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NHL Mock Draft 2.0 has the Sabres trading their first-round pick to land a star forward

NHL Mock Draft 2.0 is a little different from many involving the Buffalo Sabres, as this one includes a blockbuster trade for a big-name forward.

By Todd Matthews

Jan 23, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Peyton Krebs (19) and Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) battle for the puck in the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Peyton Krebs (19) and Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) battle for the puck in the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Round 6: Noa Vali, G/TPS

A high-potential goaltender late is always a good way to roll, and Noa Vali, thanks to his numbers albeit the smaller, slighter build, more than has the ability to become the next late-round pick to parlay his most recent outings into something greater. If the Blue and Gold landed him here, his future probably wouldn’t be with Buffalo, considering the young talent that would be ahead of him, but would end up with the right team via trade. 

And don’t let Vali’s young age fool you either, as it hasn’t deterred him from even enjoying a lot of success in Finland’s Liiga. Overall, he can experience a breakout campaign in what will be his age-19 year, casting a foreshadowing on what could be a stellar eventual run in North America. 

Round 7: Anthony Cristoforo, D/Windsor Spitfires

He’s a small blueliner, but for a prospect who produces so well on a team that bad, he should go off the board way earlier than the seventh round. But in this simulation, he fell to Buffalo, and it took little thought to select Anthony Cristoforo over a few other high-potential freefallers. 

Cristoforo needs to bulk up, but having just turned 18 in February, that’s not entirely out of the norm. As the size comes, so will an increased development in overall play, and that will more than make him a potentially rewarding pick in the late rounds if he fell this far in the draft.

Round 7: Brayden Edwards, C/Lethbridge Hurricanes 

He’s older, but he also boasts more size at 6’1, 185 lbs, so that alone makes it more than worth taking a flier on Brayden Edwards. Edwards struggled to show off his offensive game between 2021-22 and 2022-23, but he always displayed better defensive play - think Tyson Kozak, if we’re comparing him to a current Sabres prospect. 

But he also broke out offensively this season, and you can look no further than the 31 goals and 70 points he recorded for the Lethbridge Hurricanes in just 66 regular season games. If Edwards did that again this season and kept up a sound defensive game, he’s got a bright future, regardless of his draft position. 

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(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)

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