5 seemingly unreasonable offseason moves that would actually make sense for the Sabres
Mortgaging their early-round picks to draft Terik Parascak
If all of the above moves seem to be unreasonable, they don’t compare to what I have listed here: Mortgaging even more future assets to draft one player slated to go 23rd overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Tankathon’s Mock Draft as of May 27th. And yep, that means trading their second-rounders in 2024 and 2025, plus a first-rounder in 2026 for the rights to draft Terik Parascak.
Overall, the Sabres would be getting someone who took the WHL by storm, and that could even be an understatement. In 68 games for the Prince George Cougars, Parascak scored 43 goals and put up another 62 assists en route to 105 total points. He picked up where he left off following a legendary prep career, but productivity isn’t the only eye-catching quality regarding Parascak.
Parascak, who ironically is celebrating his 18th birthday while I write this, looked like a seasoned veteran on the WHL circuit, and you can look no further than his game film - linked above. The first play you’re going to see involves an incredible takeaway in which Parascak read the play perfectly. That play led to a short-handed goal, and put Prince George up big in that particular contest.
He also displays, per the film, a blend of puck control, patience, and a fantastic shot. Someone like Parascak will be worth drafting and developing for between three and four seasons, where he would eventually take a spot in the lineup as a winger or used in a trade package. There is hardly a better future investment in the 2024 draft class if the Sabres traded away their original first-rounder and made a few moves to trade back into Round 1.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)