Elton Hermansson was the breakout star of the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Championship, scoring 12 points (four goals and eight assists) in seven tournament games to lead Sweden to its third goal medal in the event since 2019.
That performance helped Hermansson, a 6-foot-1 winger, solidify himself as a likely first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. He may have previously been out of range for the Buffalo Sabres, who owned the No. 27 selection before trading defenseman Michael Kesselring to the San Jose Sharks to move up to the 20th slot ahead of Friday's opening round.
Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff sees the 18-year-old Swedish forward as an ideal fit for the Sabres, who "could use another skilled winger in the system."
"From an offensive standpoint, there's a lot to love, especially on the power play," Ellis wrote Monday as part of his latest NHL mock draft. "His game away from the puck is just 'OK' at best. It feels like he isn't as impactful as he needs to be when he's not piling shots on net. I want to see more urgency when attacking opponents to regain possession. That being said, the offensive potential is high, and I'd love to see him alongside Konsta Helenius — it feels like a perfect match."
Hermansson split the 2025-26 season between Modo Hockey in the Allsvenskan, the second tier of the Swedish system, and Modo's U-20 squad. He recorded 21 points (11 goals and 10 helpers) in 38 appearances for the big club.
He'd join a Sweden-rich organization in Buffalo. The Sabres feature Rasmus Dahlin and Noah Ostlund on their NHL roster with Anton Wahlberg and Melvin Novotny headlining their prospects from the Nordic country.
It's worth noting the Blue and Gold may still opt to flip the No. 20 pick as part of a blockbuster trade before the draft proceedings, which are taking place at the KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo, get underway on Friday night.
Elton Hermansson is exactly the type of high-risk, high-reward prospect the Buffalo Sabres should target in the 2026 NHL Draft
The Sabres have a strong roster foundation at the NHL level, even if star winger Alex Tuch departs in free agency, and their prospect pool is littered with potential middle-six forwards and future second- or third-pair defensemen. The organization is in a strong spot.
That's why now feels like the perfect time to swing for the fences in the draft.
Buffalo could use another true game-changer. It has Dahlin and Tage Thompson. Perhaps Helenius, Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Owen Power or another rising star eventually reaches that level, but there's a difference between a strong contributor and someone who can completely take over a game.
It's no guarantee Hermansson (or anyone else who will be available at No. 20) is going to develop into a top-tier All-Star, but he's shown flashes of that type of high-end potential, and the Sabres should absolutely be in the market for a boom-or-bust selection if they hold on to that pick.
Buffalo's front office, led by general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, can finally operate without fear of a first-round bust setting the franchise back years. There's more than enough depth throughout the organization to overcome a mistake.
Hermansson has been frustratingly inconsistent throughout his development. That said, there have been moments — both with Sweden at the international level and in the junior ranks with Orebro HK — where he's showcased a legitimate first-line skill set.
HockeyStats.com estimates the winger has a 43% chance to become a full-time NHLer (28th in the 2026 draft class) and 5% odds of eventually developing into a star (24th), which is defined as somebody in the top 20% of wins above replacement (WAR) among forwards.
He's going to need a slightly longer development runway. He'll likely remain in Sweden next season, either with Modo or perhaps on loan to a team in the top-division Swedish Hockey League, before potentially making the move to North America.
From there, he'd need at least one (and probably two) years in the AHL's Rochester Americans before he enters the Sabres conversation. For comparison, Helenius made an immediate jump to the AHL after joining the organization in the 2024 NHL Draft, but still needed two years with the Amerks.
It puts Hermansson on a general path toward a potential 2029 NHL debut, though obviously a lot of things can change over the course of three years when it comes to hockey prospects.
If he can ultimately find a little bit more consistency, most importantly when it comes to point production, he'll be worth the wait for the Sabres or whichever team selects him in the draft.
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