There is no high-end right-hand defenseman on the current depth chart
Is it just me, or are we having this conversation about landing quality right-handed defensemen every year? This isn’t just an issue in the prospects pool; the only viable right-handed blueliners in the Sabres lineup this season were Connor Clifton and Henri Jokiharju.
Shift gears to the prospects pool, and Scott Wheeler’s top-rated RHD is Maxim Strbak, who is 19 and not likely to make the NHL anytime soon. Vsevolod Komarov is another one, but he should have a ticket to the AHL next season following a year when he put up 69 points and 14 goals in 60 regular season games for the Quebec Remparts and Drummondville Voltigeurs, along with an incredible plus-47.
Komarov has a lot of playmaking potential, and no doubt, he will be fun to watch with the Amerks in 2024-25, as his overall productivity has more than just sailed north since 2021-22. He has a lot of upside, but if Kevyn Adams finds an RHD early in the 2024 draft, there is a good chance they will bring even more to the table.
Should Adams land a better draft spot than 11th overall, Zayne Perekh (96 points and 33 goals in 66 games with Saginaw) would be a logical choice. But if he rolls with a pure right winger, prospects like Ben Danford and Anthony Cristoforo should be there in the second round.