We are one week away from the 2024 NHL Draft. At the current moment, the Buffalo Sabres hold the 11th overall pick. The question is, will they stay put and draft a player at 11th overall or will they trade the pick? It has been a debate topic amongst the Sabres fanbase and in one week from today, we will find out what Buffalo ends up doing.
In this article, I'm going to have some fun. I will try to predict what Buffalo will do on Draft night. Obviously, we won't know anything until it actually happens, but why not have some fun? With that being said, here is what I think Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams will do.
Buffalo will trade the pick
After some thinking, I think Buffalo will trade the 11th pick to acquire another player. In his most recent press conference, Adams did say numerous times that Buffalo is ready to take the next step as a franchise. No one but Adams and Sabres management knows what that means, but it could mean making the playoffs which the franchise hasn't done in 13 years when they made it in 2010/2011.
If this is the goal, then trading the pick for a proven player could help Buffalo take the next step. The Sabres have a ton of young talent, so it would not hurt to trade 11th overall for a skilled player that could be a necessity to the current roster.
The current vibe is that this could be Adams's last chance to get the Sabres where they want to be. It does feel like the pressure is on and it should be. When you are managing the team who has the longest playoff drought in the NHL, there is a ton of pressure from the team and the fanbase.
I don't have a specific player, but it will be a guy who can contribute right away and help the Sabres take a leap forward.