3 surefire steals the Buffalo Sabres must target in the NHL Draft

Ondrej Becher, F/Prince George Cougars

Ondrej Becher possesses experience and versatility, and the 20-year-old prospect can line up at center and both winger positions, giving an organization interested in drafting him next week options. During his debut season in North America with the Prince George Cougars, Becher was good, but by no means great, putting up 38 points and 16 goals in 63 games, but he accumulated just three additional points in nine playoff appearances. 

This past season was a breakthrough for Becher, as he registered 96 points and 32 goals in 58 regular season contests, plus another 19 points and five goals in 15 playoff games. Adding up those totals, Becher was good for 115 points and 37 goals throughout 73 contests, which equals 1.57 per, if you’re keeping track. 

Despite his outstanding points productivity, Becher is in his third draft-eligible season, and of course, it almost always means a player will fall into the middle rounds. That said, Becher had a strong breakout season, and he plays at an upper-echelon level regardless of the situation; offensively, defensively, in transition, it doesn’t matter for Becher. 

Another upside, even if there are downsides to it, is that Becher is already 20, so he doesn’t need to wait another year before entering the AHL. While the Sabres have quite a few highly productive forwards in the AHL at the moment, that may not be the case for long via trade or promotion. Someone like Becher will be ready to scale up sooner rather than later, and he could immediately fill a void someone like Jiri Kulich or Isak Rosen may leave behind.