The Buffalo Sabres' decision to move up in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft as part of the Michael Kesselring trade with the San Jose Sharks may not have been for flipping purposes after all.
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reported Buffalo, which owned the No. 27 overall pick before moving up to No. 20 in the Sharks deal, is highly interested in Miami (Ohio) forward Ilia Morozov, who the draft guru describes as a "strongly built, well-rounded" future third-line center.
"I've heard the Sabres are high on Morozov, and I also know a couple of other teams in front of them in the early 20s were too," Wheeler wrote Tuesday as part of his final mock draft. "I'd guess their effort to move up was made in part as a way to leapfrog those teams and make sure they get their guy."
Morozov, a 17-year-old Russia native, was the youngest player competing in Division I college hockey during the 2025-26 NCAA season. While there were some growing pains, he managed to post a respectable 20 points (eight goals and 12 assists) in 36 games for the RedHawks.
The left-shot centerman owns a projectable 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame. As a result, he could probably handle an immediate jump to the AHL next season from a physical perspective. It's more likely he returns to Miami for at least one more year of college hockey, though.
In fact, his NHL development timetable lines up almost exactly with when Ryan McLeod, Buffalo's current third-line centerman, will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2028-29 season.
HockeyStats.com estimates Morozov has a 63% chance to become a full-time NHLer (15th-best mark in the 2026 draft class) and 5% odds of developing into a star (20th), which is defined as ranking inside the top 20% of forwards in wins above replacement (WAR).
Based on those numbers, the Russian forward would present solid value for the Sabres at No. 20.
2026 NHL Draft prospect Ilia Morozov owns a growth mindset that'd fit right in with the Buffalo Sabres' core
Accepting the challenges that come with playing against older, physically imposing college opponents in your draft year is an impressive mentality. It's unlikely a player is going to dominate the NCAA ranks at 17, which could hurt a highly touted prospect's stock.
Morozov viewed the situation through a different lens.
"I think that was an amazing opportunity, because I believe that if you play with somebody who's better than you, it will make you better," Morozov told reporters at the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo. "So, I was really looking to do that, to play against the bigger and stronger guys, who play better hockey, who (are) faster, and I believe that my game grew with that."
He won't turn 18 until August and, barring a change of development plans after the draft, he'll have two full college seasons under his belt before he turns 19.
That's going to improve his AHL readiness and gives him a chance to exceed the timeline expectation when it comes to reaching the NHL, whether it's with the Sabres or another organization.
For his part, Morozov explained at the combine he's just focused on getting better every day.
"I take all the challenges with the discipline of hard work," he said. "Inside the rink, outside the rink, I tried to make every part of my game better."
It's an approach that would fit right in alongside the likes of Zach Benson and Josh Doan, Sabres rising stars who aren't the most skilled players in the league but instead make a high-end nightly impact because they outwork opponents every time they step on the ice.
In fact, a future line of Benson, Doan and Morozov in the middle six would be a nightmare for opposing clubs if the prized 2026 draft pick remains on his current trajectory.
It sounds like a lot of teams other than Buffalo have interest, however, so it wouldn't be a shock if another franchise currently slated to pick in the 20s of Round 1 trades up ahead of the Blue and Gold if they want the Russian center.
The ball would then bounce back into the court of Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen to see if he'd want to move up again to ensure Morozov joins their prospect pool.
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