One prospect we would like to see fall to the Sabres in the NHL Draft

If I wrote this article in June 2023, Zach Benson would have been my top-end prospect to freefall, allowing the Sabres to scoop him up with what was the 13th overall pick. As fate had it, that was what happened, and looking back on it nearly one year later, it’s safe to say that the pick worked out well. 

Now, if only general manager Kevyn Adams and the Sabres luck out for the second year in a row, assuming the No. 11 pick is still in their grasp come Friday, June 28th. With a draft class loaded with solid defensemen, I’m getting bold, and for the purpose of this article, “project” a big-name blueliner falls to the Sabres. 

There is one blueliner who could be drafted anywhere between fifth and 10th overall who has the perfect blend of size, skill as a two-way player, and the potential to line up as a first-pairing defenseman as part of a rotation at some point down the road. 

Maybe not eventually for the Sabres, considering that their blue line may be ready to roll for a while, but on a blue line if Buffalo were to end up trading some prospects away for established talent if they started getting consistent in the points (and win) column. The player who caught my eye is none other than Sam Dickinson of the OHL’s London Knights. 

Sam Dickinson falling to the Sabres at No. 11 would be an ideal situation

Sam Dickinson’s 2023-24 season went better than expected productivity-wise, as the blueliner found the net 18 times in the regular season with 70 points total in 68 games. He also scored another four goals and registered nine assists in 18 playoff games, good for 83 points and 22 goals on the year. 

And just so you know, his defensive game was every bit as top-notch as it was in the offensive zone this season. He’s got the intellect, positioning, and length to stop a sequence’s momentum before it picks up, all signs of a strong defensive player. 

That said, if he fell to the Blue and Gold and they gave him another two seasons in the OHL and a season with Rochester, they could evaluate him against the likes of Bowen Byram (who should re-sign next summer), Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, and Ryan Johnson. 

All of the names mentioned above would make for an excellent rotation with Rasmus Dahlin. And while he will face competition from others in the prospects pool should he enter the Sabres system, the chances of Dickinson surpassing all of them are very likely. 

(Statistics powered by Elite Prospects)