown role to help the Junior Crowns capture a gold medal.
William Hakansson's modest offensive impacts make him a risky Round 1 target for the Buffalo Sabres
Hakansson flashed some attacking upside last season with Lulea's junior team, tallying 22 points (seven goals and 15 assists) in 42 appearances, but that progress didn't sustain against tougher competition during the current campaign.
The defenseman posted four points in 16 games with Almtuna, which plays in the second tier of Swedish hockey (Allsvenskan), and just two points across 22 outings with Lulea in the Swedish Hockey League, the country's top division.
He's mobile for a player of his size and does showcase some puck-carrying ability, but the natural instinct to generate high-danger scoring chances is lacking.
Hakansson currently projects as a second- or third-pair defensive defenseman. While there's absolutely value in that type of player, the Sabres would be betting on significant offensive improvement if they're going to invest a first-round selection in him.
If that breakthrough eventually arrives, he could emerge as a steal from late in the opening round because his defensive awareness and physical play are impressive for a teenager, but there would also be a fair amount of downside risk because of his so far limited skill set.
In addition, the Sabres are also pretty well stocked on the blue line. They have Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson all locked into long-term contracts, with Bowen Byram doing his best in the playoffs to earn a long-term extension, as well.
Buffalo also features several defensemen, including 2025 first-round pick Radim Mrtka, Adam Kleber and Maxim Strbak, among their top prospects.
So, if the Sabres are going to take a risk on a player with their first selection, it feels like a forward with high-end attacking traits (but weaknesses elsewhere, it's a pick in the late 20s after all) makes a lot more sense. Their system is in dire need of more "wow" potential offensively.
That's not to say Hakansson would be a bad choice. Perhaps he maintains his current trajectory of a defensively reliable blueliner and emerges as a long-term option for the third pair, which has been a pain point for the organization this season, at some point in the next three or four years.
His margin for error in terms of emerging as a future NHL player is a lot smaller without meaningful offensive contributions, however, so Buffalo may be best served looking in a different direction.
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